Boxer - serious laceration - HELP!

[mangled]

Okay, this is a cut our Boxer Chico aquired last Friday, so it's 9 days old.

We immediately took him to our vet, where he was anesthetized and sutured to the tune of $317.89.

We've had him in for 2 bandage changes, which cost $27.00 a shot, and he's on anti-biotics, and the wound as of today looks like this:

It's not healing AT ALL. It is puss-filled and has a bad odor. You can see a bit in the picture, but the whole paw is red.

Now, here's the trouble. We're almost totally broke, and no vet in our area will even consider payments. Everyone has this "Care Credit" program, which, BTW, has turned us down flat. With the surgery, bandage changes and e-collars, etc., we're all ready in over $400.

I used the car payment to pay for his initial visit. There's just no more money for any more treatment. I cannot borrow any more money from family.

We're still struggling to recover from my son's hospitalization, so finances are just terrible. I'M NOT ASKING FOR MONEY. I'm asking for any suggestions on how to treat this more economically at home. I have no trouble giving shots, treatments, etc., I'm a nurse by trade, but I deal with geriatrics, and dogs are a world away from an old person.

I've been changing the bandage daily since Wednesday, and the vet says to keep it dry, but to me, it looks like it needs packed and medicated topically. I want to rinse it out with some peroxide to debride it, then pack it, and do a wet to dry type dressing, and try to get that bad tissue off.

So, anyone out there have any ideas, experience, etc?

Thanks in advance-
Em

 

[lorieMN]

is it the pad that is cut?..if it is they are hard to heal,I probably wouldnt of done the sutures and kept it clean and dry,once it drys the infection should dry up to,and sense it is on the foot it will drain..that and give the meds,the thing about sutures on those type of spots is the tissue shrinks back from the wound end,then you dont have anything left to hold the sutures

 

[gypsy2621]

< I've been changing the bandage daily since Wednesday, and the vet says to keep it dry, but to me, it looks like it needs packed and medicated topically. I want to rinse it out with some peroxide to debride it, then pack it, and do a wet to dry type dressing, and try to get that bad tissue off.>

I would definately try this, you have to get the infection out asap.
before rinsing in peroxide though I would soak it in warm salt water to help draw out some of the infection.
then pack it with as much antibacterial ointment as you can.
It worrys me that the bad smell may be the start of Gangrene. it has to be cleaned out as much as possible.

Have you contacted the ( and I hate to say this) Humane $ociety?
Sometimes they will help with such issues for a few hours volunteer work as repayment just a suggestion.

 

[lorieMN]

sometimes the packing and dressing will hold the infection in,sometimes letting it air is the best thing

 

[mtnhomechick]

I am no expert but the saltwater idea followed by your idea's sounds logical. I hope you will keep us posted on how this turns out. Good Luck.

 

[hotcacti]

Get some antibiotic syringes from your vet ASAP. You are a nurse -- you can administer them yourself, right? Your vet should be able to tell you where to inject them. At my vet, a syringe with antibiotic for my goat or chicken has cost me no more than $2 recently. Will the vet give you a shot to deaden the infected area while you clean it?

I agree with the peroxide -- and/or the antibacterial soap to clean the wound. Clean it VERY well -- in every nook and cranny. This is where the deadening shot would come in handy.

Is your dog indoors with you? If so, you are one step ahead of the game.

If he is indoors, -- This may sound crazy, but I would NOT bandage it -- keep it exposed to the air as much as possible. It is amazing how well animals can take care of their own wounds when they can get to them to clean them regularly.

My vet used regular old super glue to close a wound on my goat recently..... it worked amazing ly well. But, your dog's wound in infected, so I wouldn't close it up now. But, in the future, if it happens again, just clean it VERY well and use super glue to close it up followed with an antibiotic shot.

good luck -- keep us posted.

 

[Cara]

EMT Gel by Trophy is incredible. I've used it on numerous rattlesnake bites on my dogs where they had open wounds, to great success. My husband and I use it on ourselves too! It also comes in a spray form, but I think the gel would suit your needs better:

http://emtgel.com/

You can buy it online from Bass Pro and Cabelas, and many farm stores stock it too.

 

[redhen]

hi..i dont know alot about this stuff but..maybe try to call the vet back to let them know...sometimes...and if they are decent vets..they will see him again and consider it a follow-up or something like that...and not charge you maybe except for meds..if he needs them....cause really..you did bring him back to have bandage changes..etc..they should be willing to help you out...i would hope so anyways!.....maybe..call the vet to just perscribe a antibiotic over the phone(since he knows the animal and treated the case)..that will help cut down on the price...( i know..vets are expensive!..i've been there..believe me..:|)..cause it sounds like he needs meds for infection...

...maybe you could try to flush it out a bit with saline solution...or whatever it is that nurses use to clean/flush bed sores on nursing home patients...will a warm cloth over the paw help draw out pus?..and maybe batadine solution?...sigh..

.i wish i could give you more advice.....good luck..Wendy....p.s..or..i have asked a vet to post date a check before..for a week..cause i was broke...they did it..yours may also..

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

Poor doggy.
I agree that if there is an infection starting then you need to get it out before it spreads.
I am by no means an expert, but if it were me I would soak in it some sort of an anti septic asap. I use Betadyne often on my family and the animals. Once it dries out well I would put pleny of Bacitracin on and and wrap it. Another concern would be oral anti biotics if the infection was bad enough.
I'd really watch it. I'm sorry you are in a tough situation right now. I can relate because I have been there before. I wish you luck with your dog.

 

[mangled]

I didn't even consider the humane society. Unfortunately, ours is a bit - fanatical. They're overloaded with dogs, and it costs $240 to adopt one. If you do spend the $240 to adopt one, you have to sign an affadavit that states you will not keep the dog outside on a chain or in a run or anything of the sort, that it is strictly an inside dog, and if you are spot-checked and your dog is being kept outside, they remove the animal from you and charge you with animal neglect and cruelty. It happened to my Uncle. They're NUTS over there.

It is the pad that's cut. There's 11 stitches in there. The fleshy areas seem to be healing well, but the pad is what is giving us trouble. He only has 3 doses of antibiotics left, and the stitches are supposed to come out on Wednesday.

Once the kids are in bed, my husband and I will get him in a good salt-water soak. I have Neosporin with pain relief, I'll have to pack it with that.

I actually have been using a cut up diaper as padding in the wound, it draws the moisture out nicely, but it still looks so bad.

Em