caleb's wound

[steptoe91(tozie)]

I've been looking at the pics of Caleb's wound over the last two and a half months. Its not easy to get a good shot of it. many of my pics are blury, the few good shots are taken from different distances and with different zooms so its really hard to compare. I've been reduced to comparing shape of the wound and using my thumb to measure the size. its been about the size of  my thumbprint for the last month or so. I stopped the pain meds he was on, they just didnt seem to be doing any good at all. I only put the silver sulfaxidine on him sporadically. When i put it on, he tends to mess with the wound even more. so i only put it on him when i have time to sit and hold him. He was removing his t'shirts quickly so i wasnt even bothering to put them on him. So today i spent several hours checking out different wound therapies. i redesigned his t'shirt to ONLY cover the wound. I put it on him today, put him on my lap and put some of the s.s.d on him. he let out this pitiful squeek    it must've burned.    made me feel like poo.    I ordered the avibooster and it should be in by the weekend, i hope. I'm gonna try to get him to let me sponge it with a cotton ball with an aloe/water mix and see if we can get this wound to at least show SOME signs of improvement. I can definitely tell he made it bigger and changed the shape from the day i got him. but over the last month, i really cant see much change at all.
here's the best of my wound pics:

[Sondra]

Awwwwww, poor Caleb and you! He's gonna need surgery to close that, sorry.

[BPMar]

  Poor baby! I feel so bad for the both of you
I don't recall, did they do a culture of the wound? 
Too bad you couldn't try steri-strips but I am sure he would pick those off in a jiff.

Not to change the subject but I just passed a woman garbage picking and thought of you!  Yes, you, but only because she was a tiny thing with a long pony tail getting some 2x4's and other large pieces of wood, throwing them into the back of her truck like they were nothing!  I just thought that could be you getting wood for Caleb to chew and for your Tozei-Poles!!!!!

[Nakia]

Poor widdle Caleb, I feel so bad for him. That's gotta' hurt something fierce. 

Too bad we can't get our little ones to understand that they are making things worse instead of better when they try to make it go away. 

You are working so hard to heal him & he definitely knows it or he would tear you finger off when you medicate it. Sending all the healing power I can to you & Caleb, although I don't think I possess much. Every bit helps tho'. 

[Debz]

owww *bleep*! ...   omg... doesnt that have to be sutured?  ugh....

[Sondra]

As Aloe dries it causes itchiness on open wounds, check with your vet before using to make sure it won't cause more picking.

[BuffaloParrot]

Ouchy 

[BPMar]

Of course not all instances of course but, you would be amazed at the size of some wounds that are not sutured up.  I could share one very grisly one but don't know if anyone would want to hear the gory details.
Too bad it couldn't be packed and wrapped or glue used on it...although tis not used for gaping wounds that would heal great from the inside out and be protected.  I swear by crazy glue for more superficial (human) owies esp skin cracks!

[steptoe91(tozie)]

Thanks ya'll. no, mar, they havent done cultures. The vet said that if/when we do the surgery they will remove the dead tissue and i guess that's when the do the biopsy to have it tested, then they would suture it up. i need to find out how long it will take to heal (ideally speaking) once the wound is sutured. My plan (since its not healing) is to do the surgery early to mid summer. I hope to have the money in mid may, and i'll take  vacation time so i can be home for at least 7 to 9 days after the surgery. If i'm home and can keep the collar/jacket on him maybe i can get him to leave it alone long enough to heal up.... and i'm REALLY hoping he doesn open it back up again once its healed up... a VERY real possiblity. He wore his t'shirt all day while i was at work yesterday,  The vet also suggested that its entirely possible that the wound wont heal even if i CAN get him to leave it alone. SHe said sometimes the wound has just been there so long it just cant heal without help.  


mar... tozie-pole... <snicker>

[lorek]

tozie that's distressing.... i'm sorry :(

[BPMar]

 
If you need old t-shirts or sweatshirts let me know or old socks, whatever.  I may even have some fleece material if you need that too.
I could make him an armor vest out of stainless steel and of course could stamp his name or something on it...hey ya never know.
Had you tried a collar? even intermittently?
Trying to think of alternative ways to make some "suits of armor" for him...2 liter bottle? you could melt down the edges so they are smooth....
Hmmmm...do they make a "bitter" that is fid/wound safe?  Maybe even post op after it is healed?

[steptoe91(tozie)]

If you need old t-shirts or sweatshirts let me know or old socks, whatever.  I may even have some fleece material if you need that too.
I could make him an armor vest out of stainless steel and of course could stamp his name or something on it...hey ya never know.
Had you tried a collar? even intermittently?
Trying to think of alternative ways to make some "suits of armor" for him...2 liter bottle? you could melt down the edges so they are smooth....
Hmmmm...do they make a "bitter" that is fid/wound safe?  Maybe even post op after it is healed?

<picturing caleb in stainless steel armor, riding Darlasaur, complete with lance and widdle helmet with his own crest sticking out the top instead of fake feathers on top> 

yup i have considered the collar thing but still working on designing it so its comfortable for him and safe. i have some flexible plastic material to 'sandwich' between two pieces of fleece for a breast plate. Honestly, my biggest problem has been time and procrastination. Since gatornationals started i've been pretty busy between working, home repairs, and then when i DO get a day off i have to get caught up on cleaning.
I have the pool noodles, have the dog collars, have lots of fleece, have lots of velcro (regular and 'industrial strength') but just getting my arse in gear is a bit on the difficult side. 

[steptoe91(tozie)]

okay two days of putting the silver sulfxidine (or whatever ya call that stuff) on his wound with regularity... i think it actually looks better. 

[Ditty]

it does, it is taking some of the necrotic tissue away yay!  it also looks a little more moist than it did and that is good, ya want it to have some moisture or the tissue will die and turn black.  I like the pink base too.   

[BPMar]

  Spoken like a true nurse!  And hey...Isn't wound care your forte?

  Wow, it goes look better! :party: