~Anne~ Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 How did they all go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakd Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 Vet called yesterday afternoon to tell me Herbie had been neutered, they were about to do his nostrils, but it looked like his soft palate was alright - they were going to take another look while he was under the GA. Unfortunately an emergency case had come in and they could not do my girl yesterday arvo so they were doing her this morning which means an extra night at the vets - grrr! Will let you know how they ended up when I hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redandwhite Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 my little fella has had his castration and they removed some of his soft palate which was very long and very thick. PugRescueSydney - given you have been through this all before - any tips on how i can make him more comfortable when i bring him home tonight? I am planning on soaking his food in water (Science Diet puppy bites) as I don't want to feed him canned food (as suggested by vet) and risk upsetting his tummy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 (edited) Low fat yoghurt (plain, not flavoured) is also a nice treat. The coolness helps it to go down too without hurting. I find that the majority do not want to eat the first day or so, and when they do they eat very gingerly, even yoghurt. I feed soft foods for the next 3 - 4 days and then gradually re-introduce harder more solid food. I feed raw though so it is easy for me to continue with the same food as I feed mince and pureed veges. I mix the mince with water to make it even easier to eat for a few days. You have to try and keep them quiet for a few days to ensure there isn't going to be any bleeding. Bleeding and swelling are the two things to be concerned about. Their throat will be sore and usually irritated by the tracheal tube as well so they do a fair bit of goosehonking, gagging and the like in the first few days. Every Pug I have ever had done has bounced back within days literally. In fact, the last 2 I had done were bouncing around as if nothing had been done to them that same day! It was very hard trying to keep them settled and quiet! As your little one has also been castrated, he will be a little sore around his nether regions. You may also notice bruising. Just ensure he doesn't lick his stitches. If he does, you may have to put an Elizabethan collar on him. Check the stitches daily for signs of weeping, licking, infection or loose stitches. Dogs are usually stoic little creatures. You'd be surpised how quickly they bounce back as if nothing had been done. Edited October 20, 2009 by PugRescueSydney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redandwhite Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 (edited) thanks pugrescuesydney - i am feeling better already! I have been told that he will have an elizabethan collar on - so that should prevent him licking the stitches and i will be monitoring him very carefully over the next few days to watch for bleeding etc. Yoghurt is a great idea and as he already has raw chicken mince sometimes so I will try that also. (human grade - so no ground up bones in it) I hope my little fella bounces back quickly and forgives me for all that I have put him through. thanks so much for your advice and i will post in a day or so and let you know how he is going. Edited October 20, 2009 by redandwhite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 (edited) I wouldn't bother him with the collar unless he licks. I have castrated and spayed many, many dogs as a rescuer and I have only ever had the rare dog that will lick the stitches to be honest. Elizabethan collars aren't exactly comfortable for them. Edited October 20, 2009 by PugRescueSydney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redandwhite Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 yes, i did think that the collar would be just another way to make him uncomfortable. i will talk to the vet when i collect him and perhaps take the collar home with me in case i notice him playing with stitches. if he doesn't need collar, i sure don't want to make him more peeved that he will already be. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redandwhite Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Just wanted to report my good news! My little fella came home last night and is doing really well. He ate dinner and in typical pug fashion nagged me for more. pugrescuesydney, as you mentioned with yours, he is bouncing around like nothing much happened. The difference in his breathing is really dramatic - vet reported that his soft palate was very long and thick and hopefully we have avoided issues such as laryngeal collapse down the track. my main concern now is keeping him calm - this morning on his potty trip he seemed very determined to head up to the dog park as per usual - all his mates up there will be shocked at his silence when they see him again in a few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 (edited) Sounds like he is doing really well. That's great. If you think his breathing sounds good now, wait to see how much more it improves when the swelling subsides and he has healed completely. The last little on e I had done is still with me and she is literally bouncing off the walls now! She has always loved chasing after a soft toy, having a little wrestle with me for it and then chasing it again when I throw it but she could only do this a couple of times and then she would have to rest. She also found it hard to breathe and hold the toy. Now I end up with a huge pile of toys at my feet as she constantly runs off to grab them wanting me to throw them. She can chase them all night long! She drives me spare with them now!!!! Edited October 21, 2009 by PugRescueSydney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakd Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Good news from me too. Our two are back home and full of energy! Was very hard to try to keep them quiet and settled last night after being cooped up at the vets. Both had nostrils and palate reduction in the end and definately breathe quieter now. Just have to try to keep them from going mental for the next week or so. The e-collars are hilarious! Thanks for everyone's advice and assurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crysti_Lei Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 ... Herbie ... Hey! you stole my pugs name! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BittyMooPeeb Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 EDIT: After another chat with my gf, apparently the vet says they examine the airways while under anaesthetic and make a decision then as to whether or not to go ahead with the procedure, based on how severe the blockage may or may not be - but obviously have to ask the owners first before the surgery. As per your edit, without having them under a GA they can not adequately view the palate to determine if they need to be done. My advice, if it needs to be done, then doing it now will save a lot of money, heartache and misery down the track. Sometimes, the soft palate can be elongated to the point of near total obstruction, sometimes it can just be a tip of the palate that is in the way. Only your Vet will be able to advise if it needs to be done. Here is a pic of a girl I had done a few weeks ago. The soft palate was very elongated as you can see by the amount they are removing. All of that was blocking her airway. Yesterday, we took her for her first good walk since the op. She actually made it almost all of the way without me having to pick her up. When I did pick her up, she wanted to get back dwon again within a few minutes. She has gone from a dog that could only walk metres to one that can now walk a few hundred. In time, her fitness will pick up more and more. Hi PRS, I cant work out what I am seeing in that pic. Where is teh soft palate that needs to be removed (I can see it in the photo but cant work out what I am looking at). Is it at the top of the mouth or the bottom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 (edited) Hi PRS,I cant work out what I am seeing in that pic. Where is teh soft palate that needs to be removed (I can see it in the photo but cant work out what I am looking at). Is it at the top of the mouth or the bottom? The large "glob" in the middle that has the suture material looped around it is the soft palate. They are holding it with instruments. Her mouth is upside down as she is lying on her back on the operating table and the main pink long thing you see is her tongue which is pulled out as far as it can from her mouth. The "glob" is the excess soft palate and this would normally sit back a little at the back of the tongue and it would have been severely restricting her airway. Edited October 28, 2009 by PugRescueSydney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BittyMooPeeb Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 OK ta. Off to the bathroom to see if I can identify soft palete in my mouth ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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