Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: Gus on July 25, 2012, 02:25:30 am
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Thought about this for a bit, and haven't had much time for computer stuff...
But figured it for a Good Cautionary Tale.
And the story of one puppy passed over by the hand of death.
This all started back on June 21st.
Had moved the puppies out with the big dogs a couple weeks earlier.
Round about 2:30am Thursday 6-21, there was a heck of a hullabaloo out around the garden fence.
They must have had a critter cornered in there but did not find it.
Got everyone calmed down and went back to bed.
Next day Zed, then called Superman, as he was the Biggest, Prettiest male of the litter, and the sweetest puppy, came up a little lame in his right hind leg.
Checked his leg over and did not find anything overt, figured he got rolled in the Brawl the night before.
But he continued to worsen into the weekend. Saturday night 6-23, he was so bad I took him to an emergency vet clinic down the road.
We jumped through their hoops, Parvo Test, and basic check up just to get him in a room to wait to see the doc.
While we waited, Zed in my lap, me petting and talking to him to calm and reassure him, I happened to flip an ear over and found 20 to 30 Fire Ant whelps.
Checked the other ear, same thing. Then REALLY took a Hard look at him and started finding whelps all over him.
When the doc came in he wanted to talk about running a battery of X-Rays on his leg and hip.
Asked him how much the X-Rays would be, he said they started at $200 and up... I passed on the X-Rays.
I pointed out All the Fire Ant Whelps, the odd individual had the gall to tell me that Fire Ants didn't effect dogs the way they did humans.
This is where I figured out that this particular veterinary clinic was not in it for the animal. I told him we are done here, to the tune of $275.00
And we went home.
By Sunday Zed had been off food for three days and water for two.
We started a Force Feeding and Watering program on him using a Water bottle with tubing taped on the end of the bottle for water
and a Turkey Injector Syringe with Tubing taped on for food. We fed him Gerber Baby Food for the next two weeks.
Talked with my vet Monday morning for guidance.
He said keep pouring the water to him, force feeding him the baby food was good, and get him in ASAP.
With Work and other Family Matters clouding the waters, we were unable to get him to our vet till Friday.
By this time the Hemotomas had begun to rise and burst.
Our vet put Zed on as strong of an antibiotic as he dared, do to his young age.
Two weeks into treatment we switched him to the next stronger antibiotic.
With our vet's guidance We were doing Epsom Salts Poultices, followed by Peroxide, and them Neosporin.
When the Large Hemotoma burst on his back it opened up a three inch gash leading to the inside of the hemotoma which was the size of a Baseball.
Our Vet talked me through a process of using Granulated Sugar, (Table Sugar) as an antibacterial application,
sprinkled over the open wound, then allowed to melt in, then apply neosporin on top of that.
Zed's been living in the kitchen since this all began.
I'd take him out and hold him up to do his business.
It was touch and go for three weeks of treatment, four weeks from getting rolled in the Fire Ant bed.
And to add insult to injury the ant whelps kicked off a harsh case of Lab Pimples.
But Zed finally turned a corner and started healing up.
Today he is coming along Pretty Darn Good.
I figure another two weeks or so and he'll be able to rejoin the pack.
He started out named Superman but we changed it to Zombie Dog and that got edited down to Zed. :)
There had been more than enough death around here recently, I was not prepared to let him go quietly into that good night.
Here are the Photos From about a week in, up to today.
If you are faint of heart pass them up!
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed1.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed2.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed3.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed4.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed5.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed6.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed7.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed8.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed9.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed10.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed11.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed12.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed13.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed14.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed15.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/Zed16.jpg)
This was the worst I've seen in a dog.
And I have sewn up several dogs, and doctored snake bites and what not.
Even sewn up one of my dogs fireside in the boonies with fishing line and home made bone needle after an unintended fight with a Russian Boar.
Zed sure is a sweet boy.
And he still has the Fire in him, with a heart as big as his head.
I was worried that the fever and brush with death might have burned his little mind away.
But he is learning quickly, and bouncing around at feeding time, a happy little Puppy.
-gus
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Awesome event. You just went to the top of my list of good people.
Pulling for Zed to make it all the way back and hope he gets a chance
one day do eat up that money grubbing a-hole of a vet.
Lane
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Awesome Gus, I'm glad the little guy pulled through!
