Super Stu!

Wednesday, July 12th
Day 2 at home…

Ruff night! Stewie was very restless for most of the night, especially between 12-4am. I had tried to take him for a pee at midnight, but all he did was take me around the house and back to bed.
I gave him an additional additional T3 to settle him down… we went for another pee at 4am and then he finally slept.

I had noticed that the bandage was starting to show signs of fluids that must be coming out of his wound area. It looked like the clear fluid that should be draining. I emailed Dr’s Bill and Laurie informing them of a Stewie’s progress.
Dr. Bill confirmed my thoughts on the wound drainage and told me that I could bring Stewie in for a dressing change tomorrow, rather than the appointment that is booked for Friday. I will check again tomorrow.

His panting and whimpering went on for another hour and then he got up to go past the living room gate. So I got him all lined up and took him outside. He ran me over to the bushes for a really long piddle. Poor boy probably had to go for a while & I wasn’t listening! He’s just settled back down again. Phew!

We keep his harness on full time right now thank goodness. Then I attach his  extendable lead, locked in position and then we trot onwards. Man I love this dogs spirit! He’s got an incredibly strong character, I don’t know how he’s doing it?!

Thursday, July 13th
Day 3 at home...

Stewie had a much better night.he woke up and turned himself around a few times, but otherwise a sound sleep! Which means Mother got a much better sleep too!
Went outside, under his own steam and had a REALLY long pee. Unfortunately, no poo. He Didn’t want anything to eat first thing.

Stewie didn’t seem right later in the morning. He didn’t want to go very far and was very lethargic. He Refused to eat more than a couple of bites of steak. Very concerning. Called vets and took him in at 11:30am

Stewie had a build up of fluid around the surgical site. Dr. Bill took a stitch out and drained quite a bit of fluid. I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with the dressings, I would have been freaked out to see that, even though I knew it was a common thing to happen.
He even had a small poo while he was at the vets. Very dry, but movement none the less. We all celebrated!
When we got home, he went downstairs very cautiously, with Paul’s help. He slept nearly 6 hours! We woke him up to a steak dinner, which he gobbled up, then he literally galloped outdoors to go pee! Super Stu!

Crashed out at about 11pm.
So far he hasn’t slept on his left side since the drain…

Friday, July 14th
Day 4 at home

Stewie & I slept in until 7:30am. We had a pretty quiet night, although he yelped a couple of times while trying to change positions. I believe it is due to the surgical sight having all that fluid drained out and now he can feel more of the incision maybe?

He did eat a little bit of left over burger and a few slices of summer sausage, but wasn’t ready for his steak at 8:30am.
He was outside for a bit, but then asked to go downstairs while I went to town for a few hours, Stewie slept in the basement the whole time I was gone. (4 hours) He had to be convinced to get up, But he did eat his steak when I got back home.

He is back to laying more on his left side…

I had to use a syringe to get a little bit of watered down pumpkin into him. He was not happy with me at all! Even tried growling at me, little buggar.
Got him out side for a pee. No poo yet today.

I called DR. Laurie @ 7pm. I told her that Stewie is back to being super lethargic. He’s eating only steak & chicken and not unless he is urged to do so, even then I have to sometimes walk away, as he doesn’t trust me anymore. It’s the pill thing…

I am to stop the T3’s immediately, changing to extra strength Tylenols instead, no more than 3 per day. Also stop the Meloxicam for now…

He is far more lethargic this evening. I did convince him to eat summer sausage with chicken. He is exhausted!

I am to call tomorrow (Saturday) at 12:15pm and report in Stewie’s progress. I think we will have to go in…

Saturday , July 15th
Day 5 at home

Super restless night. Changing positions often. Light whimpering occasionally. He woke me up at 1:30am asking to go out. The first thing he does is go to lie on his bed. With a little persistence, he will go for a pee, but no poo. He wants to come right back indoors.
His right forearm very itchy, constantly licking when I’m not looking. Even with the light wrap I put on it.

Dr. Laurie phoned on Stewie’s progress and asked to see him at 12:30pm

Dr. Laurie drained the site again. Slightly concerned that it is not draining by itself. She took another stitch out, more towards the bend of the scar. The top of his scar looks lovely and already starting to heal. Appointment made for Tuesday at 3pm.
Dr. Laurie noticed that he is gaining good strength in his legs.

Didn’t eat his chicken. But he did eat the tasty dog food (the small can) and some summer sausage.
Stewie slept downstairs with the Evan & Alex. Which means I could sleep in my own bed tonight!

Sunday , July 16th
Day 6 at home

I slept in till 7am. Stewie was whimpering in pain when I went to take him outside. He really didn’t want to walk very far this morning. I barely managed to get his pills in him. Even though he wasn’t fighting me much, he managed to spit out the penicillin onto the rocks, so I had to give him one of his other ones, meaning he is short one pill, out of the 5 days prescription.

I called Dr. Laurie and explained that Stewie was the least energetic that we had seen him so far. Evan said he only got up once that he knew of, but didn’t seem to have any issues. He wasn’t eating anything and he didn’t have much energy at all. Still no poo!
We took him in to the vets for 11:30am.

Dr. Laurie took blood to check white blood cells & liver function etc., but they came back normal. He had let out a good fart (a bloody stinky one too, so I had tried to get him to have a poo. No go. She took off Stewie’s dressing , drained it again, though not as much as yesterday and replaced the dressing with a t-shirt. Then she gave him a human enema, but even that wasn’t going to work! Poor buggar!
Dr. Laurie wanted to keep him with with her for a few hours for observation, she was also going to take him entirely off his meds, to see how they were effecting him. If he wasn’t improved, then she would keep him overnight. She would know more by 5:00pm.

We were able pick him up 6:30pm. Laurie was happier with his wound & drainage. He seemed a lot more perky & he had managed a small poo. He had no temperature, so she also took him off the penicillin.
Laurie showed me how to take off and put on his T-shirt. This would be to stop him from chewing at his stitches. If he licks at the T-shirt, he won’t hurt the wound.
We have switched to a regular collar, rather than his harness right now. It gives him a bit more freedom to figure things out and there would be less friction on his wound.
Stewie is to stay on the Gabapentin, but only 2 x 300mg at bed time.
We have an appointment booked for tomorrow (Monday) for 4:30pm, to check on his progress.
When we got Stewie home, we offered him the left over chicken and kibble that he had refused for breakfast, with an additional (small) can of Hill wet fog food. He gobbled it all down! Then he chewed on his most favourite treat, a chew stick! I was so happy to see him back to a bit of normalcy. (If only for a while.)

He had a really good nap out on the deck for the rest of the evening. It was at about 10pm that he woke up with a bit of a whimper and started to obsessively lick his wound.
We took him to bed and changed his shirt. He was still lick, lick, licking, so I just lay down beside him and gently discouraged him from licking and he then fell into a comfortable sleep at about 10:30pm

Monday, July 17th
Day 7 at home

Stewie’s wound appears to have stopped draining, but it is still rather full. He is under the weather this morning.
He had a really good breakfast of 3/4 cup of kibble mixed with 1/2 a can of Hills AD.
We took him into the vets again where Dr. Laurie checked everything out & recommended 1/2 a Meloxicam, if he eats at least half a cup of kibble for supper. Which he did, mixed with 1/2 a can of AD.
He rested really well that evening and Evan reported no problems during the night.

All the very best from Stewie & his Pack!

Petra, Paul, Spike, Chester & Miss Lily xxx🐾🐾🐾🐾