One full week has passed since the surgery and the last post was the following Tuesday – here is what happened next.

Since re-bandaging on the previous Saturday, Sasuke refused to let me anywhere near him. He also refused to poop and pee on mats so short walks outside were a must. I swear until my dying day that I never put his bandages on tight yet Sunday – 10 days since the surgery, 9 since I re-bandaged him – I had to cut the bandage from him.

The middle top picture shows that, per usual, Sas got there before me. From the day of his surgery I have been at home with him and planned to go back to work on Wednesday. Yeah – no. Hello Migraine. My boss has moments of awesomeness and also gave me Thursday off and with Friday Christmas Day I didn’t return until Saturday which meant the one day. ONE DAY! I was away from him he chewed through the bandage on his pad. (facepalm)

You may well be asking yourself – why didn’t he wear a cone while you were out at work? that would have stopped him from chewing and licking his paw – and yes. yes it would have. I also would have come home to utter destruction as he bashed his way around the apartment, completely spacial(ly) unaware and potentially hurting himself in the process. So no. No cone while I was out at work. Arrrrrrrgh.

That brings us to today. Sunday. 10 days after surgery, 9 after the initial re-bandage I went back to the vet again – and got some sleeping drugs. The same ones given pre surgery. When I got home I gave them to Sas with his favorite cheese (in small doses – I’m not that sleep deprived – anymore at least). Not going to lie, I expected that high dose to kick in somewhat quicker than they did. They took an hour. 😐

Once he started dozing I sang to him to keep him calm, put the cone and lead on (just in case) and started work snipping away at the bandage. Not going to lie. It was beyond rank and disgusting. However after many flaying kicks at me I managed to get it off him. The bottom middle picture (above) is what his paw looked like not long after it came off. The thing about Sasuke is, his skin colour under all that fur is a reddy/purple color and now that his leg and paw can breath again it doesn’t look so angry.

I wonder if there are padded medical socks available to help protect his paw from infection which can easily be removed??? Hmmmm…

He is currently sleeping off the heavy meds and with any luck this will hopefully be the last time he needs this type of surgery and level medication. His final lab work came back and there is a small percentage that the tumor may come back – not all of it was excised however it was so small to be negligible and not need further immediate surgery. Second best Christmas present ever. First. Sasuke is home and recovering.

So. In short. My apartment smells of dog pee and poop, Sasuke is sleeping off the heavy meds, my hair is grey and I am sorely sleep deprived. There is nowhere I would rather be than by the side of my beautiful boy as he recovers. Given how he has scrambled in a sleep deprived state to be next to me – I think the feeling is mutual. 🙂

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. From Victoria and a snoring Sasuke 🙂