cashew Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 My foster girl (RIP) has that sort of "burn marks" after her op as well. It caused a huge tear right across her back (she was a very tiny mini schnauzer). Hair fell off leaving just a raw red dry patch. The skin was smooth and leathery and rather scary looking. The vet who did the op could not understand what happened and had to call her lecturer here in Melbourne (we were not in Australia). They had no idea what caused the "burn" but treated it as a burn. The healing took an awfully long time because the skin eventually crusted over and pus formed underneath. My bro (who is a human dr) had to visit us daily to help me clean up her wound and try to cut off the crust. Till this day, I have no idea what caused it. The vet who treated my girl was equally miffed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 Just a wee update for anyone that's interested... Back to the vet this morning to get his stitches out (at least that healed up with no problems!!) and have his burn checked out. She seemed a bit more convinced today that it was caused by the hot water bottle and was quite apologetic. She has extended his antibiotics and just wants me to keep up with the washing with salt water and burn cream and see how it goes. She said the edges will most likely start to lift soon and there may be some pus, although she couldn't feel any under the skin. Will take him back again next Saturday for another check. She also said that he will probably end up with a scar there. Wound today... goldengirl... did Beau's burn get a lot worse before it got better?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 My foster girl (RIP) has that sort of "burn marks" after her op as well. It caused a huge tear right across her back (she was a very tiny mini schnauzer). Hair fell off leaving just a raw red dry patch. The skin was smooth and leathery and rather scary looking. The vet who did the op could not understand what happened and had to call her lecturer here in Melbourne (we were not in Australia). They had no idea what caused the "burn" but treated it as a burn. The healing took an awfully long time because the skin eventually crusted over and pus formed underneath. My bro (who is a human dr) had to visit us daily to help me clean up her wound and try to cut off the crust. Till this day, I have no idea what caused it. The vet who treated my girl was equally miffed. Hi cashew, Sounds exactly like what is going on with my boy. How long did it take to heal? Was your girl left with a scar after healing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 Here's Moose's burn 3 weeks on... Just thought I'd post the occasional update so that anyone that ever (hopefully never!) experiences a burn on their dog can see how it progresses. I could find barely anything about it on the internet myself so maybe this will be useful for somebody. Vet is seeing him every Saturday to see how it is coming along. I think it's slowly starting to get "better" in that you can now see some raw skin around the edges where the skin is coming away. I'm having a bit of a dilemma in that I don't want him licking it but nor do I feel comfortable leaving him at home with the bucket on during the day unsupervised. Anyone have any issues with leaving the bucket on their dog when they're alone???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Wow. That looks really big (considerably bigger than in the first piccy) and must have gone quite deep. Poor Moose . Hope it continues to heal well. Sorry - no thoughts regarding the bucket. I can understand your dilemma. I've not had to use one, so I'm not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Rules Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Wow. I think you could safely say after 3 weeks that it was definitely a burn. Anything else would be far more healed by now. If the area is dry, I wouldn't be too worried about your fella licking it, unless he does it constantly. How often does he try to lick when you are around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 Wow. That looks really big (considerably bigger than in the first piccy) and must have gone quite deep. Poor Moose . Hope it continues to heal well.Sorry - no thoughts regarding the bucket. I can understand your dilemma. I've not had to use one, so I'm not sure. Yep when I took him in last week I mentioned that I thought the edge of the burn was actually further out (where he still had fur) because the skin felt "hard" so she shaved him a bit more so you could see all the edges. He also has another patch just above this but looks only superficial, not as bad as the major site. Sigh! I wonder if I can negotiate with the boss about taking him to work with me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 oh wow ! Poor pup I have left a bucket on Atlas, once when he had his dew claws removed, and again a few weeks ago when he had a lump removed, he stays in the yard when i am not home, i made sure the water was in the middle of the yard so he could reach it without the wall getting in the way, i also removed the kennels so he couldnt get in, than not work his way out (like he did in his crate ) I also made sure the door that is usually only open enough for them the squeeze into the garage was open all the way so he could go in and out. He was fine But glad for me to be home and have it taken off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 Wow.I think you could safely say after 3 weeks that it was definitely a burn. Anything else would be far more healed by now. If the area is dry, I wouldn't be too worried about your fella licking it, unless he does it constantly. How often does he try to lick when you are around? He doesn't lick it excessively, I would say I've seen him at it only a couple of times. I think it's more that he likes licking the salt off it (I bathe it with salt water 2 -3 times a day) rather than licking the actual wound itself. I think the licking is lifting the scab though (not sure if this is good or bad!!