Monday, September 20, 2010

50 pounds of Sweetheart!

Yep, our little girl now weighs 50 pounds!  31.4 to 50 in 5 weeks, pretty impressive if you ask me.  All the while, she is healing her leg like a superhero!  I don't like the word miracle too much but she really is my little miracle dog.

The pictures below were taken on the way to the vet's office.  Monte's big head is in the back since we were taking three of our dogs to be boarded.  Jennifer, enjoy the large, adorable fawn dog with the one ear straight up.  :)





The bandage change went great today.  It almost took my breath away and not because of the smell.  :)  When he unwrapped the old bandage I COULD NOT believe how good that leg looked.  It really looks like a normal dog leg and not something that went through the meat grinder.  The spots have filled in so nicely and I think within a few more weeks they will be totally covered with new skin growth.  Of course there is no bone showing, there wasn't last week, but it just seems like the tissue growth is just phenomenal.  When I think of what that leg looked like just 5 weeks ago compared to what it does now, it just takes my breath away.  Stunning is the best way to describe it. 

The pictures below are from today's bandage change.  They are still a bit gory but by now you are used to it (hopefully).  To you folks new to the blog, these pictures are really really great even though they might seem a little stomach turning.

By the way, the stuff he uses to wrap her leg under the gauze and vet wrap is called Silverlon.  It is amazing stuff.  It contains silver which keeps any infection from setting up.  Don't ask me how it is works but it is good stuff.  They use it on humans for burn care and wound care as well.  However, it is expensive.  The size he uses on her leg costs $100.  Luckily, he can rinse it and use it a total of three times before he has to start with a new length of it.  It is worth it's weight in silver because without it, I think her leg would not have been able to be saved.





This area was the site where the bone was showing about an inch and a half
along her leg.  The skin was all necrotic and the bone was dry.  I really think Dr. Kolar
was skeptical that this leg could even be saved.  He seems so very happy with her
progress.

I just cannot believe how this leg has healed.  You can see
the patterns of the chain and rope now that the leg is almost
healed.


The leg looks dirty and icky but that was after Dr. Kolar unwrapped it.
With the Silverlon wrapping, he cannot clean it with soap and water.  The
directions for the wrap state that you can only rinse it with water while it is
being treated with Silverlon.  He does wrap it in a warm towel and rubs it with
clean water to get some of the 'gunk' off.  All of us cannot wait until she is
able to be bathed from head to toe



11 comments:

  1. Holy smoke! That is amazing!!! And 50 pounds, this little girl is a survivor!!!!

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  2. You mean everyone except Sweetheart! lol I'm betting that little diva comes up with serious stink eye when she gets a bath!

    I'm so glad to hear her weight gain is going so well and her leg is healing so nicely! She's just adorable!

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  3. She is certainly a little fighter. I think she must have genetics on her side.

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  4. So much for the owner's claim that Sweetheart had "been sick". She was just hungry! Now that she's being fed well, she's healing like crazy!

    Thank you for all you do for her!

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  5. So glad this wonderfully spirited dog found you. She is doing so well and I'm sure will have plenty of offers of a forever home.

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  6. Heck, that legs looks so beautiful compared to when you first got her:-) I never would have thought the tissue and flesh would have come back at all, let alone look that good. Wonderful stuff:-) Go Sweetheart!

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  7. Good job of fattening her up!! That silver wrap has done an AMAZING job(I figured she'd lose the leg after seeing the first pictures), but I bet that leg gets pretty stinky not being washed.

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  8. Yay for sweetheart! Her leg looks great! She is healing nicely. :)

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  9. It's truly remarkable how well she has healed so far. I cannot believe the spot with the bone showing 5 weeks ago is so well filled in with healthy tissue!

    You are an inspiration Ms. Sweetheart!

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  10. I stil cant believe that such a beautiful loving dog was left to suffer like that. How could you ever turn away from those eyes and not care? I am so happy she is recovering so quickly... it is a testimony to her courage , heart and the caregivers she has dedicated to her ! ~Christa

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  11. If I ever get back to OKC, I of course want to meet Sweetie! but i have just GOT to meet that Monte! Love that Ear!

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