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Zed is a real warrior for sure! Breaks my heart to see the pup in that condition. Gus, you and your wife deserve a pat on the back for all the extra care you put into his welfare and probably a big reason why Zed's hanging in there.
Tracy
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Gus - good job getting rid of the bad vet. Awesome job nurturung the pup - For future reference - Cold water baking soda compresses and bath will alleviate those damn fire ant bites quickly. My son got into them while visiting relatives in Louisiana. Had bites all over his legs and feet. Packed him in cold baking soda compresses and the pustules were all gone in about an hour or so.
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Damn Dude, I didn't read the other comments, but you are the MAN and your Family is Awesome for giving a go and pulling Zed through. CONGRATZ Bro, dpg
Betcha keep that puppy, huh?
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Thats messed up, hope he gets better. I was just imformed grapes are poisonous to dogs, not too change the subject, but I was really suprised. Kill them ants!
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I would make sure the emergency vet was given a copy of the pics. And probably chew on him just a bit and maybe next time he would have a bit more under standing..
Great job on your part. ;)
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What vet was this? So I can take my dogs elsewhere. Glad to hear he is doing better
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Wow. Hope everything continues to go smooth. Way to stay with him and nurture him back!
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Atta boy Zed, you little zipperhead! Like Wolf Watcher says, "get your tough skin on!"
Gus, you and your wife are aces in my book. I agree with the person telling you to take the photos to the vet and giving him a little wake up call. I believe you may even wanna take him to small claims court to recover your charges for services "not rendered". He may just decide to not show up for the court date and you would win by default.
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Being a dog lover with a special fondness for labs especially the chocolate variety, I found those pics hard to look at. But what you guys did for him shows that humanity has not completely gone down the toilet :) It's good to hear that he's recovering - I was wondering how he was doing when you mentioned the incident in your other post.
I think if I was in your shoes, I'd have a hard time letting him go after all you've been through together... good luck with that ;)
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I hear ya Fellas...
Zed is Definitely on his way up from this Episode.
Now he's my spoiled little kitchen monkey.
Easing him back into the education process and starting to get him outside for short spurts.
But he just wants to GO... NOW. :)
He's healed up enough now to start getting some leash time.
And reintroducing him to the girls, our three medium to large sized yard/house dogs, one of which is his dam.
Zed is ready to be out of the kitchen, if he could play the harmonica he'd be playing the "Let Me Outa Here Blues".
Judging by his rate of healing and if he doesn't open stuff up again, he should be out of solitary confinement in a week or so.
Darwin, it was the Emergency Vet Clinic off I-10 over in the same strip center with Goode Company BBQ and Carters Country.
The Campbell Road Veterinary Hospital is my normal vet.
Dr. Bringhurst is TOPS in my book, a good Vet and a Good Guy.
Fire Ant whelps really did not cross my mind until I stumbled upon the ones in his ears.
They did not jump out at me on the rest of his body initially.
Once I saw the pustules in his ears and really looked hard at the rest of him the true scope become apparent.
By then he was deep into anaphylactic shock and shutting down.
The damage was done.
All we could do was keep him alive until he could pass the poison.
Keep his wounds clean and addressed.
And squeeze the food and water into him... much to his chagrin mostly.
I'd love to keep Zed, but I'd picked out another male to hang on to when the pups were a month old.
And my wife says I can't keep them both...
Thank Goodness I don't have to decide tonight.
-gus
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Dr bringhurst is the vet I go to as well and I agree he is great. This is not the first bad story to come out of that emergency clinic. When I was away at school my dog got sick very quickly ( he was allergic to peanuts in hind sight I think that was probably the issue) and my mom took the dog there and they apparently said the dog was fine mom took him home and he died a few hours latter. It was horrible I got a call at school my mom was crying (which doesn't happen) and she told me the story, worst thanksgiving ever
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I'd love to keep Zed, but I'd picked out another male to hang on to when the pups were a month old
Man Gus, you have a tough decision!
Tracy
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Man Darwin... that is Not good at all.
At this point I'm still a little too excited to go and talk with the odd individuals at the ER Vet.
I'll give it another month then take legal action.
I hear ya Tracy, the other pup I named "Orion's Trapezium" on paper, as my oldest Son's name is Orion.
We call this pup Trapper and he is Orion's favorite...
He is one of the darker chocolate pups with a splash of white on his chest.
I figured we would have a harder time finding him a home because of the white mark.
