One of Kuma's anal sacs had gotten impacted and ruptured. This then caused an infection in the area surrounding the sac. Last night, when he was playing, the infection broke through the skin. Harold was already asleep, so I was forced to solicit the help of Taylor. He was good at holding Kuma's tail out of the way and soothing the big dog, but he wanted nothing, nothing at all, to do with the actual wound area. Silly kid! So, with Taylor's help, I was able to clean the area up a bit and decided that since it was 1:00 am, we would wait until morning, or at least later in the morning, to make a trip to the ER vet.
This morning when I got up, Kuma was acting a little down. No fever present, but he just acted uncomfortable. Which is very understandable considering he had a hole in his backside, one that was NOT supposed to be there! When I let him and Bella out for a potty break, I noticed Kuma's teeth chattering when he came back inside. We have seen this behavior only when he is in a fair amount of pain. So, I packed the big guy up and headed for town and the emergency vet clinic.
We got to the ER vet clinic and went on in. We were the only ones there, so were quickly shown in to an exam room. After completing some paperwork, the assistant took a look at the wound and quickly decided that she wouldn't make Kuma even more uncomfortable by taking his temperature. I am sure he is very thankful for that small blessing! Soon Dr. Deaver came in and took a look. His advice was surgery. The last time Kuma had this problem, my normal vet just held him down and irrigated the wound with an antibiotic solution. It healed ok but was tender for quite some time. This was a big enough wound that Dr. Deaver felt it was better to anesthetize Kuma and open the area to get it really cleaned out.
I came home for a couple of hours while the procedure was done. I called to check on him and was told he had just come out of surgery and was still VERY drugged. I gave them an hour or so to get him feeling a little better, and then went to pick him up. I ended up with a $575 bill, some really strong antibiotics (Baytril), and pain killers. Most importantly, I ended up with a dog that will be ok.
Kuma was really, really groggy when I got him home. Bella sniffed him up one side and down the other! The cats thought he smelled funky too. A little while ago, he was whining a bit so I gave him a Rimadyl tablet. It didn't take long and the big lug flopped over with a big relaxed sigh. Before the meds kicked in, I could see that he really didn't want to move. He just kind of froze and didn't look even remotely relaxed.
He just looked miserable. To know Kuma is to know that he always has a happy expression, at least while at home :) His tail is always wagging when he is here with us, and he has a sparkle in his eyes. Tonight all of that is missing. He laid in the above pose for a while, as we waited for the painkillers to take effect. I noticed the silly boy is laying on the side that had the surgery! Dork dog. What you don't see in these photos is the old quilt and sleeping bag that had been put on the floor so he would have a soft spot to lay. But no, he lays on the hard floor.
About 15 to 20 minutes later, the meds kicked in and he flopped over. I know the feeling of relief when the pain finally goes away. He still isn't on the soft quilt or sleeping bag, but I don't think he really cares right now. I'm just happy that he is finally comfortable and resting.
Tomorrow morning he will get a light breakfast. No dinner tonight! Poor guy didn't even notice when I took Bella outside for her dinner.
This is something that has happened before, and due to the consistency of the gunk in those sacs (vet described as super thick like toothpaste), we will have to continue to be watchful. Although with a woolly Mal it's very hard to tell anything is going on under all that fur! Some dogs just have issues with these sacs, no matter what the owners do. The super thick consistency doesn't allow the stuff to be expressed naturally, so it clogs the little tubes and ends up causing a mess like this one.
Well, it's been a long day. It's time to hit the hay because morning medication time will come bright and early! Don't want the big boy being even more uncomfortable than he has to be. Thanks for stopping by!
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