Chuck and Don's Pet Food Outlet in Bloomington is having a nail trimming clinic tomorrow and all the donations go to Toad! If your dog/cat needs their nails clipped please come out and have experienced groomers clip and show you how to clip nails.
Toad will be coming to the event. His ears are doing okay. The right one that causes him the most problems is still VERY itchy so please avoid touching that ear or near it and getting him itching. But he loves to be petted and loved on. There will be some Toad safe allergy treats there too to feed him as well!
Please come out and meet the famous Toad! He'll happily soak up any and all attention and coat you in drool at the same time...he's good at multitasking. In fact right now he's chewing on my shoe and chasing around his foster sister. Oh Toad....
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Fundraiser 10-28-12
Toad is having a fundraiser! Come one come all We are holding a nail trimming clinic at the Bloomington Chuck and Don's to raise funds for Toad's mounting medical bills (his new meds alone are $400)! Come get your dog's (or cat's) nails trimmed for a cause - and hear more about Toad's story!
As of right now it looks like Toad will be able to attend the event at least for part of the time! Because his right ear is still so itchy and painful we ask that you please be very, very careful and gentle and don't get him scratching. Once he starts scratching he can't stop himself and it is near impossible to get him to stop without sedating him. He likes attention but it needs to be gentle attention please. His head is usually a safe spot as long as you avoid the ears, and he loves back scratches!
We'll have some Toad Treats in a jar there too that you are welcome to feed to him instead...he LOVES treats! Might have to issue a flash flood warning once he knows there are treats though because he drools buckets
As of right now it looks like Toad will be able to attend the event at least for part of the time! Because his right ear is still so itchy and painful we ask that you please be very, very careful and gentle and don't get him scratching. Once he starts scratching he can't stop himself and it is near impossible to get him to stop without sedating him. He likes attention but it needs to be gentle attention please. His head is usually a safe spot as long as you avoid the ears, and he loves back scratches!
We'll have some Toad Treats in a jar there too that you are welcome to feed to him instead...he LOVES treats! Might have to issue a flash flood warning once he knows there are treats though because he drools buckets
Want to visit Toad?!
Short notice but Chuck and Don's Pet Food Outlet in Wayzata is having a nail trimming clinic tomorrow Octover 21st and Toad is planning to come make a visit there. The clinic goes from 1-3, Toad will likely be there at the beginning but will have to leave earlier.
There will be another clinic at Chuck and Don's in Bloomington on October 28th from 12-3 and Toad will be there for the whole time if you'd like to meet him. More info will be posted about this later tonight.
Thank you!
There will be another clinic at Chuck and Don's in Bloomington on October 28th from 12-3 and Toad will be there for the whole time if you'd like to meet him. More info will be posted about this later tonight.
Thank you!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Vet update 10-17-12
I think we have the worlds most patient vet. Because every single time Toad comes for an ear check he coats the lobby and exam room in slobber, pees all over when the scope goes into his ear bcause it itches so much, and has been known to fling slobber onto the poor vet (including her face more than once!). In spite of that which most people would run from, she continues to bravely go where no vet has gone before and examine and treat the most disgusting depths of his ears. She also puts up with me hysterically laughing at the slobber flying everywhere....when you live with it every day you have to learn to laugh at it. :)
The good news is that there is still an opening into his ear canal! That's a HUGE improvement. The downside is that there is still infection present in the ear causing a lot of itching. But infection is something we can still work at treating because we can still get the meds in his ears so all in all not bad.
Both vets at the clinic have taken caring for Toad above and beyond. In fact, both found an article about a human medication that was tried on a cat with severe ear issues and similar growths in the canals and think its a possibility for Toad or at least something that is worth a shot! Its experimental but the worst that can happen is that it won't work. We're starting those this weekend so cross your fingers once again for Toad!
He seems to feel pretty good most of the time. He LOVES to play, likes to chew on everything that he isn't supposed to, and spends a good portion of the night drooling all over the dog bed (when he's not searching for socks or books to chew up!). He scared us all by having a pretty bad attack of itching about a week ago but hasn't since so we're hopeful it might have been a one time thing and not a sign of things not going well.
We are going to be having another fundraiser for Toad pretty soon. His vet bills have far surpassed what as a rescue and as a foster HHK9 and I can afford but he is very worth it. He will almost for sure be able to attend this fundraiser so if you would like to meet him again and see the progress or meet him for the first time please consider coming! He LOVES to meet people and slobber on them...in fact I think one of his goals in life is to drool on everyone. :) Check back for more details... we should have it finalized in a few days!
The good news is that there is still an opening into his ear canal! That's a HUGE improvement. The downside is that there is still infection present in the ear causing a lot of itching. But infection is something we can still work at treating because we can still get the meds in his ears so all in all not bad.
Both vets at the clinic have taken caring for Toad above and beyond. In fact, both found an article about a human medication that was tried on a cat with severe ear issues and similar growths in the canals and think its a possibility for Toad or at least something that is worth a shot! Its experimental but the worst that can happen is that it won't work. We're starting those this weekend so cross your fingers once again for Toad!
He seems to feel pretty good most of the time. He LOVES to play, likes to chew on everything that he isn't supposed to, and spends a good portion of the night drooling all over the dog bed (when he's not searching for socks or books to chew up!). He scared us all by having a pretty bad attack of itching about a week ago but hasn't since so we're hopeful it might have been a one time thing and not a sign of things not going well.
We are going to be having another fundraiser for Toad pretty soon. His vet bills have far surpassed what as a rescue and as a foster HHK9 and I can afford but he is very worth it. He will almost for sure be able to attend this fundraiser so if you would like to meet him again and see the progress or meet him for the first time please consider coming! He LOVES to meet people and slobber on them...in fact I think one of his goals in life is to drool on everyone. :) Check back for more details... we should have it finalized in a few days!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Ears...from beginning to now!
Its amazing to see how far Toad's ears have come since day 1....(sorry for the gross pictures!)
Left Ear-this ear has reached what is likely the best it can reach. After 2 surgeries, the scar tissue in the ear in minimal and while there is still infection present in the ear its controlled and unless its being cleaned doesn't bother Toad.
Left Ear-this ear has reached what is likely the best it can reach. After 2 surgeries, the scar tissue in the ear in minimal and while there is still infection present in the ear its controlled and unless its being cleaned doesn't bother Toad.
Right Ear--this ear has been the most troublesome and continues to give Toad the most trouble. After 3 surgeries on it, it still is not yet to a level that is comfortable and itch free.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
"Toad Healthy"
I know, 2 posts in 1 day. Are pigs flying? No. I actually wrote most of this a while ago and forgot to publish it so it got stuck in the drafts (whoops!).
I never quite know what to say when I am asked "how is Toad?". I love that people ask and care about him, I just don't know how to describe how Toad is. Good/Bad never seem to describe it right nor does either one seem true. He has good times/days and bad times/days. He's both good and bad all at once and it can change in seconds depending on one tiny itch.
Toad will never be healthy. Ever. That flew out the window a couple years ago when someone decided to cut his ears off. The best we can possibly hope for for Toad is for him to be "Toad healthy".
Toad will always need meds, both oral antibiotics and ear ointments for the rest of his life. He will always have ear issues. He may always have skin issues at times too. The hope is we can get that to a liveable, relatively itch free level and keep it there with medications. That is "Toad healthy" and that's what we are aiming for. Much like a dog with arthritis who needs meds to control the pain, Toad will always need meds to control the infection. If it improves so far beyond that he can live without medications he will have far surpassed the expectations of the best possible prognosis for him.
I never quite know what to say when I am asked "how is Toad?". I love that people ask and care about him, I just don't know how to describe how Toad is. Good/Bad never seem to describe it right nor does either one seem true. He has good times/days and bad times/days. He's both good and bad all at once and it can change in seconds depending on one tiny itch.
Toad will never be healthy. Ever. That flew out the window a couple years ago when someone decided to cut his ears off. The best we can possibly hope for for Toad is for him to be "Toad healthy".
Toad will always need meds, both oral antibiotics and ear ointments for the rest of his life. He will always have ear issues. He may always have skin issues at times too. The hope is we can get that to a liveable, relatively itch free level and keep it there with medications. That is "Toad healthy" and that's what we are aiming for. Much like a dog with arthritis who needs meds to control the pain, Toad will always need meds to control the infection. If it improves so far beyond that he can live without medications he will have far surpassed the expectations of the best possible prognosis for him.
Update...finally!
Long awaited updated, I know. I was hoping for a lot of happy news and a lot of successes and unfortunately with every step forward for Toad there seems to be ten back.
So where did we leave off?
The surgery and the skin sore relapse. Wow, I really let this get quite overdue didn't I?
His skin has improved a million times over thanks to some magic skin repair topical gel and so far he has not had a relapse of his skin! That is a huge improvement. Cross your fingers for that to continue.
The 2nd surgery healed as well as can be expected, there was a canal opening so we could get medication in, the antibiotics seemed to be helping to at least keep it from getting worse, and Toad wasn't nearly as itchy as he was before. All in all things were going well.
Unfortunately with Toad there are ten steps back for every step ahead. He went back in a few weeks ago and the ear canal that had been opened previously with surgery had grown the warty scar tissue inside the canal meaning it was once again blocked. His scar tissue grows back faster than anything we have ever seen and the infection, even with the strongest of meds, is simply not going away.
We considered a few options...pulse therapy with meds which means we try to do antibiotics on and off forever to try to control the infection. Another surgery. And of course when things are this bad the inevitable option of euthanasia comes up. With that comes the questions...how much is fair to put one little dog through? Is this really going to help and be worth putting him through?
I do not think Toad is on the point of being euthanized yet. We opted for another surgery and more meds. But this is kind of a last resort, last chance. I am very afraid that there will not be a happy ending for Toad. And I am very afraid of having to make that decision. I get to see the best and the worst of Toad. I get to see the crazy dog who loves to wrestle with the big dogs, carry around a rope toy, jump 3x his height when he wants his food bowl, and attack the laundry everytime I try to fold it. I also have to see him yelp and frantically scratch at his ears when he gets an itch, run around on 3 legs sometimes trying to itch his ear, and go crazy shaking his head until he's almost exhausted. I get to see Toad as his happiest and Toad at his most miserable. I wish I could say that the happy outweighs the miserable. Somedays it does but most of the time it does not. Toad needs for something to finally work for him.
