Back to the Futur....err...Shelter

[msvette2u]

Today - and most the dogs had a rescue coming!! Even (especially??) the small fluffy ones (imagine that!!!) I took these three.

Carolina is a baby. She JUST got new teeth.



Isn't she gorgeous?? That PROFILE:


Terra is a Kelpie/Corgi X. She's been there a MONTH AND A HALF!

(I love this pic, she's so cute!!!) She's just now getting new teeth (canines)


No name yet (hurry back Joyce!) is the saddest one of all. He's not that old - we're guessing 5? 6? BUT...he has urine burns on his elbows and back legs AND scrotum pouch (he's altered)
And a raging ear infection, worse even than Jenny's when she came here last year He has kennel cough. We started him on Keflex...


No arthritis though...he's great on a leash, and knows his commands.


He's had a bath and we irrigated his ears with saline and betadine (diluted)
I hope his ear gets OK

[Malli]

keep cleaning the crap out of it and it will get better yvette
even if he looses a bit of hearing in it it will feel SO much better when the infection is gone...

[iluvk9]

AKKKK! All so cute!!!


And DUDLEY the Chocolate Lab, is so handsome! I have to clean Truman's ears every week to make sure they don't get infected. I wash with Pet-Otic ear cleanser and if I see any reddness, I have Otomax cream from the Vet. Those darn floppy Lab ears....I had the same problem with Louie.

[msvette2u]

keep cleaning the crap out of it and it will get better yvette
even if he looses a bit of hearing in it it will feel SO much better when the infection is gone...

Is saline/betadine OK for it? I added a bit of water too. I didn't want to use anything too caustic as it is so raw inside and full of pus.
He's on Keflex now anyway for Kennel cough. He goes to the vet Monday to get a check up...

[iluvk9]

He's on Keflex now anyway for Kennel cough. He goes to the vet Monday to get a check up...

Ahem...HE has a name and it is Dudley.

[msvette2u]

He's on Keflex now anyway for Kennel cough. He goes to the vet Monday to get a check up...

Ahem...HE has a name and it is Dudley.

Whoops!! Dudley is now on Keflex and Dudley goes in tomorrow for a vet check and to get a recommendation on how to clean his poor inflamed ear out
BTW I brushed Dudley this AM and got alot of the dead fur out!

[Malli]

I think the betadine might be irritating, too.
Ideally I think I'd use an ear cleaner and then surolan or otomax for it. It will be irritating for a few days but better clean then pussy!
The key with the ear cleaners is that they evaporate so the moisture leaves the ear and everything dries out, with saline or water that isn't going to happen... moisture breeds bacteria and infection...

[msvette2u]

His ear is still really goopy inside (of course) the junk coming out his nose is yellowish tonight instead of green I guess that is good. He's active and playful and interested in things so he can't be too ill. He's got a water bowl IN his crate (he's as ISOed as we can get him while keeping him indoors...) and it's full all the time to keep the junk coming out nose and throat.
We'll see what the vet says tomorrow...

[Malli]

my initial reaction with the ear if I were in your place would be :
rinse and let him shake and repeat and repeat and repeat until the puss starts to dissolve. When the puss is gone, apply, probably surolan because its got steroids in it (I think?)

As long as he can hold his bathroom(if hes housetrained) and is eating and drinking normally and not having diarrhea, I think you are in a safe zone...

do keep us updated!

[iluvk9]

Yvette, are you able to clean Dudley's ear with a soft gauze? That is how my Vet intructed me to do Truman's, even though it was never as bad as Dudley's.

I don't mean to tell you how to do ear cleaning, but while the dog is standing (so you get a better angle) you open the ear up, and using your finger wrapped with gauze soaked in ear cleanser, you stick your finger in and turn it around. Then you pour some of the liquid in and squish it closed. The dog will shake his head a lot to get the liquid out.

The Pet-Otic product I use has these ingredients: Water, propylene glycol, malic acid, benzoic cid, saliculic acid and simethicone.

PS: Everyone please note that JOYCE just gave medical advice. Next, I will teach you all how to cook noodles.

[msvette2u]

thanks -- I'm concerned as his ear is so very raw inside, the skin or maybe it's pus, is coming out in sheets, the skin inside is red, raw and swollen.
We rinsed and it it drain out, about 6 or 8 x and then let him go shake his head. It looked slightly better last night only because his ear flap isn't as inflamed/swollen.
By Malli's request I will post pics later here (aren't you excited!!??)

[Malli]

I'm excited!!

The sheets might be skin sloughing...

[luvmypitties]

I agree with Malli, you need something that will help dry the ear out. I have heard of white vinegar (diluted of course) does the trick and fairly cheap compared to store bought ear cleaners.

[msvette2u]

Those with a weak stomach should not look (seriously!)


>



>



>

Turn back now if you get queasy easily!

>



>


>
Sorry they are blurry. You can see a string of pus between the opening of his ear canal. You can make out the redness inside.




All that crusty on the outer portion is dried pus.
He's on a prednisone taper to try to get the ear infection knocked down a bit (swelling and what not). He's got STAPH infection on his underside from being filthy and in the wet environment in the shelter.
He's got that Kennel cough and the pred. could wipe out his immune system and make his KC worse. We have to watch closely. He's not on the right dosage although Keflex is the right drug he needs 1000 mg. /3x a day. The vet was disgusted and I told her to write it all down so we could have it as evidence. If I go there next week and the dogs are like this I will make a report to whatever powers that be, so they can investigate and get the dogs more healthy and comfortable at the shelter. This totally SUCKS.

SO we gave him more meds and the pred. when we arrived home. Poor dog. But he's happy!





I just have to say, too, that this is one of the very most sweet dogs we've ever had here. He doesn't chase the chickens or pester anything else here, he rolls over on his back for belly rubs whenever he can, even at the vet office, with his ear so inflamed and sore, he laid down for her to examine him, and never offered to bite once, despite the agony he HAS to be in with his ear like this.
Oh and we're to wash his ear with nothing but saline as his eardrum may be ruptured...

[msvette2u]

BTW he weighed 95lbs at the vet office.
His ear is too raw and open (esp. the eardrum) to allow use of anything but saline at this point

[iluvk9]

Wow. I have seen some red dog ears, but poor Dudley has a horrible infection. Have you seen any improvement?

[msvette2u]

The flap is not as swollen and hot as it was when he first arrived. His temp was 102.4 I think, elevated a bit...
The vet and I discussed it and I told her if I was the shelter manager, and saw an ear like this and could not vet it, I'd be the one holding the needle to euth. and not let this dog suffer this way. I mean I am glad he's here and getting treated but man, you can't let these animals suffer like this. So far we've gotten a broken leg, a severe neglect case that's sat there for weeks if not a month, in the same condition it was brought in, and now Dudley with his huge swollen, hot ear and raging infection inside, and staph in his skin from being filthy and wet.
I am not saying that things don't happen but that shelter is being mismanaged at this point, and something needs done...

[luvmyangels]

Poor Dudley!!! I hope he gets better soon. The other 2 dogs are beautiful!!!

[Malli]

wow, I have to say that is quite the infection! I'm not sure I've ever seen puss like that in an ear before.

The saline may evaporate a little better then water, anyway

I HATE ear meds, they are so GREASY!

He looks like he is handling all his discomfort well, anyway!

[call2arms]

Good luck with Dud. Any chance you could bandage his ears up for a bit to let everything air out? I don't know how uncomfortable that would be, but gauze holding the ears flapped back eliz. collar (so he can't scratch his inner ear) for a couple hours may help?