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What do I do Now..? His head is Seeping

Sent to Pet Experts July 19 08:09 AM

Hello, I asked a question on Sat. re: my dog Bubba, and RGK responded, if at all possible, can he/she help me again?

Bubba, is a small poodle mix...that I took from an abusive home 15 years ago. Weighing in at10 pounds with the attitude of a Rotweiler ... and the heart of a Shepherd...he appears not to notice that he has to jump nearly a foot in the air to reach the other dogs that he attacks.

I guess he's never gotten over the fact that I have other pets, he didn't mind the cats so much, they set him straight right off the bat. He'll tolerate some dogs that are about his size or smaller, it's only the large breeds that he'll fly across a busy street to tell, "What For.."? And Maggi...also abused and smaller than Bubba. She is his"woman", he doesn't let her out of his scent.

Anyway, when he attacked my brothers "Rott", as he's done for years...Hooch snapped and grabbed Bubba's head in his mouth...just from what I wasn't told, it would appear that he shook Bub at least once and would not release him...

It' was hard for the vet that looked at Bubba to believe that I love him, by the horrific oral infection that he had from lack of care, on my part. I realize now the damage and pain caused from my ignorance.

The humilation that I suffered on Sunday, was quite enough lesson learning for 2 life times.!!! I did find an abcess on his forehead, between his eyes, from a puncture wound...the vet shaved the area and found the wound to be a bit larger than a quarter, with blood and pus beginning to drain. We were given anti-inflammatory (fenenen?) and antibiotic medication (baytril), and that "if he's not dead in 2 days, I can bring him back. in.."
I need to know if Bubba is all right...he sleeps most of the time and each time he breathes, more poision spill from his head. No x-rays were taked because of the infection, so, judging from the fact that I can carry him and he can walk on his own, I doubt that if a lung were hurt, it's not broken. And the only fracture is in the head.

What can I use to clean his face? I keep the area around the wound as clean as possible...he hates his face touched..and he starts shaking his head....

Will you help me....I promise to use the doggie toothpaste and brushs on the other 2 dogs...thank you again for giiving me the info I needed to take action for my friend ...ladyuneek

 

Optional Information:
Age: >12; Male; Breed: poodle mix

Already Tried:
cool compresses

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
July 20 1:05 AM (16 hours and 55 minutes and 18 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark
First, let me offer an apology for the way you seem to have been treated by this veterinarian. Ok, you didn't address Bubba's dental issues in a timely fashion, but it has been my experience that many people just do not realize the extent of the damage that can be done if oral care is not considered a priority. As vets, we are trained to look at all parts of a dog, including inside the mouth. Many owners overlook this aspect of routine maintenance and don't realize there is a problem until it is severe. It is our job to educate pet owners about the importance of this issue and sometimes when a mouth looks really bad we need to give an extra nudge for a client to realize that a teeth cleaning is needed. It is NOT our job to berate someone or make them feel like they are bad caregivers simply because they were unaware of the state of their pet's teeth. So, on behalf of those of us who view client education as a MAJOR goal of veterinary practice, I apologize if this encounter made you feel inadequate as a pet owner.
Now, on to the problem at hand. You already knew that Bubba was in some serious trouble so I hope that you know that he'll require extensive nursing care if he is to recover. The Baytril is a very powerful, big gun antibiotic and is a very good choice in this situation. However, ideally when there is formation of an abscess, the pet is anesthetized, or at least, sedated, so that the wound can be clipped, cleaned thoroughly, and the edges debrided or freshened of the damaged tissue. It is then explored to see if there is significant pocket formation. You see, when infection develops beneath the skin (abscess), the pus can travel, cutting through tissue planes and forming pockets of infection. If pocketing is present, then it is necessary to open another (or more than one in some cases) hole to allow all of the infection to drain out. A drain is usually placed to keep the wounds open until all of the pus has been able to be expelled. Hopefully, this vet decided that there was not significant evidence of pocketing based on palpation of the abscess and that is why no surgery was performed.
Instead of cool compresses, it is best to use warm compresses (a warm, wet washcloth works well) over the abscess site to help draw out the pus and to keep the wound edges clean. Hold the washcloth against the site for 5 minutes at a time, 3- 4 times a day. Gently massage the area to see if you are able to encourage further drainage of pus from the wound. You can use a dilute Betadine solution (available at most pharmacies) to cleanse the area- let the solution sit on the skin for 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water. Sometimes, if the dog will allow it, putting them in a sink or bath tub and running lukewarm water over the wound site can work very well. Dry the site off as best you can and then liberally apply an antibiotic ointment such as Bacitracin onto the wound. I realize that Bubba doesn't care for having the area touched, but it MUST be done. If he won't cooperate, you may need someone to help you. Ideally, as sick as he seems to be, he should be hospitalized so that he can receive intensive therapy.
If you notice that the area around, particularly below, the wound is becoming very puffy or squishy, like fluid is present- he will need to have the abscess surgically addressed. The pus must be drained or the bacteria that are present under the skin will get into his bloodstream and could kill him.
I hope this was helpful and I wish you and Bubba the best.
Reply
July 22 4:51 AM (2 days and 3 hours later)
         
