Margo is back home and recovering well. The amputation went well and there are only minimal issues. She’s draining a little more than normal (according to the vet). I’ve had to express the wound multiple times a day with probably 50-75 mL of drainage yesterday and at most 20 mL today. Unfortunately, I’m very sensitive to the smell of blood and about wanted to throw up a few times. (That’s why I could never become a vet! Ha!)
I am amazed at her attitude right now. She’s happy. She’s smiling and hopping around and even sitting! Every question I had about going forward with the operation is gone. It was the right option. No matter what happens in the future, I know we relieved the excruciating pain the tumor was causing her.
Future details and wound pictures below cut.
The surgery ended up costing a little over $1,900. It was a bit more than I was quoted, but anesthesia added up. She was under for nearly 120 minutes and after 30 minutes each one cost. Of course, once I got to the vet and had to pay I didn’t care. I was able to afford it and lessening her pain was worth every dollar. The poor thing was happy to see my dad and me when we entered the room, but the wound was a bit nasty.
The bruising is quite severe and since she was laying down, it’s difficult to see the fluid accumulation, but every few hours I had to cup her stump and express the bloody fluid. Luckily it didn’t seem too painful and she allowed it. Her orthopedic bed hasn’t arrived but she has been quite happy to lay on the floor on several blankets. Of course, she has the dreaded cone of shame, though she has the problem of hitting things then thinking she can’t fit through. Then she just stands there. (Yes, she’s a little goofy!) She’s not too big of a licker and I’m able to watch her closely so I take off the e-collar when I’m watching her. Boxers are waiting for her once I have the wound a little cleaner. I would put her racing muzzle (taped up) on her except: 1. it blocks her nose when she lays down, and 2. she HATES it (like most greys). Luckily she hasn’t licked much and I have stopped her the few times.
Margo was a bit restless last night and I had a rough time sleeping on the couch but I wanted to be there for her through it. Low and behold when we woke the swelling was down quite a bit and the drainage was much less.
She is doing well and we’ll continue to measure her progress tomorrow. Goal for tomorrow is to take a small walk to the mailbox and back. Maybe twice!
She is just beautiful. I might have missed this but does she have a drain in?
The smell… I can give you 2 tips you’ll laugh at but Number 1 don’t breathe through your nose. Number 2, if you have a bit of Vicks vapor rub, put a bit of it on your upper lip and stop thinking about it. The Vicks is an old nursing aid for cleaning patients that were incontinent of bowels…I know you feel better already now 😎💕😎 trust me, people sink a lot worse than animals… Have you finished wrinkling your nose and laughing yet?!
What meds has she come home with?
She may likely have a dip in several (4 days or so). Make sure you have some good stinky comfort food on hand… What are her favorites? Scrambled eggs, hamburger, rotisserie chicken, whatever you think she’ll love. Keep her on pain meds faithfully, you may have to adjust once the beautiful hospital meds and anesthesia wear off. You may not but be prepared just in case.
Good luck in your journey, keep your seat belt on for a while, it might get a little bumpy.
Right now she should have sleep, nutrition, short potty breaks, repeat. Walks and exercise later after suture removal and healing. This is major surgery, don’t let the pink elephants fool you 😉
We are here for any questions or concerns you may have. This is so worthwhile… I’m really glad she is doing so well 😎
Hugs,
Jackie and Huckleberry ❤️
When we brought Fallon home, her happiness was also striking. After the initial few days following surgery, she was smiling, slept soundly, worked hard to get what she wanted…it was hard to see the pain she was in before and how it affected her. Until she started limping, we were clueless, but she must have been hurting significantly awhile before that.
Hope to see another update soon on how well Margo is doing!
YESSS! I’m late to this post but am so glad to see things went well. I hope that today she is feeling even better. She sure looks great!
Thank you for sharing such detailed photos. We don’t shy away from that kind of thing here, it really does help newcomers prepare. You rock!
Smooches to Margo & hugs to you! Lots of wishes for a speedy recovery. Keep us posted.