Jingles for Stella the dog- Great day!

[yellowbritches]

This morning Stella was bitten quite badly by our farm owners' dog. We were attempting to introduce them, as he lost his companion to cancer last week and has been very lonely. It did not go well, and Stella is now at the emergency clinic and will have to be put under to stitch her back up. She was in a lot of pain, and the bite is very deep (bone deep, some tendon damage). Thankfully, the farm owners are covering the expenses and are being super wonderful (as always) about it. I don't know what I would do if they hadn't stepped up. So, please jingle for my Stella Bella.

Jingles for me, too. I'm a mess. I am very, very wary of putting animals under after losing one of my kittens a couple of years ago when she was spayed. I also feel that her getting bitten is all my fault. The dog who got her is a great big Mastiff breed, and my gut was telling me it wasn't going to be good from the get go. Stella, I think was telling me, too, in her quiet, dignified way, as she was NOT interested in him all. Thankfully, they were both leashed and the husband, who is a big strong guy, was able to get the pulled apart, but not as fast as we'd have liked.

[MunchkinsMom]

Jingles for poor Stella and for you too! If this is any consolation, my 11 year old Brittany had oral surgery last week, and was under for several hours, and is just fine. She was a bit groggy for the rest of the evening that day, but is fine now.

I'm a firm believer in listening to my gut, because like you, in the past when I tried to ignore it, bad things happened. You had good intentions, too bad the farm dog didn't appreciate it. It might have been a territorial thing, since the farm is his territory.

[BuddyRoo]

If they're using isoflurane, the risk is a lot lower....will send lots of jingles your way. ((hugs))

[BasqueMom]

Texas-sized jingles!

[yellowbritches]

It might have been a territorial thing, since the farm is his territory.Normally, I'd go along with this, but he (and his companion) actually only have access to the house and their large fenced in yard. Stella has run of the barn and the rest of the property. They have met through the fence, and have "known" each other that way for over a year, and things were pretty cordial. Who knows...it happened very fast with very little body language to go on. Thanks, all, for the jingles. I'm sick to my stomach right now.

ETA: We were outside of his yard, kinda in a "neutral" territory. If it had gone well, the plan had been to let Stella in the yard with him.

[kmsf]

Sorry it didn't work out, but jingling that all goes well. In many years of doing anesthesia, only lost one and it was my own- he had a cardiac problem we did not know about.

[Bluey]

You just never know with dogs.
Sometimes, they are talking to each other in wavelengths we don't receive.
We have had a dog or two at the dog club that never were showing anything and one day one jumped the other, seemingly for us humans out of the blue.:(

I hope all goes well with her recovery.:yes:

[yellowbritches]

Sorry it didn't work out, but jingling that all goes well. In many years of doing anesthesia, only lost one and it was my own- he had a cardiac problem we did not know about.
Thank you. That makes me feel better. I know it is not a common thing, and I know our poor kitten ended up having a congenital heart issue we were unaware of, but it still makes me leery.

[BuddyRoo]

I'm sure you realize that this is not YOUR dog's problem but THEIR dog's problem, right? Small consolation though.

My dog is very well socialized. I took him home a few years ago and my brother's PB attacked my guy. Stitches.

Took him home a few years later and both the PB and my mom's border collie would try to attack my dog THROUGH HIS CRATE.

This year when I went home, I decided that enough was enough. I was able to work it all out with the BC. But the PB was still in attack mode. Nicest dog to people...very dog aggressive.

Almost nailed me once trying to get to my dog...

Some dogs just haven't gotten the socialization they need to be good doggy citizens.

I hope yours pulls through. (((hugs))

[yellowbritches]

I'm sure you realize that this is not YOUR dog's problem but THEIR dog's problem, right? Small consolation though.

My dog is very well socialized. I took him home a few years ago and my brother's PB attacked my guy. Stitches.

Took him home a few years later and both the PB and my mom's border collie would try to attack my dog THROUGH HIS CRATE.

This year when I went home, I decided that enough was enough. I was able to work it all out with the BC. But the PB was still in attack mode. Nicest dog to people...very dog aggressive.

Almost nailed me once trying to get to my dog...

Some dogs just haven't gotten the socialization they need to be good doggy citizens.

I hope yours pulls through. (((hugs))
Yes, I know this is not Stella's problem. My sister also just reminded me of this. Stella has actually gotten what I considered the highest form of human to dog compliment when a couple of years ago a friend came and found Stella and I at a show and asked if Stella could come sit with a nervous, anxious older puppy. She knew Stella well and knew Stella could show the puppy had to relax and be calm. She laid down quietly with the puppy and hung out with it for awhile. :) She's not the perfect dog, but I KNOW she is 100% trustworthy with other dogs.

Sadly, the companionless dog will have to stay companionless. I don't trust him now at all.

[AppJumpr08]

Aw Amanda I saw your facebook status, and was hoping it wasn't so bad!! Jingling hard from Maine for Stella, and sending hugs to you!!

