Puncture wound

[Deanna]

*sigh* ... I left the dogs out too long yesterday to play (unsupervised) and Fly came in with a puncture wound on her front, left paw. Out of experience, it looks to me to be a bite wound ... not good. My three-legged Border Collie, Ben, lost his back leg to a gunshot wound and nearly lost his front leg, on the same side, to a bite wound; but, through surgery, we abated the bone infection and saved the leg.

We are watching her closely. There is no redness (surprisingly) as it is a clean puncture. Any swelling or redness and we will be into the vet promptly.

 

[Minzer84]

Aw, Deanna, I hope that Fly is ok! Sounds like you have a handle on it though, watching it carefully...Is it very deep? Your pets are just getting into all sorts of trouble lately

 

[birdcrazy]

smother it with triple antibiotic - it does wonders

 

[Deanna]

Thanks girls. Caught my vet today when picking up critter food at the office. He said by the sound of the puncture, it is "ok" for the time being ... no redness, swelling and she isn't showing any signs of limping. But, at the first onset of such symptoms, he wants to see her.

Whew, what a day. First Fly then Mojo ... hope things don't continue along as they have been!

 

[Deanna]

smother it with triple antibiotic - it does wonders

Kelli (welcome back! ) ... I've heard of this triple antibiotic before ... where can I purchase it? What happens if ingested Fly is a licker and will have it licked off quicker than I can get it set down into the wound.

 

[Peta]

How if Fly doing now, give him some belly rubs from me. Keep us informed on how they are both (Fly and Mojo) doing.

 

[Deanna]

Peta, Fly loved the belly rubs and she said to pass along a big, slobbery smooch to ya!

Fly is doing wonderfully today. No redness, swelling or oozing. But, based on my experience, I will be watching it for a few weeks ... as bite wounds can take a while to fester.

Just wanted to give a little more info on Ben (my three-legged Border Colllie) ... he was shot in the back leg three weeks before we adopted him. His owners were not feeding him properly and he'd become emaciated and went next to the next door neighboring ranch to raid (easy pickin's) the chicken coop. The rancher shot him ('tis life out west, unfortunately ... not uncommon). A rescue organization out of Vernal, Utah got him out of the pound and immediately got him veterinary care (an immediate amputation, high up on his hip). I had already contacted the director and told them that we were going to adopt him ... but, he had to be placed in foster care until we could both coordinate getting him down to Junction to us. While in foster care, he was attacked and bitten on his front leg. I talked with the foster mom and she assured me that he was fine and just had a "bump". Well ... (this is where I've learned to be leary about animal bites) ... this "bump" was actually an infection in the bone marrow in his front leg. So, when we got him home, finally, I kept an eye on it. I became worried but was told by both Dan and my vet that it is "nothing" just keep an eye on it. Well ... I could only do that for so long, then took Benny down to the vet and demanded an indepth exam. After the x-rays came back, it showed that he was in a lot of trouble and had a 50% chance of losing his front leg (same side as the back leg amputation).

... Anyway, we rushed him into surgery and they saved his leg. But, I am since that time, very cautious of any bite situation.

 

[birdcrazy]

triple antibiotic is like a brand name for any kind of antibiotic cream - it's over the counter at your favorite pharmecy just ask them if you're not sure. Torre licks it too and it's never seemed to hurt her.

 

[Tracy842]

Glad to hear Fly is doing better!!!

 

[Peta]

Loved the slobbery smootch. Thanks Fly.

 

[rockinseattle]

I grew up in Texas and shooting animals was way of life for the people out in the country... Anything that moved got shot... It really ticked me off...

I cannot for the life of me understand why some people treat animals so badly.. If these people don't like animals why keep them.. URG

I hope your dogs are ok

 

[Redballoon]

Its funny how as you get older the urge to shoot things diminishes. I sold all my hand guns in 1995 to buy my 1st PC. I haven't fired a shot since. Before I sold my guns I fired 400 rounds a day of hand loaded ammo at my inner city gun club. Hand guns are not as wide spread as in the Evil Country I am banned from mentioning. We now have the tightest gun control in the western world, and I couldn't be happier. I think the wild life enjoys it too.

