Hi everyone,
Sorry I don't post much these days, but I could really use some bandaging advice. Delillah had surgery last week & there were complications, so she is left with a large incision site. The area where the post -op drain was is about 1/2 inch and needs to be covered.... it is draining ALOT due to all of the post-op clotting she had.
The problem: she's like houdini and everytime I turn around, she has pulled off the dressing. The bandage wraps around her belly and I wrap several layers of surgical tape over it....I'm ready to start using duct tape!
The cone they sent home is one of those hard plastic ones & it is huge (looks like it should be for a labrador) so I ordered a smaller inflatable kind but its not here yet.
Thanks,
Dawn
Make sure the new collar is long enough or she will still get to it. Even though the hard one is a pain you should leave it on till you get the new one.
Where is the incision?
Zack had one on his back by his leg and we used like the little sleepers with legs and that to cover it. I see Petsmart has a pj for dogs that might work. Just make sure you take in any excess material on the legs. I fitted Zacks to him and basted it then turned it right side out and it worked.
Maybe try spraying the tape and bandage with bitter apple. Just make sure that it doesn't soak through to the incision.
Merion & the ZZ's
Awww..... poor baby! Those hard plastic cones are awful! Toby has a soft blue one..I've attached a picture of it. It's not great and we had to cut it all the way around by about two inches, but it is not uncomfortable for him which is really all that matters. Good luck and let us know how Franky is doing! Rays heading his way.
dewd--u look like a blue frilled lizard. Hope you feel beddah soon. They are a great invention, I must say.
seriously, my mom (who is a nurse) says a small sanitary napkin is just the thing for a draining wound; they are cheaper than yards and yards of guaze and I would bet you could cut one in two. Just an idea.
I would use a kotex but I would not cut it other wise the incision may get fuzzy's in it. Also instead of surgical tape use co-ban or horse vet wrap comes in many colors. You can also take a small towel fold it to where you can wrap the neck area so they cannot turn their heads to get at the incision. The towel would go all the way around the neck can use tape or safty pins to hold it in place also you may want to put tape over the safty pins.I also have made card board collars to keep a dog from getting at a sore on his hind leg. I cut it to fit round or square depending on the way you want it, I put strips of Duck tape on any rough edges plus I cut it one time the lenght of the car board to get it on the neck then Duck taped it together.If you decide to use the co-ban or horse vet wrap do not wrap it tight heat makes it tighten up.Of course anything you use you need to check the circulation around the area once in a while if cool to the touch it may be too tight, but sure you already know that.Can you cut the cone to the shape you want???
Papbouv
Very old Nurses Aide that use to do dressings in the hospital.
Ladies,
You all are awesome! Genius, sheer genius. :thumb:
Merion, the pajamas were a great idea. I just cut off the legs and it works great... now she doesn't have to sleep with a cone and I can actually get some sleep, too. The plastic cone they sent was so big that she couldn't eat, drink or lay down with it on and I couldn't trim it down because of where the fastening clips are located. Her incision starts under the lower crease of her thigh/belly area and extends just shy of her backbone.
Terri, That's exactly the kind of cone that I wanted. I'm going to tell the vet they need to invest in this type, especially for little dogs. I hope poor Toby is on the mend. It really stinks when our kids are hurt or sick & I know how much of a toll it takes on us too.
Leslie, The sanitary pads are working fantastically! I never would have thought of this one (D'oh!). I put a sterile non-stick pad down first, then the maxi pad and wrap with cling bandage then compression tape. The adhesive of the pad sticks to the cling bandage and holds everything more securely in place.
Papbouv, The homemade "cone" really did the trick. I made one out of a rolled cotton towel and duck tape, then secured it to her collar with rolled cling bandage. It is somewhat "U" shaped but allows me to easily take it on and off and best of all prevents her from bothering her incision. She can eat, drink, sleep and even goes potty with it on. I had tried coban but it never wanted to stay put. The vet wants us to continue to use the compression tape to keep the incision draining because the clotting she had post op was worse and larger in size than the softball sized fatty tumor they removed. We are trying to avoid them having to open her up again to remove the blood clot(s). :xfinger: So far so good!
I am very grateful to all of you and no longer feel dumb for posting this question.
Hugs from me & the two sick wieners in PA
Dawn
Zack had a fatty cyst removed too. I will have to take a picture of his scar. He also had a drain tube for several days.
Merion & the ZZ's
We have had in the past patients that needed dressing changes allot they had a dressing that was two strips of wide tape had holes down the sides. You would put it to where the holes were next to each other take some long gauze use it like a shoe string and have it as tight or as loose as you wanted. Then just untie it change the dressing or kotex lace it up again the tape was the silk type tape which I always thought was the best tape to use in all dressings loved that stuff. Since the dogs fur may have been shaved back enough you might be able to make your own if you wanted too I would use a hole punch to make the holes a new one that way no germs added to the mix.Also you might consider using the inside piece of tape next to the inscion they say the out side of the tape gets germy quick.Hope all goes well with your little girl and she gets well quick.
papbouv
Quote from: Frankys_mom on June 21, 2007, 06:51:18 PM
I am very grateful to all of you and no longer feel dumb for posting this question.
Never, never, never feel dumb for asking anything here........ my guess is that someone else really needs an answer too !!!!
Lots of great ideas with this question - great for future reference.
Sending rays that Delilah heals up very quickly !!!!