He had his surgery last week. So far things look good. The amazing vet spent hours lasering the scar tissue off tacking the canal open, and then cleaning out the infection gunk. So far after a week its still open though there is new scar tissue on the tops of his ears which isn't a great sign. But currently we can still get ear meds down there and it looks (and smells) a million times less disgusting.
That's where we are at. Please cross your fingers, say a prayer, send good wishes, anything to Toad that this round of surgery/meds works for him. Currently he's having a really good day...right now he's snorting up a storm wrestling and going crazy with his best pal.
So where did we leave off?
The surgery and the skin sore relapse. Wow, I really let this get quite overdue didn't I?
His skin has improved a million times over thanks to some magic skin repair topical gel and so far he has not had a relapse of his skin! That is a huge improvement. Cross your fingers for that to continue.
The 2nd surgery healed as well as can be expected, there was a canal opening so we could get medication in, the antibiotics seemed to be helping to at least keep it from getting worse, and Toad wasn't nearly as itchy as he was before. All in all things were going well.
Unfortunately with Toad there are ten steps back for every step ahead. He went back in a few weeks ago and the ear canal that had been opened previously with surgery had grown the warty scar tissue inside the canal meaning it was once again blocked. His scar tissue grows back faster than anything we have ever seen and the infection, even with the strongest of meds, is simply not going away.
We considered a few options...pulse therapy with meds which means we try to do antibiotics on and off forever to try to control the infection. Another surgery. And of course when things are this bad the inevitable option of euthanasia comes up. With that comes the questions...how much is fair to put one little dog through? Is this really going to help and be worth putting him through?
I do not think Toad is on the point of being euthanized yet. We opted for another surgery and more meds. But this is kind of a last resort, last chance. I am very afraid that there will not be a happy ending for Toad. And I am very afraid of having to make that decision. I get to see the best and the worst of Toad. I get to see the crazy dog who loves to wrestle with the big dogs, carry around a rope toy, jump 3x his height when he wants his food bowl, and attack the laundry everytime I try to fold it. I also have to see him yelp and frantically scratch at his ears when he gets an itch, run around on 3 legs sometimes trying to itch his ear, and go crazy shaking his head until he's almost exhausted. I get to see Toad as his happiest and Toad at his most miserable. I wish I could say that the happy outweighs the miserable. Somedays it does but most of the time it does not. Toad needs for something to finally work for him.
He had his surgery last week. So far things look good. The amazing vet spent hours lasering the scar tissue off tacking the canal open, and then cleaning out the infection gunk. So far after a week its still open though there is new scar tissue on the tops of his ears which isn't a great sign. But currently we can still get ear meds down there and it looks (and smells) a million times less disgusting.
That's where we are at. Please cross your fingers, say a prayer, send good wishes, anything to Toad that this round of surgery/meds works for him. Currently he's having a really good day...right now he's snorting up a storm wrestling and going crazy with his best pal.
Monday, August 6, 2012
WOW!
Wow. There really aren't other words for how amazing the support for Toad was. Thank you a million times over to everyone who came out to meet Toad and for everyone who didn't get a chance too but was with him and us in spirit. It was incredible to see his many fans come out and show their support in their love for him, donations, and of course their own adorable 4 legged friends.
Thank you so much. For everything. Especially for supporting this little guy through everything he's been through and for continuing to stick by him and keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Here's a happy Toad after the fundraiser....before he passed out and didn't make a peep until the next morning. He was almost to tired to eat his breakfast...ALMOST. : )
Thank you so much. For everything. Especially for supporting this little guy through everything he's been through and for continuing to stick by him and keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Here's a happy Toad after the fundraiser....before he passed out and didn't make a peep until the next morning. He was almost to tired to eat his breakfast...ALMOST. : )
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Toad Fundraiser!
As of right now it looks like Toad will be able to attend the event at least for part of the time! Because his skin and ears are still so itchy and painful we ask that you please be very, very careful and gentle and don't get him scratching. Once he starts scratching he can't stop himself and it is near impossible to get him to stop without sedating him. He likes attention but it needs to be gentle attention please. His head is usually a safe spot as long as you avoid the ears (its a big head...its not hard!).
We'll have some Toad Treats in a jar there too that you are welcome to feed to him instead...he LOVES treats! Might have to issue a flash flood warning once he knows there are treats though because he drools buckets.
He seems to be responding to the meds because he looks much better than he did even a week ago. He has about half the pus filled bumps he used to have. So its a step in the right direction for his skin for now! Cross your fingers that it stays that way!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
7-26-12
Toad has such a personality now. He's not anymore that miserable dog we first met him at PUPS! He runs, he snorts around, he likes to play tug with blankets (he's not helpful at laundry time!), and he likes to follow his foster family everywhere. He seemed like such a quiet, docile dog. He tricked us. : ) He throws a Toad tantrum when he isn't allowed to follow us or thinks he shouldn't be in his Toad pen and should be out running around with his dog friend. He runs around the yard like a bat out of hell, snorting the whole way, little legs struggling to keep up with his foster brother. He's total bulldog and its hilarious.
In some ways he is so much better health wise than he was...his ears have no more mushrooms, both are mostly opened now into the ear canals (that in itself is a HUGE improvement), and his skin is a lot less bumpy and sore.
The flip side is that he still has a long road ahead of him before he is out of the woods. His skin biopsy came back. No current infection showed up which is great, suggestive of allergies which we already has suspected, but nothing to really explain why his skin has fluctuated from awful to great to bumpy to good to covered in pus sores to now where its not as bad as it has been but its not good.
His ears...its so hard to tell. Less draining though no less gunk coming out in cleanings. They're still so itchy for him and there are many times he'll be running around and end up running on 3 legs trying to itch his ears with his other leg. Poor guy.
So...sadly its nothing new. More meds. Ear ointment still (he loves it at least!), antibiotics, some anti-itch meds, some new skin repair type topical medications, and some extra supplements. At least Toad is easy to give meds to...hide them in his food and he'll dive right in!
Toady Toady Wart Face. Its dinner time and he knows it. He's waiting rather impatiently wondering why his magic bowl is still empty...
In some ways he is so much better health wise than he was...his ears have no more mushrooms, both are mostly opened now into the ear canals (that in itself is a HUGE improvement), and his skin is a lot less bumpy and sore.
The flip side is that he still has a long road ahead of him before he is out of the woods. His skin biopsy came back. No current infection showed up which is great, suggestive of allergies which we already has suspected, but nothing to really explain why his skin has fluctuated from awful to great to bumpy to good to covered in pus sores to now where its not as bad as it has been but its not good.
His ears...its so hard to tell. Less draining though no less gunk coming out in cleanings. They're still so itchy for him and there are many times he'll be running around and end up running on 3 legs trying to itch his ears with his other leg. Poor guy.
So...sadly its nothing new. More meds. Ear ointment still (he loves it at least!), antibiotics, some anti-itch meds, some new skin repair type topical medications, and some extra supplements. At least Toad is easy to give meds to...hide them in his food and he'll dive right in!
Toady Toady Wart Face. Its dinner time and he knows it. He's waiting rather impatiently wondering why his magic bowl is still empty...
Friday, July 20, 2012
TOAD FUNDRAISER
On August 5th the Chuck and Don's in Bloomington will be having a fundraiser for Toad to help pay for his huge vet bills. If your dog/cat needs their nails trimmed please come out and have the experienced groomers take care of it while you relax! All proceeds go to Toad.
We are also looking for donations of gently used/new blankets/sheets/towels, bones, treats, toys, grain free canned food (for hiding his meds...he's sneaky!), and papertowels (his ear cleanings take up at least a roll each time)
He is hoping to be able to make an appearance there. It depends on his health and depends on how his test results come back so we should know tentatively by next weekend.
We are also looking for donations of gently used/new blankets/sheets/towels, bones, treats, toys, grain free canned food (for hiding his meds...he's sneaky!), and papertowels (his ear cleanings take up at least a roll each time)
He is hoping to be able to make an appearance there. It depends on his health and depends on how his test results come back so we should know tentatively by next weekend.
Vet on the 19th
Poor little Toad. Going to the vet is getting pretty old!
His skin was biopsied and we're hoping for some answers as to why it is not getting better (or gets better and then gets worse). He's been on the strongest antibiotic possible for the bacterial infection he first tested positive for but its not helped. Hopefully a deep skin biopsy will give us some answers.
His ears are better though we think. Still gunky and gross but the swelling in his surgery ear has gone down and his other ear appears to have a more open canal than it did before so those are at least making a step in the right direction for now!
We'll hear results from his biopsy on Monday or Tuesday so check back!
For now...Toad smile!
His skin was biopsied and we're hoping for some answers as to why it is not getting better (or gets better and then gets worse). He's been on the strongest antibiotic possible for the bacterial infection he first tested positive for but its not helped. Hopefully a deep skin biopsy will give us some answers.
His ears are better though we think. Still gunky and gross but the swelling in his surgery ear has gone down and his other ear appears to have a more open canal than it did before so those are at least making a step in the right direction for now!
We'll hear results from his biopsy on Monday or Tuesday so check back!
For now...Toad smile!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy 4th of July!
Toad wants to wish all his supporters a safe, happy 4th of July! One of the great things about a deaf dog is that the fireworks don't even faze them because they can't hear them!
This is a Toad smile...he likes to bash his face into our hands so his lips get smooshed up and this is what it looks like. :) He never ceases to make us laugh, that's for sure...
This is a Toad smile...he likes to bash his face into our hands so his lips get smooshed up and this is what it looks like. :) He never ceases to make us laugh, that's for sure...
Monday, July 2, 2012
Surgery...
Toad has his first surgery about 10 days ago. We chose to do the worst ear, the one with the most scar tissue because it is the ear that will have the most trouble healing. Surgically things went well, healing is just a waiting game to see if it heals properly, the infection clears up and can be treated, and how/if the scar tissue reforms.
Here's his ear the day of surgery.
Ear today
.JPG)
Here's his ear the day of surgery.
