Tina
07-02-2009, 12:04 AM
Hi Folks
Had Mousie to the vet today for her routine blood work and to have that wound on her neck looked at, as it still hasn't healed completely and it's been almost a month.
The good news is that her red cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit have all risen to mid-normal range since putting her meds back up again. We are so thrilled, it is VERY good news! So we will definately be keeping her on the current dose. :D
Bad news is that the vet decided to take her blood from the side where her wound is so he could get a closer look at it when she was shaved. Upon shaving the area he discovered that it was far worse than we had suspected or then it looked through the fur. She has now been shaved all the way down one side of her neck onto the top of the chest and shoulder. The flesh in this entire area is lumpy, red, and irritated! :shock:
It's suspected that the wound began as a razor burn or razor rash as it started in the same area that she was shaved for bloodwork last time. The vet thinks she either suffered some skin irritation from the razor and scratched herself, or she may have had a small cut from the shaving.......bacteria got in, and an infection started.
Poor girl, she's got this sore-looking, angry skin infection spreading over one side of her top half, and she's really miserable about having anything put on it.......scratching, biting, hissing, and spitting....very unusual for Mouse as she's usually so easy-going! I wish I had realised it was bad before it got to this point but couldn't really see it had spread that far through the fur.......but I feel so guilty! :(
She is now on antibiotics and steroid creams (which are difficult to keep on her!) and she goes back to the vet next Thursday to see if there's any improvement.
Had Mousie to the vet today for her routine blood work and to have that wound on her neck looked at, as it still hasn't healed completely and it's been almost a month.
The good news is that her red cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit have all risen to mid-normal range since putting her meds back up again. We are so thrilled, it is VERY good news! So we will definately be keeping her on the current dose. :D
Bad news is that the vet decided to take her blood from the side where her wound is so he could get a closer look at it when she was shaved. Upon shaving the area he discovered that it was far worse than we had suspected or then it looked through the fur. She has now been shaved all the way down one side of her neck onto the top of the chest and shoulder. The flesh in this entire area is lumpy, red, and irritated! :shock:
It's suspected that the wound began as a razor burn or razor rash as it started in the same area that she was shaved for bloodwork last time. The vet thinks she either suffered some skin irritation from the razor and scratched herself, or she may have had a small cut from the shaving.......bacteria got in, and an infection started.
Poor girl, she's got this sore-looking, angry skin infection spreading over one side of her top half, and she's really miserable about having anything put on it.......scratching, biting, hissing, and spitting....very unusual for Mouse as she's usually so easy-going! I wish I had realised it was bad before it got to this point but couldn't really see it had spread that far through the fur.......but I feel so guilty! :(
She is now on antibiotics and steroid creams (which are difficult to keep on her!) and she goes back to the vet next Thursday to see if there's any improvement.