Meds for Choya

Time to stop crying and feeling guilty. That wouldn't help me focus on what I need to do. Cleared my week's schedule to be Momma-Nurse Choya. I don't want her to be in a cone 24/7. So I'll keep watch for a few hours a day when she isn't in a cone, and keep her from licking her bandage and bruises. I'm watching for postoperative ileus, signs of fever, infection, and pus from her wounds, as well as allergic reactions to her meds. 

Dogs possess a high threshold of pain, but that doesn't mean they're super soldiers. They would still require painkillers and a structured treatment. A ripped tummy affects Choya's speed and walking gait. She's badly bruised, so she's rather ginger when walking. She can't run or jump much for now. I'm sooo glad that her legs and thighs aren't bitten or scratched. I was worrying about how she'd pee and poop, and watching out for postoperative ileus. 

She's a tad disoriented for sure, and waves of pain come in. I can see it in her eyes and movements. So I'm extra gentle with her when I have to wipe her paws and put on her harness. She's happy to trot out in the estate to pee. Her poop is solid chocolate. She's eager to go take a walk at East Coast Park. She's eating, drinking and swallowing fine. That means the meds aren't killing off too much good bacteria in her GI tract, and her immune system is working with the meds to help her heal. 

A cocktail of meds were prescribed — Juroclav (antibiotic of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid) for seven days, Gabapentin (anticonvulsant and analgesic) for five days and Meloxicam (an NSAID) for three days. All of which aren't unfamiliar to me. I was wondering whether to get Gabapentin on standby for Choya for bad days of anxiety. Now I could see how it will work — conclusion, it doesn't work. Cheese works better. Ooof. 

The Meloxicam came in three single shot syringes to be taken over three nights. She took that straight up like a champ. Syringes are easy. The pills are the problem. Juroclav gotta be crushed fine, and the Gabapentin capsules would have to be taken apart to get to the powder. Then the powder would be sprinkled into the food for her to ingest. That's the only way to get her to take these meds. Anyway she's eating very well. She's getting loads of protein, fibre, probiotics, yoghurt and bits of cheese. Gotta be careful with the cheese though. We wouldn't want her to end up with pancreatitis! 

We’ve removed the adhesive bandage to much screaming. It was definitely a weird sensation for her, and it would have been painful although I was quick and gentle. She felt more like herself after that. It seemed to have given her greater mobility. The adhesive was definitely hindering her movements (good and bad). The sutured wound looks fine. Ugly, but not teary or too raw. She's finishing up the course of prescribed meds and is due for a review back at our usual vet in a few days. 

Choya is still full of trust and love for us. In spite of her pain, she still feels safe in her home and is comfortable with us handling her. The girl let go an impressive angry war scream when she was bitten and wanted to race after the perpetrator to tear it apart. I'll never forget her controlled confused shrieks when she finally felt pain while held in my arms and I pressed down on her wound to stem the bleeding. I will also never forget her shrill whistle of sheer joy when she walked down with the vet tech and saw us waiting at the clinic's lobby to take her home. 

My precious girl. Get well soon. The greatest gift she could give me for as long as she lives and is lucid, is her continued health and happiness. I never want her to suffer such an unfair injury again.