In need of sympathy and large quantities of alcohol - updated questions

elsien

Mutt had her toe amputated about 10 days ago.
She won't tolerate the buster collar during the day as she has learned that persistence will get it off, usually after about 10 minutes rampaging from which it is impossible to distract her. She actually has 2 buster collars, one inside the other as she has also learned that if you get it at the right angle you can bend it and still reach your bandaged foot, however big the collar is. She also has large amounts of padding taped round the edge of the collar as she has taken all the skin off her leg while trying to remove said collar.

She has to have someone with her 24 hours a day, as she can't be left unattended at all otherwise she chews through the bandage or gets it off. Mum does the honours while I'm at work, otherwise mutt would have chewed her leg off by now. My social life has ceased to exist, I can't leave the house at all and I even have to time going to the loo to when I think she's asleep. She seemed calmer last night and has not tried to get the collar off overnight for a couple of nights, so I decamped from the settee where I've been sleeping and went to bed. Got up this morning having not heard a peep out of her all night, to find the collar on the floor, no dressing, the wound re-opened and her foot looking so sore and painful where she's spent the night licking it.

I'm at my wits end. Toys and food don't distract her, the spray on stuff on the bandage makes no odds, it's looking worse today than when the op was first done, and the bill has now reached the £1000 mark with the insurance excluded and no end in sight. There's no way the stitches will be out on Wed as originally planned.
In desperation, the vet has prescribed doggy valium (considering nicking some for myself), but has no other suggestions. I know I've posted about this before, but she's never been this bad and her poor foot looks dreadful but entirely self inflicted.
Not sure how much longer I can carry on like this. Someone please tell me there's a light at the end of the tunnel, as I'm not sure how much longer I can carry on without cracking up or strangling the little git. I knew she's be bad, but this is spectacular even for her.
I'll try anything!

jackieglasgow

Awww elsien, what a shame for you both. Can you not muzzle her? I know its extreme and she'll probably be p!ssed off about it, but needs must. surely they do muzzles to fit her breed? I had thought about valium too, and what about asking the vet about antihistamines, they can make you drowsy and maybe her foot has been itching a bit too, which adds to her aggravation? Good luck.x

elsien

Thanks - I've tried antihistamines and it's not made any difference.
I think the muzzles a non-starter as well - although she does have one (a baskerville) it doesn't fit properly because of the shape of her head (the manufacturer said some BT's just can't wear a muzzle) and she can get it off pretty quickly. Plus I think bashing her foot with it will still make her foot sore, even through the bandage, and you couldn't leave it on for any length of time.
Thanks for the suggestions though - keep them coming.
It doesn't help that she's so fed up of me telling her to leave it alone that she's pretty much tuned my voice out completely. Can't blame her, I'm sick of hearing myself as well. I thought about trying clicker training, but she's off her food and not interested in treats at the moment, so that's a bit of a non- starter as well.
The nurse this morning said that the smell from it oozing is obviously bothering her, so we're going to try changing the dressings more frequently as well. Having said that, I've been back to the vet every other day anyway, so I'm not sure how much difference that'll really make.

jackieglasgow

What about tethering her on a very short leash when she's in the house to break the habit of going at it? You know, so she's not got enough length on the leash to reach her foot? Poor girl, she's not had a good time at all. I would try the clicker training, why not try something completely different? Mr T have a value range slicing sausage (you know the ones in a plastic jacket?), it like polony or something like that, It smells vile but my dog loves it and will do anything for a bit. She is very food orientated but that sausage gets her on a whole other level. Other than that, buy yourself a bottle of wine

elsien

Wine ready and waiting for the diazepam to kick in. Does anyone know how much it'll zonk her out - she's on 10mg twice a day, does it have a cumulative effect?
I've just realised that it's definitely the smell coming from the dressing that's winding her up as well. I've just caught her having removed this mornings manky smelly dressing from the bin and trying to eat it. So I might redo her dressing every day - it's not easy though trying to pin her down with one hand and bandage her foot with the other.
The lead's a good idea - she's got a halti so that'll save me having to leap up from my chair every two minutes to move her head away from her foot.

jackieglasgow

I thought you'd slap me down for being cruel :rotfl: no idea about the meds, sorry. Enjoy your wine.

trudij

I think its more a case of needs must - and its more cruel (albeit self inflicted on her part!) to let her keep damaging herself, and nobody wants that.

Poor you Elsien - it must be horrible for you at the moment - it will get better,just going to take a little bit longer than first thought.

and go for the wine !! xx

chris_n_tj

Poor wee thing, I would go with the lead as well, have you tried the Elizabethan collar? A long shot but worth a try.

Is the bandage the stick stuff that most Vets use? I know TJ hates that, so we use a bandage from our first aid box then cover it with a childs sock which we tape at the top.

I hope her foot heals soon, the wine seems like a good idea. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

starrystarry

You have my sympathy Elsien, as a fellow BT mum. When my stupid boy had his leg pinned I didn't manage to keep the collar on for more than a couple of hours. He learned that although he couldn't get his mouth to the bandages he could actually use the edge of the collar to scratch them off. The only evidence of problem solving skills he has ever shown in 6 years. I had to sit up all night with him, holding his head. I don't know who cried more, me or him.

I don't have any advice I'm afraid, everyone else has better ideas than I would ever have thought of. Hope things get better for you both soon.

lisawood78

Hmm, i'm having similar issues with a Great Dane and a partially amputated tail. Best thing we found there was to tape on old plastic bottle on it with holes in for ventilation and watching her pretty much 24/7. It is finally healing slowly, after she removed her own stitches and had to have staples, and of course no collar would stop her reaching it. Sorry, I know this isn't helpful to you but I share your pain, after coming home to bloody walls day after day.
I know its not much help but our vet has been putting medicinal honey on the wound and it has really speeded up the process.

elsien

starrystarry wrote: »

He learned that although he couldn't get his mouth to the bandages he could actually use the edge of the collar to scratch them off. .

Yep, mutt's learned that one as well, and taken all the skin off her leg. Even with the diazepam I've just had the worst night yet - up from 4.30 am after she got the collar off, back at the vets this morning and it's now getting infected where she's got at it. The really frustrating thing is the orginal wound is healing reasonably well - or it was till she opened it up again. The really sore and infected bit is on the top of her foot where she's taken the top layer of skin off by licking/chewing.
Might be because I'm really tired, but this does seem to be going on forever and just getting worse by the day.
Meanwhile mutt is currently snoring her head off after an exhausting night. I daren't join her - I think she's sleeping with one eye open to spot when I'm out of the way.
I wonder if the plastic bottle would work on her foot, or whether it'd just get in the way when she's walking. She's a bit like bambi on ice at the moment anyway.
Chris n TJ, she's got layers of melolin, followed by cotton wool, followed by a bandage followed by the elasticated stuff. I think the smell of the gunge soaking in is winding her up - she doesn't really seem to be in pain (although she has a high tolerance anyway), it's irritating her, so the top layer of elasticated stuff is to give more of a barrier. Unfortunately with her teeth she'd be through the bandage and sock in 2 seconds flat.

Edit - this made me laugh it has a certain familiarity to it.

starrystarry wrote: »

The only evidence of problem solving skills he has ever shown in 6 years.