Something strange and scary happened.

BusterBabe · 11-01-2009, 03:41 PM

I came home today to check on Buster, and he was covered in blood and pus. After stifling the urge to toss the contents of my stomach, I called him out of the bathroom and gave him a treat. He seemed pretty calm, but his eyes were a little squinty. I saw what looked like a open sore the size of my pinky nail. So I called my boyfriend home and we took a look. We trimmed the hair around the sore and cleaned it out.

Now, I just don't understand what happened. Could it be a bullet wound? (We live out in the sticks, and it happens all the time.) Could it be a lesion or something caused by all the tests ran on him this week? Or could it be his sickness getting worse? He's finally breathing better, and he isn't limping or anything.

My question is, what can I do for first aid? I cleaned it out, he was a real champ about it. I put a little neosporin on it and put a piece of gauze on it, wrapped it in vet wrap, then put his sweater on over it so he couldn't slip it off. Is there anything else I can do for it? It's hard, because I don't even know if it's a simple cut or something to be concerned about.

And now he's thrown up four times in five minutes, vomiting everything he's eaten since I found his injury.

That worries me a little, but he's also been throwing up all week, he's been having a hard time keeping down solid foods.

FaithFurMom09 · 11-01-2009, 04:19 PM

I would call the vet and ask.

lulusmom · 11-01-2009, 04:34 PM

I too think you should at least call a vet asap and explain the situation. With continued vomiting and/or diarrhea, dogs can become dehydrated quickly and they can die. Even without vomiting, infections can turn toxic and kill a dog.

Willowy · 11-01-2009, 07:48 PM

I've dealt with infected wounds before, and if you keep them clean, wash them out every day, you shouldn't need antibiotics. But with the vomiting added in, this sounds serious. I think a vet visit would be a good idea. At least a call to the vet for advice.

BusterBabe · 11-01-2009, 08:05 PM

I'm waiting until I check the wound again to call the vet, I think. Really, only because he's been throwing up for two weeks now. We've been to the vet and to MSU and all the tests come back inconclusive. (How can that be? They poked his liver and ultrasounded and prodded and biopsied and the tests are inconclusive.)

He's been having trouble with hard foods, or at least foods of substance. He keeps down the beef stew that I made him, when I ran in through the blender. And he's eating eggs and small small pieces of hot dogs. (He lost five pounds in three weeks, the vet told us to just give him anything he could handle.)

I've also been giving him pedialyte to make up for the vitamins and things that he's not getting because he can't eat enough. Has anyone else had luck with this? The doc told me if he'd drink it, it might help.