Billy's blood test wound is looking sore & nasty

[Jan/Billy]

Billy had to have some blood taken last Tuesday as he was very poorly 

 It was taken from his neck at the front under his chin area which i though was a bit strange TBH. There is an area of about three inches shaved where the blood was taken. The vet said they had put surgical spirit on the area afterwards.

Billy won't let me near the area and i've tried to have a look at it today and it looks nasty, i think it may be getting infected as he keeps scratching it. Its all watery with all bits stuck to the area. He's due back at the vets tomorrow but in the meantime i need to shower him to get it cleaned up. I have a feeling he's not gonna let me do anything as its that sore, he jumps like mad when i go near the area and mouths my hand lighlty. I have a feeling next time i try i'll get a snap or a bite rather than just mouthing.
Has anyone any ideas what i am best trying to clean it with? Can I use salt water? or will it sting like mad? Or is it best to use plain water? I can ring the vet but don't want to appear daft

thanks

[Penel]

Hi Jan,
firstly I would muzzle him if you think he might bite you.... then I would put his ears up with a scrunchie or something so that you can get to the wound ok....
I would try and rinse it with plain water for now as I think saline might sting a bit.... if you have any Aloe Vera gel I would put that on it.
The reason they take blood from the jugular vein in the neck is because it flows quicker than from the leg.

[Elisa]

I hope he is ok Jan 

Sending you both my best wishes 

[Magic Star]

Aww Jan, so sorry to hear Billy has been poorly   Whats been wrong with him?

I hope he gets better soon and his little chin clears up too xxxx

[lyn]

aww poor billy.bless him i hope he is feling better soon.i would use a muzzle jan,i had to use one when paddy needed ear drops.he just wouldn't let me near his ear and although he never growled he would mouth me.

[Annette]

Hope he gets better soon. No advice, just empathy and sympathy!

[Helen]

i'm with penel - aloe vera gel  would be my recommendation too....

sounds similar to sarahp's dill when he had his bloods?? he got a really bad infected rash at the site too.....

[sarahp]

sounds similar to sarahp's dill when he had his bloods?? he got a really bad infected rash at the site too.....

Yep - you could almost be describing my Dill about 10 days ago.  My poor little man was in a right state with it and he too was getting really jumpy if I tried to touch it.  He would let my OH though    so we put very mild saline and held an ice pack on it.  But tbh when he was at his worst he wouldn't let anyone touch it and went into the office on his own and wouldn't come out.

I took Dilly back tot the vets and he was given a course of anti-b's and some fuciderm cream, but tbh the cream just made him shout and run away - I reckon that stung more than the saline 

I hope Billy gets better soon.  My only advice would be as Helen and Penel have suggested - try some Aloe Vera and just try and keep the area dry - no swimming for a few days 

[shonajoy]

They often take Hamish's from there, it's a jugular sample. I'd clean it as best you can thn try some savlon or somthing in the meantime. We have ben lucky so far - did they shav the area first?

[kb]

Honey had a wound here after she was spayed, as well as on her leg. It did get a sore looking. Sometimes wounds become quite inflamed as part of the healing process and can look quite nasty before getting better. Heres hoping that is all it is! I also would swear by aloe gel - I use it for everything.

I hope he is okay - I am sure the warm weather and the itchy shaved skin isn' t helping him.

[Jan/Billy]

Aww Jan, so sorry to hear Billy has been poorly   Whats been wrong with him?

We don't actually know  . The vet says it's an infection he's picked up but the only indication of that really is that he has had a temp of 104 for days.
He's not been himself for around three weeks. He's been eating, drinking, toileting & playing fine but has been very very tired indoors and sleeping loads.

 I knew something just wasn't right but OH said I was over reacting as he was probably just having a few off days. Then I noticed he had lost weight, so i booked him in to the vets last Tuesday.The night before he went to the vets he was sick around 6 times, but he hasn't been sick since. I think the vet is treating the sickness as coincidence.

The vet weighed him and he has lost nearly 3kgs in 8 weeks so we had blood tests done which thankfully have come back all clear but he's still not right. He's been on antibiotics for 7 days now. He seems to have good hours and bad hours.

Saturday he was much better and much more like the old billy - our shadow.

Sunday we took him to a local dog charity show for an hour  he was absolutely fine whilst we were out but an hour after we got home he went off again and ran away and hid under the bed. He was there for about 2 hours had a sleep and then he eventually came round. When he goes "off" he hides, he goes somewhere no one will see him. I caught him hiding under my lounge curtains yesterday .

Today he has been ok, but not 100%,  so will have to wait and see what the vet says tomorrow. The vet thinks its just his infection, he said if I had a temp of 104 i'd feel bad too, but when i asked him if this is why he has been tired for the past three weeks he said it's unlikely the infection would make him like that for so long but not to worry as his bloods are fine. So why has he been tired then???

His appetite is huge so i'm happy at least that he is eating. Maybe it's just a big bug he's picked up. we are due to take him away on Friday for four days to a cottage right on the beach  He loves the beach, we've had it booked for ages, i have a feeling the way his neck is going that it will be plain old grass and road walks whilst we are away and no beach 

Thanks for the advice everyone  . I don't have any Aloe vera or a Muzzle  .Think I'll just sit him in the shower and rinse him with cool water for now whilst feeding him daddys roast beef slices  until he's seen the vet tomorrow.

[Jan/Billy]

did they shav the area first?

I don't know - I presume so. I wasn't there when they did it. The vet took him into the back room and told me to wait in reception. I was a bit worried at this point as i like to be there to re assure him but i just had to trust the vet  . I am hoping they took him away as they thought i wouldn't want to see it being done. do your vets do it with the owners present?

[Magic Star]

Aww bless him poor Billy and poor you what a worry

I really hope he perks up soon Jan, sending lots of healing thoughts his way  :luv:x

[Cob-Web]

did they shav the area first?

I don't know - I presume so. I wasn't there when they did it. The vet took him into the back room and told me to wait in reception. I was a bit worried at this point as i like to be there to re assure him but i just had to trust the vet  . I am hoping they took him away as they thought i wouldn't want to see it being done. do your vets do it with the owners present?

After a nasty experience when Molo was held down and biopsied without a sedative in  a "back room"  I would always ask to be present for these type of procedures now - at least I will know what has happenned and how it might effect him

Could the tireness be linked to the warmer weather, and be conincidental to the sickness/infection ? It sounds like hes got a lot going on...its going to be tricky to work out if one thing is linked to anything else........ I hope its all worked out soon....

[Penel]

Hmm Jan - could you just ask them if they have considered Addison's disease - it has symptoms like you describe, and I'd want it ruled out....