Ear today
.JPG)
The good news is the inflammation has gone down, there is no longer blood draining out of the surgical site either. The "we don't yet know if its good or bad" news is that the infection is literally pouring out. This could be good because it needs to come out but the meds don't seem to be making even a dent in it yet. Its hard to see the openings here but there is a small hole into the canal. Right now I don't see much scar tissue forming over the canal but we don't know. 10 days past surgery isn't enouhg to really be able to tell yet.
So...its still a hang in the balance waiting game to see how this ear heals. He's got a long road ahead of him to hopefully heal this one and if it goes well to do the next. Please keep him in your thoughts.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Its all about perspective...
With the nice warmer weather comes every Minnesotans least favorite thing...Mosquitos. As we were relaxing last night I was frantically scratching at a cluster of them on my arm and complaining about how itchy.
Really? A few mosquito bites and most of us, myself included, turn into whining, scratching wimps! Then there is Toad who I have to imagine itches about a thousand times worse and he isn't getting relief no matter how much he scratches. Can you imagine that? I don't even think I can fully grasp how horrible would be.
This is Toad's everyday life and has been for a long time. This is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week feeling. I wonder if he even remembers a time where he wasn't itchy.
He has every reason in the world to be angry, upset, and to lash out but instead Toad is grateful for everything. He is grateful every time his food bowl gets filled, for every snuggle, for every hug, for the smallest piece of treat, for a doggy friend to run with, for a ball to chase after and then be confused by. He even is grateful for a bath or an ear cleaning because there maybe is a tiny bit of relief or at the very least its a lot of attention.
Toad has had a relapse of his skin infection over the past few days. Instead of being on his chest its mostly along his back and on his legs. We are not sure why or what is causing it since nothing has shown up on cultures, scrapes, and nothing has changed medication/food/etc wise but unfortunately he is definitely much worse than he was even 3 days ago. His 1st surgery to remove the ear canal on his worse ear (the one that has reformed the scar tissue over the canal already) is still tentatively scheduled for this coming Friday but with the recent setback a lot depends on that. If he continues to get worse or doesn't show improvement we will likely have to wait and try to get that under control first.
So...send some good thoughts to the little guy right now. He's sitting on my lap as I post (he likes to drool on the keyboard) and he could sure use some good wishes
Really? A few mosquito bites and most of us, myself included, turn into whining, scratching wimps! Then there is Toad who I have to imagine itches about a thousand times worse and he isn't getting relief no matter how much he scratches. Can you imagine that? I don't even think I can fully grasp how horrible would be.
This is Toad's everyday life and has been for a long time. This is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week feeling. I wonder if he even remembers a time where he wasn't itchy.
He has every reason in the world to be angry, upset, and to lash out but instead Toad is grateful for everything. He is grateful every time his food bowl gets filled, for every snuggle, for every hug, for the smallest piece of treat, for a doggy friend to run with, for a ball to chase after and then be confused by. He even is grateful for a bath or an ear cleaning because there maybe is a tiny bit of relief or at the very least its a lot of attention.
Toad has had a relapse of his skin infection over the past few days. Instead of being on his chest its mostly along his back and on his legs. We are not sure why or what is causing it since nothing has shown up on cultures, scrapes, and nothing has changed medication/food/etc wise but unfortunately he is definitely much worse than he was even 3 days ago. His 1st surgery to remove the ear canal on his worse ear (the one that has reformed the scar tissue over the canal already) is still tentatively scheduled for this coming Friday but with the recent setback a lot depends on that. If he continues to get worse or doesn't show improvement we will likely have to wait and try to get that under control first.
So...send some good thoughts to the little guy right now. He's sitting on my lap as I post (he likes to drool on the keyboard) and he could sure use some good wishes
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Ears!
Pictures have been LONG awaited, I know!
Here's his ears as of today...
Here's his ears as of today...
Left Ear--that yellowy/greyish goop is what comes out of his ears constantly. This picture is about 5 minutes after de-gooping.
Right Ear. This is the worse one in terms of scar tissue. They couldn't get much off at the time of his first surgery because of the blood loss. The infection doesn't drain as much from this ear but that's mostly because it can't get out of the folds of the scar tissue. Cleaning this ear can only be done with q-tips to get under the tissue and in the crevices.
This is the gunk that comes out of Toad's ears at every de-gooping (meaning removing the goop from between the scar tissue, around the ear, tops of the ear, etc, etc). He gets his ears de-gooped twice a day before his ointments. His ear cleanings (3x a week) usually get at least twice this much gunk out since we go deeper into the ear canals. Toad's records is a whole roll of paper towels in one cleaning. : )
Note: Cleaning a dog's ears (especially the ear canals) with q-tips is not recomended since you can easily push the infection deeper or puncture the ear drum. The q-tips in Toad's case are used to clean the crevices in his scar tissue that nothing else can reach into.
And after that ear yuck and meds...TREATS!!!! Which for any good bulldog means plenty of slobber. : )
Toad will go back in to the vet this week. Likely we will decide to do surgery on him. He is not improving enough to continue as is. Its not giving him enough relief or showing signs of working. Even his skin this week seems to have backslid a bit (found a couple sores on his chest). The inflammation in his ears from the first surgery is down but the infection, the itching, and the pain are still very severe.
Its really hard to see him suffer like this. To see him stoicly allow us to clean his ears and de-goop them even though it itches and it hurts. To see him itch so badly that he loses control of his back legs scratching and shaking and hurts himself and me in the process of trying to stop.
Monday, May 28, 2012
UPDATE!
FINALLY a Toad update!
First, I'm so sorry for the long wait for an update on Mr. Toady.
Toad was back at the vet a few days ago. He got good and bad news there. The good: His skin is clearing up SO well and actually looks almost normal. No more red bumps, blotches, or itchiness it seems. Its peeling off along his sides and chest (like a sunburn almost) but its a good sign since underneath is new, healthy skin.
He acts like he feels so much better. He wants to be out and about, playing, chasing balls, meeting and slobbering on new people, snarfing up any and all food that crosses is path, eating bugs, and napping in the sun. He's not the sick little blob we brought home, that's for sure!
The not so good news is that there is little to no improvement with his ears. The inflammation has gone down from the first surgery which is a great sign but they are still consistently draining, itching, and bothering him. The infection is still very much there and very bad.
For now we'er going to continue the antibiotics, ear ointments, cleaners, and pain meds to see if there is any improvement given more time. He has another recheck in about a week and a half.
Even with his ears obviously still bothering him he is such a social dog. He wants to be out with us all, he loves to sleep by our feet, and he has the best personality. He definitely is a Bulldog...sassy, spunky, silly, and sweet.
First, I'm so sorry for the long wait for an update on Mr. Toady.
Toad was back at the vet a few days ago. He got good and bad news there. The good: His skin is clearing up SO well and actually looks almost normal. No more red bumps, blotches, or itchiness it seems. Its peeling off along his sides and chest (like a sunburn almost) but its a good sign since underneath is new, healthy skin.
He acts like he feels so much better. He wants to be out and about, playing, chasing balls, meeting and slobbering on new people, snarfing up any and all food that crosses is path, eating bugs, and napping in the sun. He's not the sick little blob we brought home, that's for sure!
The not so good news is that there is little to no improvement with his ears. The inflammation has gone down from the first surgery which is a great sign but they are still consistently draining, itching, and bothering him. The infection is still very much there and very bad.
For now we'er going to continue the antibiotics, ear ointments, cleaners, and pain meds to see if there is any improvement given more time. He has another recheck in about a week and a half.
Even with his ears obviously still bothering him he is such a social dog. He wants to be out with us all, he loves to sleep by our feet, and he has the best personality. He definitely is a Bulldog...sassy, spunky, silly, and sweet.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Vet Update
Toad went back into the vet and had his bandage removed and ears checked again yesterday. It seems like with poor Toad any good news always comes with some bad.
The good news...
His skin infection issues are almsot entirely cleared up. The dead skin is flaking away and his fur is soft and shiny.
He is definitely feeling and acting better. He loves to run in the yard and boss aroudn the other dog. He eats like a pig, snorts around, and loves to go for short walks. He's a bossy, stubborn, typical Bulldog!
The bad news...
His ears, while a large amount of scar tissue was removed, are still very infected. The pus is still draining out in huge amounts and they still are causing him massive itch attacks at times, to the point where he is screaming and can't stop even if he wants to.
No one is really sure what the next step is yet. His infection is coming from the scar tissue in the upper ear rather than from iwthin the ear canal so there is question to whether even an ear ablation would even work (meaning removing the ear canals may not even do anything for him infection and health wise). Removing more scar tissue is likely not an option due to the amount of blood loss and how deep the tissue is, plus the infection is already so deep in there it may not even help. We will likely try one or both of these surgeries if it comes down to nothing else helping because what we all know for sure is that Toad can't keep living how he is with how itchy and infected his ears are.
For now, Toad has 2 more medications to try for his ears, a special ear flush, and some supplements. He will go back in in a week for another check and we are hopinh beyond anything else for some improvement and good news.
Keep up the good thoughts and prayers for him. He is a sassy, spunky little bulldog so if anyone is tough enough to fight it its this guy!
Here's updated pictures of his ears. Other than the gunk and infection slime they look MUCH better!
The good news...
His skin infection issues are almsot entirely cleared up. The dead skin is flaking away and his fur is soft and shiny.
He is definitely feeling and acting better. He loves to run in the yard and boss aroudn the other dog. He eats like a pig, snorts around, and loves to go for short walks. He's a bossy, stubborn, typical Bulldog!
The bad news...
His ears, while a large amount of scar tissue was removed, are still very infected. The pus is still draining out in huge amounts and they still are causing him massive itch attacks at times, to the point where he is screaming and can't stop even if he wants to.
No one is really sure what the next step is yet. His infection is coming from the scar tissue in the upper ear rather than from iwthin the ear canal so there is question to whether even an ear ablation would even work (meaning removing the ear canals may not even do anything for him infection and health wise). Removing more scar tissue is likely not an option due to the amount of blood loss and how deep the tissue is, plus the infection is already so deep in there it may not even help. We will likely try one or both of these surgeries if it comes down to nothing else helping because what we all know for sure is that Toad can't keep living how he is with how itchy and infected his ears are.
For now, Toad has 2 more medications to try for his ears, a special ear flush, and some supplements. He will go back in in a week for another check and we are hopinh beyond anything else for some improvement and good news.
