Toby update - Mommy is getting frustrated.....

[Sandy]

So - Toby's surgery was almost a month ago - August 4.  If you've been following along, you know he was naughty and somehow got past the cone and ruined the stitches and healing process, and set himself back a week.  We saw the vet a week and a half ago, and he said the cone could come off.  I was cautious and waited a couple more days.  Since then it's been sock during the day (to cover the paw), cone at night or when we go out and can't watch him.  All good.  Lovely healing taking place.  Yesterday we were able to go NO sock during the day - he left it alone completely.  I went out once and coned him.  He had his first bath since surgery.  Sounds good, right?  But.....

 

Hubby got up first this morning and let me sleep in, which was lovely.  He, in a mistaken move of kindness, took Toby's cone off.  I came down about 40  minutes later, and hubby was gone to work.  Toby was....laying in the hall, licking that blasted foot!  Fortunately there was no blood, which tells me things are healed up, mostly.  However, I REALLY don't want him to damage that nice pink skin on his paw, or worse than that cause is to bleed again.  When, oh when, am I ever going to be able to trust him again?  Seriously, it seems like I will never again be able to leave his paw unsupervised.  For the rest of his life he'll need a cone at night, I guess.  And when I can't watch him.......

 

Any tips?  Advice?  Anybody been through this same sort of thing?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I think if it were me I would just talk to the vet and see what he/she thinks.  Is it heeled enough that it doesn't matter if he licks it some .... is that going to hurt it.  It might just be that it feels odd to him and that makes him lick it (sort of like if we had stitches, once the stitches come out it feels a little weird and we tend to sort of rub over it).  Of course you don't want a set back, but maybe the vet would think it is ok to just let it go at this point.

[Sandy]

That's a good thought.  Perhaps I will contact him today.  :)

[Rose Ann and Amante]

I think this is sound advise. Perhaps it is itchy because it is healing. I had stitches removed and almost needed a cone and sock myself!!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I also agree....touch base with your Vet.  My Murph is a licker, and this was a problem when he was healing from his "neuter".  Once the wound was pretty well healed a little licking was okay, but if I saw him really going at himself I did put his cone back on.  As I recall the "licking" phase did last a couple of weeks.

[Sandy]

I e-mailed the vet, and the only thing he said I could try other than continuing on with the sock/cone regime was some bitter spray he has.  I sure wouldn't trust Toby overnight at this point with just that.  "Here baby, Mommy sprayed you foot, so leave it alone for 8 hours, okay?"  Yeah, that would go over really well.  :)

[Camilla and Darwin]

I agree with the others advice to ask the vet. My my, what a silly boy!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My mom's Sunny, chewed out his neutering stitches one by one even WITH the cone which set him back quite a bit because it did get infected.  He had a cone on for over 3 weeks :-{   and we still had to watch for a while.  However, he is finally healed and totally leaves the area alone.  So, no, it won't be forever - just seems like it.