So my 16 month old Swissy went in for a lap spay and gastropexy last Wednesday. All went well, just some swelling at the pexi site, so I was told to ice it a few times a day. Stitches were dissolvable and I was to go back in 3 days for a check up (clinic is 1.5hr away from me as not many perform this surgery or do it laparoscopically. I wanted it done this way as she is a very active farm dog). I told them she was active and I would need some sedative’s afterwards, which wasn’t an issue. They noticed she was quite active as she was kangaroo jumping in the back when the vet approached her before surgery (she doesn’t jump on people, but she loves to just bounce up and down and I call her a kangaroo). The check up on Saturday went well and she looked great. They asked for pictures on Monday to make sure it still all looked ok.
She is 110lb and they gave me 600mg of gabapentin and 350mg of trazodone to give her 2 x a day plus meloxicam 1 x day. Let me tell you, it worked for maybe 3 days and then she was bouncing around and zooming around the house when I had her out. She was always on a leash with me outside, just to go the washroom and then back inside to her crate. Only out in the house supervised, otherwise in her crate. She is in a onesie and never offered to lick or touch either of her wounds, which is great. Even when I had them off to wash them, no licking. I bought and put a harness with a handle on her at all times so I could grab her easily if she was trying to run around so I could put her in her crate fast.
So on Monday, I see some bleeding at the pexi site and the middle stitches were either dissolving or were torn. I sent a pic to her vet and they thought it was draining and said it would be fine. They prescribed some amoxi/clav 625mg to give 2 x a day as well (I work at a vet compounding pharmacy thank goodness). I also told them the sedative’s were not really helping and she was still bouncing around from time to time. They didn’t want me to change anything so I said ok, I’ll keep trying. The next day I came home early from work as I was a tad worried and no difference to the stitches. I put her back in her crate, rode some horses, came back and let her out to feed her and remedicate her (I also have to feed 3-4 small meals a day so her stomach does not get too heavy and wreck the pexi. Its like a full time job!). Then she gets the zoomies and before I could grab her, I noticed blood dripping all over the floor. So called the clinic, showed them some pictures and off to emerg we go. I arrived at 8:30pm and wasn’t seen until 1am. Vet did an ultrasound and no blood in her abdomen but she will need surgery again to repair and see how far the damage went (pexi’s cut through 3 layers and each are stitched separately. So she didn’t know if the damage was subcutaneous, the muscle torn or the fat layer torn until she opened her up). They sent me home (1.5hr drive so home at 3am) and they operated on her at 5am and called me around 7 to give an update. Luckily it was just the skin layer and the muscle and fat layer were ok but she had a blood clot and a lot of fluid that was flushed and cleaned out. She used a non dissolvable stitch at a really heavy guage. I also told her about Harley being so active still and asked about maybe a different sedative, but she wanted me to try gaba 600mg and trazodone 300mg 3 x a day. Her original surgeon also called me as I kept them in the loop. She was quite upset and in all of her 10 years of performing this type of surgery, Harley is the first one to break her stitches and have to go to emerg. I again asked her for a different sedative (I suggested acepromazine) and she said no and to try what the emerg surgeon suggested, the 3 x a day dosing.
So I pick her up at 11am and she’s already wired. Came home, gave her some meds and she did not sleep or rest until after 5pm, even after her dose of meds, surgery and crazy long day. And we have to start all over again. 14 days of quiet and crate time.
Last night she was super wired again and I gave her another 450mg of trazodone (as per her surgeon, she said I could up it once in a while to get her to be quiet again), and another 300mg 2 hrs later. So 750mg of trazodone, 600mg of gaba and still nothing. I will be calling the vet yet again this morning to see if I can give her something else. She is one miserable farm dog. I do sit on the floor with her when she’s out as shes very happy when I do that and will sit right next to me (or even on me as she is just a big lap dog), I give her bones, pizzles, beef cheek chews, yak cheese chews, new toys, treats - anything to keep her occupied, but not in her crate as I worry about her choking. She does sleep on my bed as she is happiest there and the vets both said it was ok if she was quiet up there. But she was so restless last night and was up and down a few times, so I put her in her crate at 10pm as I was worried she would wreck her stitches. By 2am she was barking so I took her for a leashed pee, and gave her 450mg of the trazodone to see if she would rest as I’m up at 4am. She didn’t fall asleep until 3:30am and was chewing her beef cheek beside me happily during that time. I gave her her regular dose at 4:30am after her breakfast as she had to go back in her crate while I’m at work until 1pm. I’m hoping she will sleep but I’m not so sure.
Sorry for the long post! But I’m at my wits end and feel so bad for her. I will be calling my vet at 7:30 when they open to discuss and hope we can come up with a plan.
