Monday, November 14, 2011

HOME!

Sweetheart is home!!!!

She was so excited to see me when I picked her up.  She wagged her tail and danced around.  Then she went straight for the front door and pawed at it repeatedly, wanting OUT!  :)

Dr. Kolar removed her stitches and her wound is closed.  The infection is completely gone and her leg is back to normal size.

She will be on antibiotics for the next 10 days or so.  She has to wear her cone when we cannot watch her because she still licks her wound a little too obsessively.  She looks so funny with her cone on.  She eats and drinks pretty well with it on.

She lost some weight while at the vet's office but that is to be expected.  She is eating good now and will gain those few pounds back quickly I have no doubt.

I am glad to have her home, the house didn't feel the same with her gone.

Jess and Sweetheart

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Saturday Sweets

Sweetheart is STILL at Dr. Kolar's.

Dr. Kolar is waiting to see if the bottom half of the wound will open up (he thinks it will).  If it does, he wants to be able to clean the wound and make sure there is no further infection.  If it doesn't open this weekend I may get to bring her home this week and just keep an eye on the wound as it heals.

Sweetheart is being a snob to the other dogs at Dr. Kolar's.  Dr. Kendi said the only dog she can be neighbors with in the outdoor runs is another greyhound that is currently being boarded there.  She growls at all the other kinds of dogs!  I've raised a snob.  :)  Sweetheart is making all kinds of people friends and Dr. Kendi said she was running around the clinic like a maniac today.

Below are a couple of cute pictures Dr. Kendi sent me a few minutes ago.

Goofy girl!

Silly Sweets!
Jess and Sweets

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Sweets on a Wednesday

I talked to Lynn at Dr. Kolar's about 11 today.  Sweetheart was doing well at that time.  Dr. Kendi texted me a bit later and told me Sweetheart is responding well to antibiotics.  The swelling in her leg has gone down and the wound looks better.  She was going to clean the wound today to get rid of some of the smell and gunk.  Sweets wasn't ready to come home today and that is fine by me.  She is in the best place possible and getting lots of love and good care.  I hope to have her home by the weekend, but only if she is ready.  I don't want to rush her recovery at all.

I think Dr. Kendi is getting attached to Sweetheart.  :)  Of course I don't know how that could happen.

I did schedule Eve's spay for November 18th.  She has gained her weight back and is even getting some nice little bootie muscles.  :)  Eve is a joy and I just love her.  Benny and Eve play and play outside.  It is rather scary to see Benny tackle her and give her a bear hug.  However, Benny is so sweet and gentle he never hurts her.  The same can't be said for Eve when she tackles him.  :)

Les has been gone to California for a month (yeah, good timing what with all the dog drama) and is coming home Friday evening.  I will be so glad to have him home.  He is my emotional rock and does so much with the dogs and their vet visits, etc.

Keep Sweetheart in your thoughts.  She is in mine all the time.

Jess and Sweetheart!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Tuesday Sweets

Sweets is still at the vet's and will be most of the week I am thinking.  Her infection is slowly going away but her leg is still swollen.

Dr. Kendi said last night that Sweetheart hated the 'cone of shame' but that today she was learning how to get around with it better.  She said she felt so sorry for Sweetheart she was thinking of taking her home at night.  I told her to go for it!

Dr. Kendi let her run around the clinic today when they weren't busy.  Below are two pics she sent to me.  The first one could be a great ASPCA adoption poster!  The second one is of her wandering around the clinic.

Dr. Kendi said she was wagging her tail the whole time in the crate.
Wandering around the clinic.  She looks so pathetic in that cone.

Jess and the official vet dog Sweets

Monday, November 7, 2011

Monday Morning Blues

I took Sweetheart to Dr. Kolar's this morning.  He examined her and took her temperature.  She has a slight fever and the bottom part of the wound is infected.  Her leg is swollen due to the infection.

He is going to keep her for a few days to try and get that infection gone and her leg back to normal size.  He put a 'cone of shame' on her and she just looked at my with 'why me' eyes. 

Poor girl.  I feel bad for her but I feel better with her being at Kolar's.  I would hated to have brought her home today and had her take a turn for the worse.  At least while she is there they can watch her and treat anything that may come up right then.

Dr. Kolar did say the bottom half of the wound will have to heal as an open wound since it is infected.  We know Sweetheart can heal well, look at her leg.  But still, I am just heartsick for her.  All I did this weekend was sat around worrying. 

Jess and Sweetheart

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Sunday and worried

Sweetheart's wound isn't healing like it should be.  Her leg is swollen as well.  I am going to take her to the vet's tomorrow morning right when they open.

I am sick about this and have been worried sick all weekend.  I worry that this is going to turn into something more serious and disabling.  I know I shouldn't be worrying about things that may not happen but it scares me.

Sweetheart is eating alright and is bright eyed but she is nervous and wants to be near me.

I hope they will keep her a few days so she can get antibiotic shots and be in a controlled environment.  I will update when I know more.

Jess and Sweets

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Update

Sweetheart is doing a 100 times better today so that means I am less of an emotional train wreck.  Her leg and chest appear a less swollen and bruised already and she is moving around on the leg with a bit more ease.

Sweetheart came into the living room with us last night about 8:30 or so and she slept in the living room all night. She was bright eyed and wagging her tail this morning.  She has gone out a couple of times already today.  Her appetite is good and she took her medicine with no problems.