Reply to RGK's Post: Thank you!...not only have you confirmed issues and the procedures that I have already implemented, but your tact and maturity re: the vet, was very well stated and I feel much better.

As to Bubba...the next day (yesterday) after submitting my question, he awoke and assumed his "I'm ready to eat now" pose! I had a plate of scramble eggs and corned beef hash within reach and just gave him a small piece of the eggs that he devoured with out any coaxing!..So I gave him a Bubba size portion in a small dish laced with his medications. HE ATE ALL OF IT AND WANTED MORE!

When he was full (included was water)...he proceeded outside and chased "his woman" around the pool! of course he's still sleeping a great deal of the time and both openings in his head and face are continually oozing.

The pockets that you mentioned are my concern as well...can I make them worse by any amount of pressure (when cleaning the dried substance off)?

He had his first bowel movement today since all of this happened and is more active than I would have thought this soon...is he stronger or under the influence of the medication?

As for the vet...I haven't decided what I should do. My pet is fortunate, I will dig and dig to find a way to safe him...I dare not think what condition he could be in, if I took her implications to heart.

YOU are the reason (and other compassionate professionals) that I won't give up looking for that special person who will make my friends sense that they will really help them feel better.
(had I had Drucilla, my rott instead of Bub..she would not have let the vet get near her!)

He's almost back, but not out of the woods...I'll check back with you in about a week, if that's ok.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Answer
July 22 6:04 PM (13 hours and 13 minutes later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark
I'm so pleased to hear that Bubba is more like himself lately. That's a very good sign and hopefully means that he will continue to improve.
You needn't worry about increasing the size of any pockets- they will form if the infection is severe enough. Your manipulations with cleaning won't do any harm.
He is probably feeling better because the antibiotic is taking on the infection and the anti-inflammatory is taking away some of his discomfort. Those are encouraging signs that he may come through this ok.
One thing that a fellow vet on Just Answer pointed out about your boy- you had mentioned that each time he breathes, you see more drainage from the wounds. This may be evidence of a fracture in one of his sinuses (empty spaces encased by bone in the area of his forehead and above his nose). As long as he is doing ok, I think it is safe to wait on any x-rays for now. But it would be worth investigating because if a piece of bone breaks away from this area of the skull it can form what's called a sequestrum. The body treats these sequestra as foreign substances and so you can have chronic inflammation, infection, and drainage in these areas.
Please do give me an update- I've been thinking about both of you and wondering if all was ok.
Please DO NOT pay me anymore!! Simply re-open this post and let me know how things are going.

Edited by Vet help on July 22 2006 at 6:06 PM
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