[Jaegermonster]

Jingles for Stella

[MrWinston]

I'm sorry this had to happen and agree about the gut thing. Make sure that you resocialize Stella with safe dogs after she heals. She might need a bit of reassurance.

[JER]

Jingles for me, too. I'm a mess. I am very, very wary of putting animals under after losing one of my kittens a couple of years ago when she was spayed.

Cats are much more sensitive to anaesthesia than dogs.

In case you find comfort in stats -- at my volunteer group's last spay/neuter weekend, we spayed/neutered 270 cats and dogs (plus three additional major surgeries). We lost one dog but not due to the drugs; the dog had been hit by a car a week before (owner didn't tell us) and had some sort of abdominal displacement that caused it to asphyxiate. And we're something of a MASH unit, your vet probably has more prep time and better equipment.

Provided Stella has a healthy heart, she should be fine. But I know it's still worrisome.

I hope she makes a quick recovery.

[Kiwayu]

Jingles!

[yellowbritches]

Stella is home and trying to work her way out of her fog. She is very sensitive to Ace (which I didn't remember, but her normal vet did when she talked to treating vet later), so is going to be really, really groggy for awhile. She wakes up and looks at me, but is just out cold otherwise.

She has 10 staples and a penrose drain in her shoulder. No major damage to the muscle or tendons was done, just a little tear in the muscle. Her vet has already seen her (stopped by her house on the way home to pick up antibiotics and pain meds) and is happy with the way she looks. I am lucky that her regular vet actually works at the emergency practice part time, so as soon as she got my message about what had happened, she was on the phone with the treating doctor.

I'm happy she's home with me, but I'll feel a lot better once she's out of her stupor.

[monstrpony]

Jingles that Stella sleeps it off with no after-effects and has a quick recovery. Such a shame when something like this happens, but it happens so quickly ...

[BigRuss1996]

Jingles for Stella!.... so sorry this happened to her. Mastiff breeds can be dog aggressive...I had an English Mastiff who was an awesome dog 98% of the time with people and dogs but let another dog growl at her first and she was first to defend herself. I agree with not having them be friends...it's not worth it. Here to hoping for a quick recovery!

[yellowbritches]

We had a rough night last night (I was awake at least every half hour), but we survived and she's brightening up a little. She's pissed off, sore, and groggy. She doesn't know what she wants to do, and the E collar has her flustered and out of sorts. She has never been a good patient, and this might be her limit.

[Laurierace]

Poor Stella, I hope she gets well soon.

[kmsf]

The e-collars do take some time for then to get used to, especially going through doors! They can usually sort it out in a day or two, after the anesthesia has worn off.

[JSwan]

[QUOTE=yellowbritches;4340514She's pissed off, sore, and groggy. She doesn't know what she wants to do, and the E collar has her flustered and out of sorts. She has never been a good patient, and this might be her limit.[/QUOTE]

Hope she feels better soon - and you can catch up on sleep.

[BuddyRoo]

Was she bothering it in the hospital or was the ecollar preventative? You may be able to take it off for short periods if you can be right there with her.

I am so glad that she's out of surgery and looking good. Well, as good as can be expected. Did they tell you to take her temp at least once a day? If not, I would...just in case.

I feel you on the lack of sleep. Tonight will be my first night back in my own bed after my dog's illness/surgery this week since Tuesday. My kitchen looks like a crack house--IV bags, syringes and needles, vials of medication, and a mattress on the floor. I finally wised up Thursday night and put my air mattress down. We're doing meds/walks/food/jumping through hoops every two hours all day/night. I totally feel you.

BUT, if you can keep her in a crate and just arrange a bed for yourself nearby, you might get a little more rest knowing she can't get into trouble AND you'll be able to hear her moving around if she needs something.

Best wishes to you both. ((((hugs))))<---gentle ones for Stella

[yellowbritches]

Thanks all for the jingles, words of wisdom, previous experiences, etc! :yes:

Stella had an ok day yesterday and was loved and doted on by all of her people at the barn while we were there. The woman who owns the farm came to see her and I thought she might cry! She was still too much in an Ace haze to leave her alone, and she's too much of my shadow to think that I COULD have left her at home...I tried when I went to leave to feed dinner last night, since she'd been sleeping like the dead all afternoon, but she heard the keys and was on her feet instantly.

Today we actually spent at home to have a new heat pump installed, which I think was PERFECT for her. I know when I get hurt, it is always the day after the day after that is worse, so she got to rest a lot. She's kinda been up and down. When I first got up this morning and tried to encourage her to get up and maybe go for a short potty walk she wouldn't even lift her head to acknowledge the second greatest phrase ever ("Wanna go for a walk?" First being "Wanna go with me?"). But a couple hours later, when I suggested it again, she was ready and even walked down the trail without much of a limp (pain meds are good). An hour or so later, she was pretty low again, but it was on the tail end of her last dose of pain meds. She spent most of the rest of the day sleeping and watching the workmen, occasionally getting up to inspect their work. Our biggest moment, though, was when she finally ate a bowl of "chicken soup" (chicken breast and chicken broth...she won't do rice, which is what I would do for normal dogs off their food). I also took the e collar off of her. It was stressing her out more than anything, and she for the most part leaves the wound alone.

