New Age Outlaw Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 (edited) I guess I am just seeking some ideas/reassurance from the experienced people here. My old gal Cleo (10 yaers old) acquired a large laceration behind her ear on Boxing Day. I took her to the emergency vet and they stitched her under a general anaesthetic, and she came home and all seemed well - she's been eating, sleeping, weeing, pooing etc all normally. Yesterday, the wound was looking a bit icky and looked to be separating a bit, so yesterday afternoon it was back to the emergency vet for a look-see. They eventually decided not to re-stitch the 2 stitches that had come apart, but just gave her a mild sedative and cleaned the wound up a bit, leaving 3 of the original stitches in place...she came home this morning (was at the vets overnight because they had some life or death emergencies come in so Cleo had to wait for a little while and it ended up being too late for me to bring her home). She was panting quite heavily in the car on the way home; but I has been quite hot today and she would have been a bit stressed by the second trip to the vets. When we got home I took her out for toiletting, and she had a little bit of diarehha. I offered a little bit of food which she refused (extremely unusual for her). She seemed a bit distressed and still panting, drinking a lot of water etc and she seemed a bit shaky in the back legs. I left her in the air con for a few hours and the panting has reduced a bit (although when she is out of the air con she does pant again) and she is still drinking a bit more water than usual. She ate her dinner quite happily. I am wondering if it is stress, or maybe a bit of dehydration, or a reaction to the sedative, or a combination of all of those things. I am just curious what others think. Obviously, if she is not showing any improvement in these symptoms by the morning I will take her back to the vet for another look, but as she is sleeping at the moment and not overly distressed I don't feel she needs to go back right now. Edited January 2, 2011 by New Age Outlaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOE Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I hope they gave her antibotics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Age Outlaw Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 (edited) I hope they gave her antibotics. Oh yes, they did. Since she came home the first time she has been on oral antibiotics, and she also has some antibiotic cream that I put on the wound twice a day (after carefully bathing the wound). Edited January 2, 2011 by New Age Outlaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOE Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Maybe the drugs gave her the diarrohah and is making her feel sick or I wonder if it is going to storm there. My old girl gets the huffs and puffs eaach time she has anesthetic and when it is going to storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Age Outlaw Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 (edited) I did wonder about the antibotics, but she has been on them for a week and the diarreha only started today. No storms around here, not that it matters, cos they don't worry her at all. The only thing that was different was the sedative (as opposed to the general that she had on Boxing Day). I suspect maybe the sedation has disagreed with her - it's the only thing I can think of that was done differently. Edited January 2, 2011 by New Age Outlaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ons Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 (edited) It sounds like everything is being done that is possible for her physical ailments I'm thinking it sounds like a bit of stress together with hot weather if she was my dog I would keep her home in air conditioning rather than taking her out to the vets which could stress her more and mean she is out in the heat unless something changes I know that I do tend to have a bit of a wait and see attitude with my dogs but am lucky enough to have a vet that will answer my calls at anytime. If she isnt' better in 24 hours or things go dramatically downhill that's when i would think about going back. PS: I think also the diaroreah (sp?) is just her getting rid of the sedatives in her system. Edited January 2, 2011 by onsntillnflash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Age Outlaw Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Thanx onsntillnflash...that was pretty much my thinking as well. Just wasn't sure if I was missing something; she seems to be sleeping comfortably at the moment so I will see how she is in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucyella Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Could be stressed out from the overnight stay, can be worrying for a dog especially after trauma, sedation etc., hot weather wouldn't help either and neither would her age, older dogs tend to get knocked around with procedures a bit more than a younger animal, like us humans do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I am thinking it is quite possibly from stress. If you have a thermometer I would check her temp just to make sure it isn't elevated. The overnight stay at the vets has probably helped trigger it along with a GA and a sedation in a short space of time. I also would keep her at home and quiet unless she gets worse or more distressed. Panting can also be a sign of pain in some animals do you think the wound is very painful for her??? I hope she is more settled and happier for you tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Age Outlaw Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 . Well, she seems a bit perkier this morning. Still panting a bit, but it is pretty hot and humid today. The water consumption seems to have eased to a more normal level and generally she seems well enough in herself. So, I think it was just a combination of stress from all that has happened to her this past week, plus maybe not feeling so good from the sedative, plus the heat. Thanx all for your reassurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 What was the sedative? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Age Outlaw Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 What was the sedative? Good question - I'm not sure, but will find out when we go back for a check up on Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Reason I asked: when Grumpy had the reaction to Tramal year before last, he was hallucinating by the time I got him home and although the drug was supposed to be a 12 hour thing, he wasn't himself until nearly five days later (and the after effects are, of course, he can't travel in the car unless he's crated because he freaks out). Older dogs can have weird reactions to seemingly innocuous drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ons Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I was wondering how she was going. Good to hear on the mend and I hope by now totally on the mend! It's a worry when our beloved pets are ill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Age Outlaw Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) Hi all! Thanks for caring about my old gal...she is just fine now. The sedative they used was methodone, and it seems she had some sort of adverse reaction to it, so her record has been marked so she won't ever be given that again. It took her about 24 hours to get back to herself, but she is now ruling the roost again...previously she had been with the others but now she is a house dog, and I doubt she will be going back to living with the others again...she thinks she belongs in the house and I think she has earned it (she's totally trustworthy in the house anyway). The wound itself is healing slowly but well...another two stitches fell out but the vet who checked it today is very happy with the way it is healing, and so am I...she is on antibiotics, plus the wound is bathed twice daily and some antibiotic cream put on and that seems to be working. Edited January 5, 2011 by New Age Outlaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 That's why I asked about the sedative. Glad you know what it was. I didn't know methadone was used as a sedative. I thought it was a painkiller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Age Outlaw Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Not sure about the uses of it Sheridan, but I guess it must be able to be used as both. Similar to Tramal, which one of my old gals was prescribed for pain when she had cancer a few years ago. I don't really understand how it all works, but at least I know what to keep her away from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Tramal, that's what sent Grumpy round the twist. Bad stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jensgreys Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I saw the pics of Cleo in the greyhound thread a couple of days ago poor old girl. These greys rip so easily and in our experience they seem to rot away easily too. Our 13yr old girl some how managed to catch her leg groin area under our bed last summer and ripped a big hole in it and it also rotted away and needed stitching up again. Our girl puffs and pants like an old steam train most of the time these days, she was so bad that last summer she had an Echo Cardiogram in case it was her heart which according to the specialist was fairly normal for a greyhound her age. But you do have to watch what drugs vets unexperienced with greys give them. Our lot a few months ago managed to get into the kitchen tidy while I was out and got a left over corn cob from the night before and I didn't know who had eaten the half that was missing although I didn't think it would be the old girl as she has only 2 teeth but she may have picked up a chunk off the floor. So off the 4 of them went to the emergency centre as of course it was late Saturday and it was the worst thing I could have done for poor Milky as they over dosed her on the stuff they give them to make them throw up. Our greyhound vet worked out that they gave her about 4 times more than she should have had for her age and weight. She ended up having to spend the night instead of an hour and cost us $1200 just because they didn't think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anissa Goemann Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Tramal and Methadone both are opiate based "painkillers" that sedate slighly as well (like morphium). A lot of dogs seem to have trouble with those and feel quite drowsy for a while afterwards. It also takes 36 hours and more to wear off. Diarrhea aftyer antibiotics is completely normal, too, as they basically destroy the fauna (all the good bacteria) in the intestines. I found it helpful to feed some yoghurt for a while after having my pups on antibiotics. I am glad that Cleo is back to health! It's so much worse when the dogs get sick rather than oneself. I always get so very upset! Cheers, Anissa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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