Keep up the good thoughts and prayers for him. He is a sassy, spunky little bulldog so if anyone is tough enough to fight it its this guy!
Here's updated pictures of his ears. Other than the gunk and infection slime they look MUCH better!
Left Ear
Right Ear
Monday, May 14, 2012
Quick Toady Update!
There are still so many unknowns with Toad's ears right now but one thing is for sure...he is feeling better already! He struts his stuff around the yard, sasses and bumps at his foster brother (who isn't quite sure what to make of this odd creature), and wiggles and wags anytime his foster family gets home from work. This guy is so full of personality we haven't even seen yet because he's felt so sick!
Right now he is snoring loudly and comfortably in his recovery kennel. He can't wait for the day he doesn't have to hang out in there...he will try to sneak towards the dog bed when he comes inside. Sadly, "Toad" and "sneak" do not belong in the same sentence together. He's about as subtle as smack in the face!
His skin seems to be better without the infection draining down onto it and on grain free food (and of course tons of antibiotics!). His ear bandages come off on Wednesday so we'll soon see what his ears look like too.
Thank you everyone for your continued support of Toad! Its pretty amazing that this little guy went from never being cared about to having a whole following of people who love him now. He deserves it!
Right now he is snoring loudly and comfortably in his recovery kennel. He can't wait for the day he doesn't have to hang out in there...he will try to sneak towards the dog bed when he comes inside. Sadly, "Toad" and "sneak" do not belong in the same sentence together. He's about as subtle as smack in the face!
His skin seems to be better without the infection draining down onto it and on grain free food (and of course tons of antibiotics!). His ear bandages come off on Wednesday so we'll soon see what his ears look like too.
Thank you everyone for your continued support of Toad! Its pretty amazing that this little guy went from never being cared about to having a whole following of people who love him now. He deserves it!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Surgery Day!
Toad is out of surgery and resting! He's got his ears all wrapped up and wearing the cone of shame. But he is barely shaking his head at all, happily walking around the yard, and hanging out in his recovery kennel.
It went pretty well...or as well as it could go when his ears were that bad. He has some of the scar tissue removed, as best they could but because the bleeding was so bad but there are now openings into his ear canals which is a huge improvement and it means they were able to put medication in his ears as well to hopefully help treat the infection from the inside out.
To give a better picture of how itchy he was: even under full anesthesia he was almost spastically trying to itch his ears with his legs. That's how much he has been suffering and hurting. He is still pretty itchy and keeps trying to rub his bandages against the sides of the kennel but its a lot less than it was before.
He's on antibiotics for the next 6 weeks, pain meds, and prednisone to help the itching. Thank you everyone for your donations! His medications were over $400!
As far as further surgeries or the ear ablation, no one knows yet. The infection is deep in there but the canals were open and able to be cleaned so it may not be necessary to remove his ears fully. He gets a recheck in a week to remove the bandages and we may know more then or it may take a few more weeks to clear up the infection and see how that heals.
For now...its just waiting and healing. So please keep sending Toady some good thoughts (maybe some anti-itch thoughts!)
It went pretty well...or as well as it could go when his ears were that bad. He has some of the scar tissue removed, as best they could but because the bleeding was so bad but there are now openings into his ear canals which is a huge improvement and it means they were able to put medication in his ears as well to hopefully help treat the infection from the inside out.
To give a better picture of how itchy he was: even under full anesthesia he was almost spastically trying to itch his ears with his legs. That's how much he has been suffering and hurting. He is still pretty itchy and keeps trying to rub his bandages against the sides of the kennel but its a lot less than it was before.
He's on antibiotics for the next 6 weeks, pain meds, and prednisone to help the itching. Thank you everyone for your donations! His medications were over $400!
As far as further surgeries or the ear ablation, no one knows yet. The infection is deep in there but the canals were open and able to be cleaned so it may not be necessary to remove his ears fully. He gets a recheck in a week to remove the bandages and we may know more then or it may take a few more weeks to clear up the infection and see how that heals.
For now...its just waiting and healing. So please keep sending Toady some good thoughts (maybe some anti-itch thoughts!)
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Toad's First Day
TOAD IS OUT OF THE POUND!
Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, Toady!
This was a day of firsts for Toad.
-First car ride ever
-First walk
-First time on stairs
-First bath
-First time playing in a yard with another dog and a ball
-First time in a home
-First time on a dog bed
-First time with attention, love, and petting.
So far Toad has brought all of us more laughter than we ever would have thought possible. He is hilarious! The more we learn about him and get to know him, the more we love him.
2 volunteers spent a 45 minute car ride with Toad in the backseat. Now, most of you have never had the experience of the smell of Toad. He smells like nothing any of us have ever smelled. It hits you from about 10 feet away like a punch to the stomach. How Danielle managed to take care of him at all but especially while pregnant is incredible. So the car ride is already rather unpleasant from the smell. However, Toad is happy as can be. Happy to be out of the pound like a kid on Christmas. Happy Bulldogs slobber. A lot. Really happy bulldogs can flood homes with their slobber. Toad was a really, REALLY happy bulldog. Since his ears itch so much he shakes his head often. So along with the smell came a literal shower or drool and infected pus/ear tissue flung all over every few minutes. Thankfully these volunteers have a great sense of humor and saw the hilarity of a car ride with this poor guy. Toad loves car rides though. He happily stared out the window. He spread happiness because every passing car that happened to glance over seemed to pass by with a smile!