I did put a t-shirt on her since she has started licking the bottom portion of the incision.  I put a big one on her and she almost fell over tripping on it.  I figured I didn't want her to break a leg so I put a smaller one on her.  She isn't quite she about the whole t-shirt thing but she is such a good patient she is coping nicely.  The other dogs are rather interested in the t-shirt.  :)  The Rimadyl seemed to help so I gave her one this morning.  She isn't in as much pain (isn't acting like it at least) so I think we are good with the Rimadyl.

I am staying home from work today and tomorrow to watch over her and make sure the other dogs don't bother her.  It makes me feel better to be able to keep an eye on her versus worrying about her all day at work.

Jess and Sweetheart

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Sweetheart is Home

Sweetheart is home and I am about to cry.

Her shoulder and leg are swollen and incredibly bruised.  She is hurting and is in the bedroom away from the other dogs.  I am going to give her a Rimadyl to hopefully help with the pain.  I know that medicine is for arthritis but I figure she is full of pain and inflammation so it can't hurt.

I am just sick about this.  I thought having her home with me would make me feel better but I just feel so guilty and so incredibly sad.  I see her hurting and I wish I could take her hurt away.  I hope she will be ok.  I know she is tough but it is still so hard to see her this way.

Jess and Sweetheart :(

Sweets this A.M.

I talked to Lynn at Dr. Kolar's office a few minutes ago.  Sweetheart is doing great this morning all things considered.  She can go home anytime today.  I would love to take off work NOW to go pick her up but I will resist the urge and will wait until I actually am scheduled to leave work to go get her! 
Whew, I am so glad my girl made it through the night alright and that she is bright and happy today.  She is a tough girl.

Now I have to get the vision of her hurt and screaming in the back yard out of my head!

I am going to take some cookies to Dr. Kolar's this afternoon as a little thank you for letting me rush her in last night at 645!  Hope everyone has a good day.  Mine is looking up.  I might post pics of her gnarly wound tonight, I haven't decided.

Jess and Sweetheart

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Sweetheart is hurt....but ok!

I hate writing this because I feel like SUCH a horrible dog owner.

Tonight I had Sweetheart, Cleo and Eve outside for a couple hours (it is beautiful weather).  Sweets and Cleo were muzzled.  Eve wasn't because she is a baby and can't really hurt the other dogs because of her overbite.  About 6 p.m. I let Monte out (unmuzzled because I never have to muzzle him, haven't for years) and not 5 minutes later I hear a horrendous scream in the backyard.  I run to the back door and see Sweetheart screaming with a HUGE gash in the front of her.  OMG is what I kept saying over and over while thinking to myself 'this cannot be happening to her'.  My thoughts are that Sweetheart tried to play with Monte and he lashed out.  He would have been the only one who could have hurt her since Cleo was muzzled and Eve is too docile and has that overbite that prevents her from doing much damage to anything..

I frantically called Dr. Kolar's office and luckily Dr. Kendi was there.  I was a basket case, which I normally am not, and I asked Dr. Kendi if I could bring her, didn't wait for her to answer, then sort of shouted into the phone that  I was going to be there in 30 minutes.  I got three of my dogs crated, a blanket in the car and Sweetheart loaded.  I called my Mom and Dad and they came over and watched the dogs for me.  I made it to Kolar's in record time.  I get there, fling open the PT Cruiser back door and get Sweetheart out of the car very gingerly.  As soon as I opened the door to the Kolar's office I just lost it and started crying.

Luckily Dr. Kendi was levelheaded and reassured me that it was only just a flesh wound.  An 8 inch flesh wound but a flesh would none the less.  She gave Sweetheart a shot of anesthesia and we carried her to the surgery table.  It is scary watching a dog under anesthesia, I was so scared she wouldn't keep breathing.  She did though and an hour later she was all stitched up.  Dr. Kendi gave her some oxygen and a shot of antibiotics after the surgery and we carried her into the kennel area.  Sweetheart was sleeping soundly when I left.  Dr. Kendi said she would check on her in a couple hours (about 9 or 10 p.m.) to make sure she was doing ok.

After all was said and done, I walked outside to get in the car, I noticed that in my haste to get Sweets inside I didn't even close the door of the PT.  It was wide open the whole time.  Thankfully all was intact with the car and I was able to make it home in one piece.

I should be able to bring Sweetheart home tomorrow after work tomorrow.  I was so scared for her and am so very very grateful that Dr. Kendi stayed late to sew her up.  I feel like such a bad owner for not muzzling Monte.  I haven't had to in years and years.  It makes me so sad to think of Sweetheart suffering any at all.  I will be muzzling Monte for the rest of his life I can tell you that.

On a brighter note, Eve is finally home.  I got her home this past Saturday.  She has kennel cough.  She is only coughing a little at night and in the morning when she first wakes up.  She is on antibiotics for another 7 days or so.  She is filling out nicely and is super sweet.  I cannot, however, keep her in a crate.  She gets out of them like Houdini.  Luckily she is a good dog in the house and doesn't tear anything up.

I am about to go to bed and try not to worry about Sweetheart too much.  I am sure I will be texting Dr. Kendi tomorrow morning to make sure she is doing ok.  Until she is home I will be worried I am sure.  It isn't the same without my Sweets here.  I love her so much!

Jess and Sweetheart