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!

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... 

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.

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!

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...

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

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.