We're at the barn now and about to feed dinner. She looks like she's up for "helping" me, but I haven't decided yet if it would be good for her or not so much.

Here is a picture of her and all her Frankenstein glory on Saturday night. Just a warning, I don't think it is that graphic (and has nothing on the wound before it was treated), but if you have a weak stomach, it might be a little hard to look at: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2384048&l=c92da728b4&id=840606599

And THIS is what my girl normally looks like: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=367736&l=d1d0f983ca&id=840606599

Please keep jingling. She gets the drain out tomorrow.

[BuddyRoo]

Awhhh...poor kid. Glad she has you to take care of her!

[Guin]

Good thoughts for a speedy recovery for Stella. I absolutely hate the side-effects from anesthesia. My corgi Tribble is really sick for a solid 24 hours afterwards - whimpering, trembling, just miserable. She's only been knocked out twice - once for her spay, and once for a teeth cleaning. The vet's after me again to get her teeth cleaned, but I'm not going to do it. The anesthesia's worse than some tartar on her teeth.

[sisu27]

Speedy recover for poor Stella. She is beautiful!

I have an insanely dog aggressive beast now and if she was more than 20lbs I can't imagine how challenging it would be. She tried to kill my Doberman on the weekend and he is DONE puting up with it. Dog fights are awful and scary. I have learned to grab back legs and not collars....they usually let go when turned into a wheelbarrow.

[yellowbritches]

Stella's drain came out last night, and her vet was very pleased with how she looked. Considering she came bouncing into the house, mad that they kicked the dog out, eager to greet all the kitties- they didn't feel the same toward her- and ready to go anywhere with her vet's youngest child, it was not surprising she was pleased with how she looked, especially since the last time she saw her she was comatose in the back of my car! She cleared her to walk as much as she wanted, but no rough housing or turning to quickly, and she eased my concern over some redness...bruising, not infection.

Stella slept straight through the night last night, which was great considering her last pain med dose had been at 6pm (her DAY yesterday wasn't as good as her evening). Today she's only had one dose, first thing this morning, and has led a fairly normal day. She's a little stiff now, so she'll definitely have another dose tonight.

I found out a couple of intersting things today. First, other dogs as whole she is still totally fine with. The farrier was here today and he brings his two dogs with him, and Stella loves them both. I hadn't intended for them to interact, but she was in the office with me when they arrived, the door was open, and when she heard them in the barn, she was out to greet them before I could stop her. She was a little reserved, but only in the sense that she just sniffed butts and noses, wagged her tail, and did the usual "I pee where you pee" thing. No organized grab ass like she normally gets going. So, THAT was very good (and how I thought and hoped her reaction would be).

She also encountered the "bad dog" a little while ago. He had been out in his yard for awhile, and she came out with me to take a horse back out...we have to walk the length of his yard to get to the pasture. Well, I hadn't seen him, and was standing chatting with a client, Stella milling around, smelling the flowers, and trying to convince me to let her walk down to the bottom with the teenager. All of a sudden the "bad dog" came out from the bushes like he normally does. Stella saw him and immediately start to whine and get pretty anxious and pace a bit. She first went to the client, who consoled her, then came and leaned against me for a minute. She had her normal "screw you, bastard" stance to her...head high, tail high, prancy little trot, but you could see the anxious look in her face and eyes, and she kept glancing at me to make sure I was staying close (Stella is usually uber-confident and really could care less where I am in most situations, so this was a pretty good indication of her mood). She thought about going back to the barn, but decided she'd just go halfway down the hill until I was ready to move on. When I proceeded with my horse to turn him out, she came along, but stuck to the pasture fence, the furtherest edge away from the bad dog as she could get. :(

She's pretty cooked now, so hopefully will eat well tonight then crash. She has had a very good day, though, and hopefully we are done with the bad ones! Thanks for the jingles!!! It helped me as much as it helped her.

Oh...and an interesting observation. I'm wondering if one of the cats saw the "incident" on Saturday. George the cat usually goes hunting on the far side of the property during the day, and usually either insists I carry him back when he greets me out there in the evening, or walks back with me. I was carrying him back to the barn at some point tonight, with him as happy as can be, until the "bad dog" came storming up to the fence (we've never been able to convince this dog and his departed companion that carrying on like maniacs is NOT how you are going to convice a cat to wander into your yard and into your mouth). Normally, George would just sit and look at him, or totally blow him off if he was in my arms, but tonight he lept out of my arms (he never does that...I always have to put him down...he's a snuggle bug), and sprinted to the bushes along the ring (a good 100 yards, and a favorite hiding spot). He's NEVER done anything like that before, so I'm wondering if he witnessed "his" dog getting attacked. :confused: