Neck Injury (Experience needed)

Schag · Post by **Schag** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:53 am

Ok, this is what I have. I have a dog that had a stick jabbed in his neck while running a rabbit. The stick was not visible at all. I took him to the vet when he started spitting up blood. Two vets put him on antibiotics. No help. He then had a large infection inflame on the side of his neck. It was the size of a baseball. I then took him to another doctor and he performed surgery on the dog. He found some fragments of stick. The vet thought for sure that he got all of the stick. Well, two weeks after the surgery the dog still had infection! I found more stick in the small hole in his neck. Well, I thought that would be it. Wrong, he still has a little bit of infection on the side of his neck. Not big at all, it doesn't bother him, but I hate to think one of my hounds are not 100%. The vet said that I would have to have another surgery done. The first time was around $500.00. I don't know what to do. It has been almost 6 months since his surgery. I would hate to put the dog under the knife again. I also hate to see him have a little infection. I milk it every night with warm water, and squirt peroxide in the tiny hole. My gut feeling is that there is still a little bit of stick in his neck that needs to come out. Any suggestions?

Post by **Bev** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 12:00 pm

Tell that vet he knew he was digging for stick the first time he performed surgery, and he didn't get it all. The vet needs to make right on the dog by cleaning that wound once and for all. I would be pissed. $500 my fat one....

Schag · Post by **Schag** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 1:00 pm

Bev,

I was upset with the vet. I found just as much stick as he did! He told me there is nothing he could do about it, that I would have to pay for another surgery. Bum deal!! The sad thing is he said before the surgery that he was confident when he was finished it would look like a new neck. Not much I can do about it. THat is why I am asking for advice. THanks.

Post by **Bev** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 1:38 pm

Schag, time to find a new vet. Many vets will let you make payments on a larger expense like like. Find one who will and get your dog fixed. Leaving the stick in there will lead to costant infection and the hound may even become septic and die.

We saw this very, exact thing happen to Ronnie Phelp's Joy dog, but our vet made it right. He didn't see the stick at all the first time - he thought she had a puncture wound from a piece of fencing or something, because her neck was so swollen and the hole (from drainage) but when she wouldn't respond to antibiotics, he went in, found the stick deeply lodged, and cleaned her up. The stick had gone in thru her open mouth, not from the outside of the neck. Joy was getting septic and in bad shape before they took her in the second time, so don't wait.

LaMarr Rhoades · Post by **LaMarr Rhoades** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 1:38 pm

Jason, try that place on 39 heading towards sheby.They have a female docter over there that is very good.

Schag · Post by **Schag** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 2:25 pm

Bev,

The stick lodged in my dog's neck also came thru his opened mouth. I believe the only solution is to take him back to the Vet. Thanks for the help.

I have never tried the Vet over in Shelby. Thanks.

Doc S · Post by **Doc S** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 3:00 pm

Does for sure sound like you need to get some surgery somewhere. Those are bad cases.
Doc S

Schag · Post by **Schag** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:10 pm

Doc S.,

The infection is very small; however, there is an infection. I took him back to the vet last night. The vet said that the "infection track" leads close to his jugular vein where he wants to "go". He did not seem that confident in the procedure. I look at it this way, I would rather have a dog with a little infection that may get better on his own, than a dog that dies under the knife. What are your thoughts on infection? I realize you are not looking at it and that may be a difficult question. This one really has me baffled!!

Thanks

LaMarr Rhoades · Post by **LaMarr Rhoades** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:36 pm

Jason,I cant urge you enough to try that vet in Shelby.If its a really good dog,I would get there oppinion.They have saved about three dogs of mine that other vets have give up on.