BIG news about Archie's chances!!
It's been a while since I updated Archie...his wound (from the collar dug into his armpit) was almost healed, then it opened up again. He has been getting ongoing treatments from the laser, and the chiropractor. His main doctor did a culture of the site, to see what was affecting it, and what medicine would be appropriate. She recommended three weeks (!!) of Clavamox. She had previously recommended one homeopathic remedy and one herbal (which I could NOT get into him regularly, and I'm good...)
Archie was annoyed, to say the least, about the on-going irritation. He bears up well, but gets cranky now and then.
So...I finally thought to call a friend, a nurse who has studied wound care at length. Don't ask: I should have thought of her way back when!...bless her, here is part of what she wrote me:
So, You say the wound was healing but then regressed. I suspect that there are a couple of things that might have happened: a} the wound surface developed a "bio-Film" which is like a complex of bacteria matrix which adheres to the wound bed and is super hard to get rid of... and then, b) the wound edges got mixed up and "roll under" and was unable to send chemicals across the wound bed to regrow tissue. The bio film blocks the wound bed surface chemical communication and the wound edges roll under...."thinking" the wound is healed.
Recipe:
1. clean the wound gently with a little salty water. About a teaspoon of table salt in and 8 oz. glass of water will do. Just pour it over the wound and then pat it dry with a clean cloth.
2. you can shave the area around the wound to make a place for a bandage to stick. about .5 inch around should do.
3. as your vet to give you some silver nitrate q-tip sticks if the wound edges look rolled. If not you can irritate the wound edges by rubbing with gauze on your finger.... enough to make it bleed a little. This will open up the wound edges so it can get ready to heal across the wound.
5. Silver is a natural anti-microbial. there are some silver impregnated gauze, or bandage supplies at your pharmacy. you can ask the pharmacist. They can get a bit expensive but I think its worth it.
6. Moisten the gauze and apply it directly to the wound bed. then wrap the wound and arm pit with roll gauze and tape it. Leave it on for 3 days and check for changes.
I'm excited. We had to order the pads; docs and pharmacies didn't have them...and one good Samaritan donated them!! Over $100.00 they were!
He sees Dr. Han for the new treatment early next week...I am so thrilled! Will keep you posted! This guy has suffered long enough!! Please help him with the new treatments, and please share his campaign! GO ARCHIE!!
It's been a while since I updated Archie...his wound (from the collar dug into his armpit) was almost healed, then it opened up again. He has been getting ongoing treatments from the laser, and the chiropractor. His main doctor did a culture of the site, to see what was affecting it, and what medicine would be appropriate. She recommended three weeks (!!) of Clavamox. She had previously recommended one homeopathic remedy and one herbal (which I could NOT get into him regularly, and I'm good...)
Archie was annoyed, to say the least, about the on-going irritation. He bears up well, but gets cranky now and then.
So...I finally thought to call a friend, a nurse who has studied wound care at length. Don't ask: I should have thought of her way back when!...bless her, here is part of what she wrote me:
So, You say the wound was healing but then regressed. I suspect that there are a couple of things that might have happened: a} the wound surface developed a "bio-Film" which is like a complex of bacteria matrix which adheres to the wound bed and is super hard to get rid of... and then, b) the wound edges got mixed up and "roll under" and was unable to send chemicals across the wound bed to regrow tissue. The bio film blocks the wound bed surface chemical communication and the wound edges roll under...."thinking" the wound is healed.
Recipe:
1. clean the wound gently with a little salty water. About a teaspoon of table salt in and 8 oz. glass of water will do. Just pour it over the wound and then pat it dry with a clean cloth.
2. you can shave the area around the wound to make a place for a bandage to stick. about .5 inch around should do.
3. as your vet to give you some silver nitrate q-tip sticks if the wound edges look rolled. If not you can irritate the wound edges by rubbing with gauze on your finger.... enough to make it bleed a little. This will open up the wound edges so it can get ready to heal across the wound.
5. Silver is a natural anti-microbial. there are some silver impregnated gauze, or bandage supplies at your pharmacy. you can ask the pharmacist. They can get a bit expensive but I think its worth it.
6. Moisten the gauze and apply it directly to the wound bed. then wrap the wound and arm pit with roll gauze and tape it. Leave it on for 3 days and check for changes.
I'm excited. We had to order the pads; docs and pharmacies didn't have them...and one good Samaritan donated them!! Over $100.00 they were!
He sees Dr. Han for the new treatment early next week...I am so thrilled! Will keep you posted! This guy has suffered long enough!! Please help him with the new treatments, and please share his campaign! GO ARCHIE!!
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