He turning out to be the big dog in the litter... and he is already showing signs of wanting to work... go figure. :)
-gus
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Was re-reading your description of treatment, especially the part of packing the wounds with table sugar. This is rapidly becoming a highly respected emergency treatment in field injuries. The initial research was centered around the use of honey in deep tissue wounds and severe burns. Now this is a very old home remedy that the medical community eventually forgot about in favor of modern drugs.
However, it's resurgence lately has been noted and several serious studies were conducted on the subject. Here's what they say about WHY it works. Honey (and for that matter any concentrated sugar) is extremely hydrophilic, or simply put, it loooooves water. It will actually suck water out of nearby cellular structures in order to satisfy it's chemical drive for absorption of water. Yeah, it kills the cells around the wound, but it also kills bacteria by dehydration, too! It sterilizes the wound, then the simple carbohydrates begin to migrate thru the live cell walls and directly feed the injured tissues. In deep tissue wounds and burns oftentimes blood supply is compromised, and tissue death results. The simple carbohydrates help keep that tissue alive and healing faster.
So, I keep a handful of sugar packets in a ziplock baggie in whatever daypack I carry when hunting or wandering the woods. All else fails, I can eat'em too.
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Much respect to you Gus for fighting to save this little guys life. Good luck on the keeper decision. I have a feeling you have a connection and bond with the little guy that will be hard to end.
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God job Gus, most would have put that dog down. All the care you did with him will leave an inprint and he will likely make a fine family dog.
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Poor lil Zed, hes a trooper i tell yah, i hate to see an animal in pain, i cried when i had to put my dog down after she saved me from a rabid fox, i never even knew was there, it just goes to show you we are just one of the strongest species in the world, our best friends can be just as tough if not tougher
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I'da popped that vet it the mouth. Glad to hear he's recovering well. I had a cat that lived outside when I was a kid that was a Hell of a fighter. Doctored him up a dozen times before he met his match one day and never came home.
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I hear ya Kurogane...
He has Plenty of Heart.
And he's begun his training officially as of Friday.
I brought in one of the Kongs in from the puppies out back and Zed is fetching that thing all over the kitchen and in the yard when I kennel up the rest of the Wild Bunch
and take him out.
LivingElemental, I feel ya, and in years gone by I would have done the same.
Which is not to say the desire has gone, quite the contrary.
The problem is that I can't afford to hand out that kind of life lesson in these days of Lawyers and Lawsuits... :o
So we finally figured out who is staying.
I asked Orion which Pup he would rather keep.
Being three, he told me straight up with no hesitation which one he wanted to keep, two times.
The first time he said Zed.
The Second time he said Trapper.
So we are going to hang on to both pups... which surprisingly, is not too suprising at all. :)
-gus
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Wow, I realy dont know what to say. You and your family deserve more credit than I can express for what you did for the little guy. There is no better dog than a lab IMO and I admit I misted up a little at those pics.
I am glad to hear you decided to keep him. Many folks would have given up on him and put him down. Dont think for a minute that little guy does'nt know what you did for him. I think you will find you will never have another dog with as strong a bond with you than this one.
That's not sentamentalism, it's Zoology. All that special one on one care and attention will cause you to be imprinted on him.
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I mean this in a very "tongue in cheek" way :laugh:....I think what you have done is great....been there before with other animals......that being said, every time I step to the plate like you did, seems like that very animal becomes the biggest pain in the butt ungratefull critter I have of the lot. I always end up saying.....and why did I save you! :laugh:
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Gus that poor puppy. Good man to nurse him back... Ducky duck duck of those ants..
Cipriano
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Still got a bunch of pups available...
If anyone is in the market for a Chocolate Lab, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse... >:D
Free to a Good Home, I'll find a way to get a puppy to you if you are interested.
Please don't make me pull out the January, 1973 National Lampoon Dog Cover Photo...
:)
-gus
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I only wish, Gus, I only wish. Fourteen months since I lost Scully and I am still not ready.
Hows Zed doing? Got some follow up pics of the li'l bugger?
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I hear ya JW...
I've been there, and don't envy you your position.
Zed is dong Good.
He is getting hard to pick out in the crowed.
His hair is growing back in and he's looking like a Puppy again.
And he's back outside with the rest of the Mob... Back to being a Puppy.
:)
-gus
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Thanks, Gus. Does my heart good to hear he's back in the pack!