Chewie got bit in the face

[Kimmy & Chewie]

Chewie got bit in the face by a labrador who was off-leash today :(

It happened at our weekly Obedience class. The labrador (name Tara) belonged to a former student of the class and the owner brings her here pretty regularly and she's always off-leash. I've seen both of them a few times before. Chewie even played with Tara 5 minutes before the incident.

5 minutes before class started, I decided to take Chewie for a "warm up". He was heeling nicely when we walked pass Tara (off-leash, owner no where in sight). Being the friendly dog that he is, Chewie took a few steps to greet Tara (tails wagging), but Tara reply with an attack. It happened so fast, there was a lot of noise...Tara's growling and Chewie's crying/yelping and backing away. Seconds later, Chewie was on his back and Tara was on top of him. Chewie doesn't bite back, only kicking all four paws trying to get out of the jam. I yelled and Tara finally back off.

I checked Chewie and found a big puncture under his eye :( I rushed him to the vet immediately.

Tara's owner found me as I was carrying Chewie onto the car. She's actually a really nice old lady and offered to pay the vet bills. I don't remember my response to her as my focus was on poor Chewie.

The first vet we saw cleaned the wound to assess the damage. She said the it require stitches as the bite is quite deep (2 cm). And because it's so close to his eye, he will need to be sedated under general aneasthetic as they cannot afford him to twitch at all while they stitch.

I felt terrible!! The 2 good things were 1) it missed his eye and 2) Chewie's still in good spirits (must be a doodle thing!)

He happily played fetch while we wait an hour for the operating room and for the surgoen to arrive.

I was told to come back in 3 hours (1 hour to under and 2 hours to wake up)....I was a nervous wreck!!

Here's what my poor Chewie looks like now :( Was quite shocked at how much hair they had to shave off.

He needs to be in the 'cone of shame' all the time and keeps bumping into things. Also need 4 different drugs to take for the pain, swelling and prevent infection.

The final bill was around US$400 and I yes, I do plan to get Tara's owner to pay for it!!

 

[Pam & Trixie]

Awe, Chewie you are so cute. 

I hope your appt at the vet goes good & you get to say goodbye to the cone!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear he is improving so much! Hope he is cone-free soon!

[Kimmy & Chewie]

It's been a week since the incident and I'm happy to report that some fur has began to grow back. But Chewie is still NOT a happy camper as he does not like being in the "cone of shame". His face pretty much says everything...

Sulking Chewie...turning his back to us (and the TV). Usually he's faced the other way around.

In an attempt to cheer up my poor Chewie. I bring out Mr Carrot (new toy from Japan)...and Chewie has a brief moment without the cone to play. Seems to cheer him up significantly.

Chewie has an appointment with the vet later today. If the wound healed well, she will take out this stitches and he can go off the cone. Fingers crossed.

 

[Hazel & Chester Wayte]

Thanks karen sorry for any misinformation....I always thought the 'azoles' were antifungal.....not antiviral like I posted earlier...or antibiotics....perhaps metronidazole is broader spectrum......

Hope all is well with Chewy.

[Rose Ann and Amante]

Poor Chewie baby!!!

[BG and Gavin]

Oh poor Chewie!  I am so sorry that this happened to the sweet doodle!  It looks like he is being a trooper.  Hoping for a quick recovery.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Metronidazole is an antibiotic: http://www.drugs.com/metronidazole.html

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Poor Chewie! i'm so sorry. It's good that she will pay the bill. Feel Better chewie!

[Hazel & Chester Wayte]

I was thinking about your antibiotic discussion- and Metronidazole is an antiviral not an Antibiotic. So if the Vet is concerned about ' anaerobic bacterias inside the wound' I don't know if that would help. (At least in Canada).

You might want to check into it. Unless you were prescribed other antibitotics.

Hope it is going well.. Not sure I would go back to that Facility- I don't like their response.

[Pam & Trixie]

Hi Kimmy,

  I am with what Bonnie said.  Although you said the owner of the dog said she would pay the vet bill.  I hope she follows through & does pay it.   Now I understand why they gave you more antibiotics...$$

That is really bad that the training center does not care that a dog was bit bad. Im sorry they dont care.  And I dont think it was just because she was bit as a puppy.    I wonder if the training center would be willing to have Tara on a leash when you are there for your class. ( I am assuming that is what 1 or 2 hours a week that you go?)  Although a dog can still bite when on a leash.  There would be more control over the dogs aggression.  Its a hard decision to make.  The dog could have really hurt Chewie much worse...And you could have gotten hurt bad also...