With good firsts came some scary firsts too....stairs were overwhelming at first though with a little coaxing and food he'll meander his way around them now, the house was a strange place and he spent a while wandering around and pacing (until he met the dog bed...then he was in love), he's not a huge fan of the leash quite yet either but working on it.
Toad found a few new "best things ever" in life...the dog bed is right up on the top of his list, other dogs (he wants so badly to play!), tennis balls (he plays a bulldog version to fetch!), and getting loved on. He LOVES to have belly rubs. His little back legs start flying all over and he grunts and snorts. Here he is with his new best friend Tink.
Toad had a big first day! A very good one though and we are sure loving having him so far too.
Tomorrow however is the biggest and most important day of Toad's life. Tomorrow he has surgery to remove the scar tissue and deal with the infection in his ears. We aren't really sure what to expect to be honest. Until some of the tissue is remove there is no real way to tell how deep the infection is, how serious, or how much hearing he has (if any at all).
Please send Toad some good thoughts tomorrow. We're hoping for really good news and a big step in the right direction towards health and a pain-free, itch-free life for him.
Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, Toady!
This was a day of firsts for Toad.
-First car ride ever
-First walk
-First time on stairs
-First bath
-First time playing in a yard with another dog and a ball
-First time in a home
-First time on a dog bed
-First time with attention, love, and petting.
So far Toad has brought all of us more laughter than we ever would have thought possible. He is hilarious! The more we learn about him and get to know him, the more we love him.
2 volunteers spent a 45 minute car ride with Toad in the backseat. Now, most of you have never had the experience of the smell of Toad. He smells like nothing any of us have ever smelled. It hits you from about 10 feet away like a punch to the stomach. How Danielle managed to take care of him at all but especially while pregnant is incredible. So the car ride is already rather unpleasant from the smell. However, Toad is happy as can be. Happy to be out of the pound like a kid on Christmas. Happy Bulldogs slobber. A lot. Really happy bulldogs can flood homes with their slobber. Toad was a really, REALLY happy bulldog. Since his ears itch so much he shakes his head often. So along with the smell came a literal shower or drool and infected pus/ear tissue flung all over every few minutes. Thankfully these volunteers have a great sense of humor and saw the hilarity of a car ride with this poor guy. Toad loves car rides though. He happily stared out the window. He spread happiness because every passing car that happened to glance over seemed to pass by with a smile!
SLOBBER FACE!
We expected a little hesitation and fear when bathing him. Not the case. From the moment the water washed over him and we started to rub him down with shampoo he was in heaven. He moaned, groaned, rubbed against our legs, and enjoyed every single minute of what has to be his first time being clean in a very long time (seriously, the smell on this guy...wow!). He didn't seem to understand the whole water-soap concept but the petting and the cool water and the sudden lack of dirt and ick on him made him a very happy little Toady.
With good firsts came some scary firsts too....stairs were overwhelming at first though with a little coaxing and food he'll meander his way around them now, the house was a strange place and he spent a while wandering around and pacing (until he met the dog bed...then he was in love), he's not a huge fan of the leash quite yet either but working on it.
Toad found a few new "best things ever" in life...the dog bed is right up on the top of his list, other dogs (he wants so badly to play!), tennis balls (he plays a bulldog version to fetch!), and getting loved on. He LOVES to have belly rubs. His little back legs start flying all over and he grunts and snorts. Here he is with his new best friend Tink.
Toad had a big first day! A very good one though and we are sure loving having him so far too.
Tomorrow however is the biggest and most important day of Toad's life. Tomorrow he has surgery to remove the scar tissue and deal with the infection in his ears. We aren't really sure what to expect to be honest. Until some of the tissue is remove there is no real way to tell how deep the infection is, how serious, or how much hearing he has (if any at all).
Please send Toad some good thoughts tomorrow. We're hoping for really good news and a big step in the right direction towards health and a pain-free, itch-free life for him.
Toad (Before)
Toad has a story to tell and its not a happy one. He ended up in the pound with infected ears, dirty, covered in scabs, thin, and clearly sick. Poor dog has suffered years of neglect. His ears are so infected that scar tissue has formed what is basically a mass of infected tissue and pus over his ears. The poor dog cannot hear and is so itchy he can't go more than a few minutes without shaking his head and trying to scratch his ears.
He needs to have surgery to remove the infection and the built up tissue from his ears. In spite of everything this dog is a total love and wants nothing more than to be loved on.
Toad will be a longer term dog as he heals as well as an expensive one. We decided to start a blog to hopefully facilitate some donations for his medical costs as well as to update everyone who has supported him and us finanically and personally in helping to save this wonderful dog.
So...these are Toad's "before" pictures.
He needs to have surgery to remove the infection and the built up tissue from his ears. In spite of everything this dog is a total love and wants nothing more than to be loved on.
Toad will be a longer term dog as he heals as well as an expensive one. We decided to start a blog to hopefully facilitate some donations for his medical costs as well as to update everyone who has supported him and us finanically and personally in helping to save this wonderful dog.
So...these are Toad's "before" pictures.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)