Gracie Doodle Goes BACK For More Surgery!!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Well, Gracie Doodle went back for more surgery today. The first surgery was on Wednesday and here it is Friday and she had to go back. Her paw continued to look really bad and the swelling wasn't going down. I took her in and they said they would have to put her out and do more surgery. My poor baby!!! This time it was "our" vet who performed the surgery. We had a different one from the group on Wednesday. I'm sure they are all the same but this one knows us personally and I some how feel l he would go that extra mile for us. He found another fox tail and when I went to pick her up it was taped to my bill...funny...NOT! I don't even want to tell you how much this is turning out to be. It was interesting to hear how the fox tails work. They can travel through the paw to the leg and then up to other parts of the body if not taken care of. Of course people had to tell me the horror stories about fox tails going to the brain or heart and killing the dog. Just what I don't want to hear. It turns out that the fox tails sort of leave an opening or tunnel as they go. The surgery involves using tiny forceps that they insert into the entry hole and they start tracking up using a clamp and pull method. They hope to clamp on to something, feel resistance and then pull...hopefully finding a fox tail. If not then they continue to advance upward further into the paw. Sounds disgusting doesn't it? Well, he is concerned about one huge hole that she has. He is afraid there might be one more of those suckers! He has probed and probed and not found anything. He said that he went up 2 inches...Yipes! He said that the tunnel took a turn and started heading down to the foot pad. If there is a fox tail it will possibly work its way out to the soft furry area right behind the main pad and the heel pad. It will present itself as a boil, sore, puffy lump or some sort of abnormal looking lump. Gracie will probably start limping and licking which will indicate it's presence. The best thing that could happen is for it to poke through and then we could use tweezers to remove it. Cheapest too!! If not, then back into the vet for more surgery. Or, it could decide to turn around and go back up the way it went in. The one today had turned around and was on the way out. Strange things these Fox Tails. They almost sound like they are alive...but they are NOT! I never would have dreamed that this could become such a problem. Poor Gracie came home with an even bigger cone around her head. She managed to do a "play bow" and lick her foot with the one she had before. I think my Gracie Doodle is going to become a "cement" city dog!!! Or she wears her boots when she goes of roading!!! Keep your fingers crossed that there is NOT another fox tail. Check out the size of this new "cone of shame"!! I took this right after she got out of the car when I brought her home! She looks pretty groggy!

[Lynda Kamrath]

Poor Gracie! It sounds like the Chagus disease that they warned us about in Brazil. Told us not to go barefoot because of this parasite that lived in the dirt and could enter your foot and then would work it's way up to your heart or other vital organ. Of course other warnings about piranha fish who would devour you in minutes if they smelled blood. I still went barefooted and swam in the Amazon, but not without caution. Anyway, this was a breakfast discussion this morning and my husband said that a foxtail is non-organic and it would be very unlikely that it could work it's way through a body to a vital organ. But, I will be more cautious with my dogs. I usually get the foxtails when they are between the pads and we seem to have more problems with foxtails in the nose than in the feet. Quick recovery, Gracie, and take it easy, Nancie. It will all be better soon.

[Kathy Spyker]

Awww, I just pitty her sooo bad, I hope and pray she is ALL better soon.

[Leslie and Halas]

Awww, poor Gracie. Foxtails are evil. I hope she's feeling better soon, and that the other possible foxtail works it's way out without more surgery.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oh, no, Nancie! I feel so bad for you & poor Gracie! JD and I will be thinking of both of you and hoping this is the end of the surgeries, that Gracie will soon be chasing her tennis balls and feeling great! Hugs & doodle kisses coming your way!

[Doris]

Feel better Gracie Doodle. Soon you will be back to your old self!