Lucy update: 28 March 2011

Tired doggies

[She wears an IV bag on her bandage on wet days like today — it snowed overnight.]

Lucy is still plugging along. The super-antibiotic regimen has been completed for a couple of weeks and today the splint was removed from her bandage. We still have at least two more weeks of bandages, though.

Lucy update: 14 March 2011

Lucy’s surgeon originally indicated that he wanted to extend her super-antibiotic treatments to fourteen days to make sure we have eradicated the infection but he said things looked good enough that today was the last injection. He also said that the incision site looks like it is healing “very well” and that the drainage sites had dried up and were also healing. We’re scheduled to go back next Monday for another check and bandage change.
I’m sure Lucy is very happy to be done with these injections, and so am I.


Buddies

Lucy update: 07 March 2011

Lucy has completed three days of treatment for her Staph pseudointermedius infection and so far everything is going very well. She had another urinalysis and renal panel today and both show no signs of complications from the Amikacin (namely, kidney failure). She appears bright, alert and very responsive. Let’s hope this trend continues. We have at least four more treatments left.

Lucy update: 05 March 2011

Pink

Lucy went to the surgical center for a check of her incision from the surgery to remove the metal plate from her leg. They also replaced the bandage and checked her lab culture results. Bad news: She has an infection of a type of bacteria that is very resistant to almost all medications. The only one which is capable of treating the infection is a very strong antibiotic that has severe potential side-effects, including kidney failure and deafness. She will have to receive an injection of this medication daily for the next week to ten days. The vet says that there is not a high risk of side-effects during this short dosage but there is a risk.

Let’s just say I am not in a great mood today after receiving this news. At least Lucy is keeping her spirits high.

Lucy update: 01 March 2011

IMG_0553
Lucy’s surgery to remove the titanium plate from her leg was yesterday and it went well. She was very groggy from the anesthesia when I brought her home last night but today she is more alert and acting like herself again. I’ve had no issues so far getting her to ingest her medication, and the day has been very warm and sunny so she’s spent a lot of time in the yard sleeping.

The infection should subside soon with the removal of the growth medium (the plate) and hopefully in about six weeks she’ll be a “normal” dog again.