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cashew Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Hi Moosepup, My girl took months to recover from the weird "burn". It might also be partly due to her ill health--she had terrible kidney/bladder stones and had skin mites and fungus as well. The wound eventually healed leaving a very small mark. I also depended heavily on alternative treatment then and neem powder was applied to her wound everynight. The funny thing is the dogs might not feel any discomfort to it. Just make sure that when it crusts over no pus is accumulated underneath. Your vet will be able to pull the crust should it hinder any healing. Moose's wound looks very very similar to my girl's. I know it was not a burnt mark..it was a chemical reaction under her skin--because it was so leathery and weird. Her skin just cracked up and became leathery. Then subsequently a crust came up and that was when my troubles started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 Hi Moosepup,My girl took months to recover from the weird "burn". It might also be partly due to her ill health--she had terrible kidney/bladder stones and had skin mites and fungus as well. The wound eventually healed leaving a very small mark. I also depended heavily on alternative treatment then and neem powder was applied to her wound everynight. The funny thing is the dogs might not feel any discomfort to it. Just make sure that when it crusts over no pus is accumulated underneath. Your vet will be able to pull the crust should it hinder any healing. Moose's wound looks very very similar to my girl's. I know it was not a burnt mark..it was a chemical reaction under her skin--because it was so leathery and weird. Her skin just cracked up and became leathery. Then subsequently a crust came up and that was when my troubles started. Very strange cashew, Moose's is leathery in that one large spot and then the skin around it is black but feels normal (hard to explain because the picture doesn't actually show it very well). And yes it doesn't seem to bother him much at all! He cried out last night but I think I might have picked him up awkwardly and stretched that spot. Other than that he's showed no signs of pain or discomfort. The vet has told me to watch out for pus and/or foul smells coming from the wound and will take him straight in if it occurs. He has been off the antibiotics for a week (she didn't want him building up a resistance) and so far it's been okay but I'll be watching it like a hawk. I will be so glad once it's healed and this is all over. My anxiety levels have been through the roof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redarachnid Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 I have only just stumbled across this thread. Firstly, Moosepup, I feel for you... all the stress and worry. I hope your vet is not charging you for meds or consults. Poor little pup too. I have worked at vet hospitals and clinics for about 6-7yrs (working as a nurse, but not officially qualified). I have seen a few burns. Your guy's wound looks like one from a dog i saw who was a grooming client and had suegery at her own (another) vet. The injection site on her front leg where a drip was put in flared up overnight and all the skin sloughed off overnight, leaving it raw and open. It was later discovered that the drip had not been flushed, handled or changed properly resulting in infection. The infection took over her two front legs, chest and shoulders within 24hrs!! All hair and skin fell off and she looked like she had been turned inside out. At the owner's request, I visited the dog at her vet and saw it with my own eyes. I didn't think it was possible for a dog to be alive and look like that. Your boy's wound looks very much like it, but on a smaller scale, of course. I'm thinking it may not just be a drug reaction, but poor hygiene and handling with the injection. It takes only a microscopic germ to cause major infection like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 Oh dear, that sounds terrible!! I feel kinda lucky now that his "burn" is more localised. It hasn't grown any bigger since last weekend and has definite edges so I think (hope!) that this is the extent of it. He was given an anti-inflammatory injection in that spot so it could be as you say and not a reaction to the drug but more infection at the site. All I know is that it is a strange looking "burn" and I've never seen anything like it. Maybe I need to get a second opinion? Do you know how well that dog's wounds healed or what treatment was prescribed? Also, no the vet is not charging me for the weekly consults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redarachnid Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 The dog's wounds healed but it took several months. The dog was sent to a specialist surgeon (at the local vet's expense) and had surgery and skin grafts. MAJOR surgery and MAJOR money for the offending vet. She was on massive doses of antibiotics for weeks and weeks. It's been about 3yrs since this happened and the dog is recovered but carries major scars and some restriction of movement in armpits as the skin had to be pulled tight to be stiched up. She also has hair growing backwards and sideways in places due to the tightening of the skin for stitch-up and the grafts. All of this just from a poor drip insertion and not flushing a drip out properly!!! If your dog is healing and repairing, I would just carry on as you are. If in any doubt about his recovery...see a skin specialist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~JessyBee~ Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Hi Moosepup - sorry I haven't checked on this thred for a while. Your poor little fella I was thinking after the second pic you posted that there looked like there was a fair bit of necrotic tissue there - it is worse than I expected! And in answer to your question - yes Beau's bur did get much worse before it started to get better. Has the vet told you what to expect from now? In my experience, all that dry scabby skin needs to slough off before the tissue will start to granulate and heal, because it is not scabs as such, but dead skin. At this stage Beau started to get a fair bit of puss under the necrotic skin, but it didn't smell thank goodness! So son't be freaked out if all that dead skin comes off, it needs to if it is a burn. I know you said the vet is not charging you for the weekly consults, what about meds and dressings (if any?) If that is a full thickness burn it will leave a large scar - have you talked to the vet about having surgery later on? It may be best sonsidering the placment of the injury, scar tissue is quite fragile and I would worry about him being in the sun with a huge area of scar tissue on his back. It may also end up quite thickened, I dodn't know if this will hamper him movement at all considering it is near his spine. It may be worthwhile asking about that too Hope you are both coping OK. :hugs: GG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 (edited) Hiya goldengirl, Vet has not given me any advice regarding dressings except to keep bathing it with salt water and apply some silver burn cream, which I purchased at the very beginning before we knew exactly what was going on. So far it hasn't been costing me but if it does I will definitely be raising this with the vet. Should his wound be covered in a dressing?? The skin is definitely starting to come away and there is a bit of green slimy pus but it doesn't smell either. There is raw pink skin around the edges which I'm presuming is a good thing as it's starting to heal as it comes away. The vet also hasn't mentioned anything about him requiring surgery... do you think this is a real possibility??? All she has said is that he may be left with a small scar once the healing is complete. I wish I knew all the questions to ask. All these posts are making me feel like I should really be seeking a second opinion... I feel sick. Here is his burn today.... Edited June 30, 2009 by moosepup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redarachnid Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 (edited) Moosepup, I have been thinking a lot of you and now after reading goldengirl's post, I really think you should insist on seeing a skin specialist for a consult and to put your mind at ease. (a specialist, not another regular vet) The specialist will also be a great independant party to give his opinion on cause/treatment/surgery/side effects. His opinion may be the same as your vet's...then again, it may not. Either way, you will be glad you saw them. I would INSIST your vet pay for the consult and treatment if any. Mention the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) if any problems. NO vet wants to have to answer to them. Best of luck, keep us updated. Edited June 30, 2009 by redarachnid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 Thank you redarachnid, I think you're right. When I take him back on Saturday I will ask her to refer me onto a specialist. In the meantime I think I will take him to another vet for a second opinion. Just a quick question... is a dermatologist the person I should be seeing?? Or a burns specialist? I just need to say, this whole thing downright SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redarachnid Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 As far as i know, you just need a skin specialist, they cover everything. (someone correct me if i'm wrong) You can get a Specialist Skin Clinic by itself. Or here in melbourne, we also have a Specialist Referral Centre which houses a dozen or more specialists covering every part of the animal. Depends what's in your area or where you're prepared to travel. Wish you were in melb, I could help you better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 Wish you were in melb, I could help you better! Lol, me too!! There is a referral clinic that we've taken our other dog Zoe to for her eyes and I think they also had a skin specialist. There is also Murdoch Vet Hospital but can only see info about a dermatologist on their site. I will suss it out. Thanks again for all your help and support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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