 

[birdcrazy]

yeah our neighbor traps squirrels then shoots them it is so sad especially since there is a squirrel season and this is not it and you're not supposed to shoot guns in the city limits but cuz of small town politics nobody cares I get so tired of living in hickville our friends in the country had a rule u shoot it u eat it and that's how my dad was raised. I can't wait to move toa more hospitable area.

 

[Deanna]

I will most probably get flamed for this (plus it is—a bit—veering off topic) … but I am an ethical huntress and fly-fisherperson. I practice safe, fair, ethical hunting of elk, deer, antelope and upland game (non-waterfowl) and rabbits. We also practice catch-and-release fly-fishing on Gold Medal waters. We eat everything we kill and give great thanks for it. It is healthy and a way of life for us. We do own a handgun (which bullets are always kept separate from gun and gun is hidden outside of immediate reach in-home—in fact, I’m not sure I could even tell you where it is now kept); it is for safety when in the backwoods – I have a definite RESPECT (bordering on fear) of handguns, ours is not used for home/personal protection but protection when in the backcountry (we’ve encountered grizzlies on our expeditions—not just the passerby, but the kind that have ill intention).

As for shooting pets in my part of the woods … it happens tragically more often then I care to think about. If not that, people take unwanted pets out to the desert and dessert them or tie them to posts to die long, slow agonizing deaths. The “rancher” mind frame is that if a dog does not earn it’s keep, it is worthless and should be disposed of so that it doesn’t drain resources. When my Ben got shot, the prospect of the owners shelling out money to amputate and rehabilitate him was unthinkable to them. It is a mindset … to them a way of life. Their animals are not pets but “stock”.

 

[Redballoon]

It all depends where you live and how animals play a part in your life. Taking the life of an animal is a part of life. Drawing it out for fun pleasure or profit is not.

 

[Deanna]

It all depends where you live and how animals play a part in your life. Taking the life of an animal is a part of life. Drawing it out for fun pleasure or profit is not.

Absolutely agreed upon!

 

[rockinseattle]

I'm a vegetarian and so as you can imagine I don't like killing things.

However I understand people do and like to eat meat. IMO if your gonna go hunting then ya better eat what ya kill cuz it's abuse and a death without a purpose if ya don't. Animals are used for shoes, furniture and meat etc. I get that. I just don't like the killing of animals for trophys and just cuz a person can.

I do think people even ranchers have gotten a lot better over the years but I still think people should not drop a dog off cuz they find them no longer useful..

I hope that someday people all over the world will be more respectful to the living creatures on this earth both human and animals.

I in someways have a Hindu/buddhist way of looking at things and think that bad karma does come back to a person.

I just feel like we should do and live the best way we know how.

I am not trying to offend anyone here

 

[Deanna]

I'm a vegetarian and so as you can imagine I don't like killing things.

However I understand people do and like to eat meat. IMO if your gonna go hunting then ya better eat what ya kill cuz it's abuse and a death without a purpose if ya don't.

I do think people even ranchers have gotten a lot better over the years but I still think people should not drop a dog off cuz they find them no longer useful..

I hope that someday people all over the world will be more respectful to the living creatures on this earth both human and animals.

I in someways have a Hindu/buddhist way of looking at things and think that bad karma does come back to a person.

I just feel like we should do and live the best way we know how.

I am not trying to offend anyone here

Rocks, no offense here and I respect you and your beliefs. I too have a Hindu/Buddhist approach in many aspects of my life. They are very positive, healthful ways of looking at and approaching things.

"Sport hunting" ("Trophy hunting") is abominable. It is not ethical; it is not my way of life.

And, slowly ranch-attitudes are changing (but very, very slowly--at least in my neck of the woods).

 

[Peta]

Your not banned from mentioning it Red, but if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all.

 

[Redballoon]

No we cant do that.
The world might forget America exists if we don't keep talking about them.
Remember what Oscar Wilde said;
The only thing worse than being talked about, is NOT being talked about.