Trust Your Instincts! A Dog's Tail...

[Lindsey, Lee, Whopper and Simba]

Hi all,

It has been a while since I've posted but thought I'd share our situation so that others may gain some insight...back in September, Simba was hit by a car.  Fortunately it was a slow moving vehicle where we live and Simba ran back up 59 stairs to my husband.  There were no visible signs of damage aside from that he would not sit and after a couple visits to an animal hospital, our regular vet, and a surgical consult, we were told that in time all would heal and that it was only his tail that really seemed to still be giving him issues.

A couple weeks pass and Simba is completely back to being the same lovable, yet sometimes crazy, doodle.  We were all so relieved that he had made a full recovery.

Now it's early November and I noticed some matting half way down his tail.  He would occasionally be trying to lick or chew it but nothing too extreme.  We have a dog walker 5 days a week, my parents came to visit, and we are always paying attention to the doods and none of us really thought much of it.  Simba was full of life, constantly wanting to play, and showing no signs of illness. 

For those who don't know, I am 5 months pregnant, we just went under contract for a townhome, and I am working two jobs so things are undoubtedly crazy.  On Sunday for some reason, I told my husband I thought we should just go ahead and get his tail checked out.  We were both going to be extremely busy during the week and my husband volunteered to take him back to the animal hospital at 8:30 PM.  After thinking about, I couldn't let him go alone so we all piled into the car (Whopper included for moral support) and headed back to the animal hospital. 

The vet told us that it was clearly infected and they would need to sedate him and shave it to know the extent.  He would likely need to be on an antibiotic and hopefully that would clear up the infection.  About 25 minutes later we received a phone call from the vet saying that when they shaved it, they discovered that the lower half of his tail was receiving no blood flow and we now were in danger of septic shock due to the infection.  An emergency amputation of his lower tail was necessary and performed that same night.

I share this story because I think it's important that we all trust our instincts. No matter how busy we get, we can all sense when something just doesn't seem right.  While Simba lost the bottom half of his tail, had another few days passed the whole situation could have been much worse.  Over the next week and 1/2 he will recover and we are confident he will return to his usual happy antics. 

(And we have pet insurance so fortunately we could get him all the care he needs and focus on his healing and being comfortable rather than on the costs)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am so sorry for Simba. I am thrilled that he will fully recover, even if his tail is shorter.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I am a huge believer in following my instinct, but thanks for this reminder about how important it is.  I'm so thankful that you caught this when you did, and I'm sure Simba will be just fine.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Glad you caught this and Simba will be okay!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Thank Goodness you knew something wasn't right. Nothing wrong with a little tail (says my DH). Seriously though,  so glad you took him in.

Oh and thank goodness for insurance, I 100% agree.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

I call it "mommy gut" - if your gut tells you something is wrong, it probably is and it deserves to be checked out.  Thank God your "mommy gut" clicked in and you got Simba checked out when you did.  Here's to a speedy recovery.

[BG and Gavin]

Poor Simba.  What a trooper, not letting on the extent of his injuries.  Good for you for trusting your instincts.  I don't know how many times in the past I have let people talk me out of things that I "felt."  As I get older I am following them more! I hope Simba's tail heals quickly. Congrat on your pregnancy.  It sounds like you are entering a very exciting time of your life.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

1. Glad Simba is okay and you trusted your instincts!

2. Congrats on your pregnancy :)

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I really hope he has a quick and full recovery. Poor thing has been through a lot. ALWAYS trust your instincts.

[Rhonda, Marabelle & Jeriki]

wow great story, Thanks for sharing. Are you sure Simba did not inherit the 9 lives gene with his name, lucky guy first the car accident, then a major infection wow. So happy for you that he is OK

 

Rhonda and Marabelle

[Jean, Rylee and Cooper]

Wow what a story.  Speedy recovery to Simba and good luck to you with the move and new baby.  Wow, very busy.