Leash law/rules are for everyone

[Jim]

Is all that anesthesia going to hurt him? Hope not.

We share that concern as well. After seeing the procedure last Friday, I fully understand why the sedation is necessary each time. However, we're hopeful that as Ryker progresses further along in his recovery, the surgeon will be able to find a less invasive or potentially harmful option for him.

That said, this whole procedure is far from a simple fix like setting a broken leg or getting him neutered. It’s really our last-ditch effort to give Ryker some semblance of normalcy in his day-to-day life. Earlier on, there were even discussions of amputation and other difficult options. So in this case, the risk of potential damage to other organs becomes not only an acceptable trade-off, but as much a lack of other options thing.

Yeah, it sucks, but it’s really that serious of an injury.

 

[Jim]

So, we had an issue with Ryker's dressing and cast replacement last week. We made a run back to Asheville to get the surgeon’s professional opinion. Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as we feared! They redid everything the local vet had done, charged us a small fortune, and sent us home.

It’s been a long day. We were up at 4:00 AM to get ready for the trip, driving in the dark through a nasty storm, rain, wind, the whole mess. Seriously, what else could they throw at us?

But we’re back now, and it looks like pancakes and beer for dinner!

By the way @RKins , the sedatives they use for Ryker (spelling may be off) are Methadone HCL, Dexdomitor, and Antisedan. After chatting with the surgeon, they reassured us that this combo is extremely safe and could even be given multiple times a day if required.

I’m not sure about all that, but pancakes, bacon, and beer sound good to me.

 

[Jim]

It’s been a little over two weeks since my last update, and things took a turn for the worse when Ryker developed an infection on his paw, just below the incision site. This meant trips back and forth to Asheville every other day for cast removal, rebandaging, and inspections. That was exhausting enough, but then the hurricane hit, making Asheville unreachable. Both I-40 and the animal hospital were badly damaged by flooding, forcing us to start driving to the University of Georgia emergency veterinary center.

The typical trip to Asheville, cast removal/replacement and then back home takes 7-8 hours. The trip to the University of GA. was even longer, and we did this every other day. Meanwhile, the infection just kept getting worse.

Finally, I was able to talk with our local vet, who honestly, would have been my first choice from the beginning had he been available. When I finally got hold of him, he said it was time to make some immediate changes or Ryker might end up needing an amputation.

Here’s the problem: the cast is crucial to support the bones that were fused, but the infected area needs air to heal, something the cast prevents. A real catch 22. The vet came up with a great solution, a clamshell-style cast with the top portion over the paw removed so that most of Ryker’s foot could get the air it needs. Ryker gets the support his bones need, and the infection get the air necessary for cell repair. We also started doing Epsom salt soaks between cast changes to help the healing process.

We’re now several days into this new cast, and we’re scheduled for another removal/replacement tomorrow. The infection finally seems to be under control, and tomorrow, the vet will show me how to handle the process myself. Honestly, after watching the procedure so many times, I’m confident I can manage it. The real challenge will be keeping Ryker calm during the process. The vet sedates him for the procedure, but at home, it’ll be up to us to keep him calm, and that’s going to be easier said than done.

The first two pictures are the paw when the infection started. The last picture is of the paw today. NOTE: The pictures are very nasty, so those who are faint of heart should not open them.

And lastly, thank you to Jim, Bonnie @lostinfla and Buddy and Jeanette @GlampDaddy, who took care of the park for us during many of these very long drives to the vet and emergency visits.

 

[team bradfield]

Poor Ryker, hope he heals fast

 

[Neemer]

Jim, you guys are pulling all the stops for Ryker. Bless him and bless you and Trish for looking after him as you do. I’m sending positive vibes your way.

Looking forward to seeing more “hiding with Ryker” pics soon.

Hang in there.

 

[lostinfla]

For those who haven't had the pleasure of meeting Jim & Trish, their dedication to Ryker testifies to the kind of people they are. If you get the chance to visit their campground, you will discover two of the nicest human beings you've ever met. Jim, I pray for a positive outcome with the pup.

 

[GlampDaddy]

For those who haven't had the pleasure of meeting Jim & Trish, their dedication to Ryker testifies to the kind of people they are. If you get the chance to visit their campground, you will discover two of the nicest human beings you've ever met. Jim, I pray for a positive outcome with the pup.

Yeah, what he said! Me too.

 

[RKins]

Looks like Ryker is healing up nicely. Prayers sent.

 

[Jim]

For those who haven't had the pleasure of meeting Jim & Trish, their dedication to Ryker testifies to the kind of people they are. If you get the chance to visit their campground, you will discover two of the nicest human beings you've ever met. Jim, I pray for a positive outcome with the pup.

Well, there goes my tough guy image… but I’ll take it! Thanks.

 

[Jim]

Cast change #12.

We are gaining on the infection, and in an effort to get it completely under control, our vet (who has been awesome with his creativity) has decided to leave the "stirrups" off this time. Stirrups are pieces of tape that are attached to the dogs leg, and the wrap back over the actual cast. The purpose being to keep the cast from sliding down the leg. But the downside of stirrups is that the skin under the tape can become infected, and that's the problem we are dealing with.

So we are going to give this a try, and if in a couple of days it looks like a failure, we will be back for another cast change and the reinstalment of the stirrups. But I think we are gaining on this mess, and in another 5 weeks, the surgeon will take radiographs again, and determine if Ryker is fit to be released or whether we have more work ahead of us.

Picture 1 is a medicated bath that is used to help treat the infected areas and to remove any stirrup tape residual that is adhered to the leg. We've all done this so many times now, and thanks to the fact that we no longer have to drive to Asheville or Atlanta, it only takes about 2 hours each time. But still, it's a dedicated effort.

We are just about at the halfway mark in this process, so we're optimistically hopefully.