Duncan's Snakebite Recovery Fund
Donation protected
Pupdate, almost a MONTH since his bite! Duncan has now been home for a week and has settled into having his stupid cone on his head (his words, not mine). He is very limited in his activity and this is hard for him. He doesn't seem quite as happy as he was when he came home, but I suspect it is partly because he can't be out playing with his friends yet. Friday was an unexpected extra bandage change as he had managed to gnaw a bit at it around his soft cone...he now is full time wearing both. He is off all meds except for his injected antibiotic. I'll let you know and post photos when I get to see what's going on under that bandage! I think it is still pretty raw...
20 days after Duncan made a very bad choice with a venomous snake, he is finally home and on the mend...thank you again to one and all for everything you have done to help us through this. It looks like the graft wasn't 100%, but we'll see over the next few weeks. For now though, he is happy to be home and we are delighted to have him back!
Thursday Pupdate. 17 days post snake bite. Today, the vet is very pleased with the skin graft situation and is confident that it will be 100% successful. After two days on the wound VAC Duncan is now resting comfortably with a regular bandage that will require frequent changes. He will be home on Saturday afternoon, all other things being equal. Thank you to all for your suport
Tuesday Pupdate. Today is the day Duncan goes under to take a skin graft from his torso and try and put that leg back together. I'll let you know as soon as I hear how he's doing. All fingers crossed at this point. I can't help but think transferring skin to a place like that where there is so much movement has to be difficult, but we have a very talented vet working on it...
Sunday June 6th Pupdate. Duncan is feeling well and apparently is eating and walking about well, it must be such a relief to not have necrotized flesh with the pain and horrible smell following him around... on Tuesday he is scheduled for his skin graft surgery. I was horrified at the prospect of yet another big wound on the little guy, but apparently it is very straightforward and he will be stitched up and healing by the time he comes home at the end of the week. This has been a long journey, being he was bitten on May 24th, but he is on the mend at last. We CAN NOT WAIT to see him! Thanks you a million times over to everyone for your support financially and emotionally. This really is an extraordinary community
This morning Duncan was hooked up to a Wound Vac to help with the healing for the next few days in preparation for his skin graft from skin that will be taken from his torso on Tuesday. All fingers crossed that that is successful and he can come home next Friday. We'll be on WCTV tomorrow, unless something more interesting pops up in the news...thank you again, so MUCH to everyone for support both financial and emotional.
Pupdate Wednesday.
T plus 9 days... Duncan now has his tibia completely exposed. He still has good circulation, so they are pleased about that, his foot will be fine, but he can't come home without surgery to graft skin and close this up somehow. The vet is putting together yet another horrific estimate, so I have put the fundraising goal up, though honestly, I am at a loss at this point. Poor guy. Neighbor down the street told me his dog went through this, then promptly went out and got bitten again. Thanks, Rodney. I don't think he realized the horror of what he was saying to me...In the meantime we had our television debut on local tv last night, which was totally cringemaking. I actually told the story of how I was leaning over to grab Duncan, not realizing I was inches from the snake, and Duncan grabbed it and threw it over his shoulder...instead they edited it to sound like he just randomly grabbed a snake, the implication being he was asking for it. Oh well.
No Pupdates today. I heard briefly from the vet tech that Duncan was doing well, but the vets were too busy to call me...I take that as a good sign that he isn't at the top of their list of priorities anymore... I'll let you know tomorrow when I hear. Thank you SO MUCH to all who have contributed.
Memorial Day Pupdate! Well, today things are looking MUCH brighter! Although they are still picking through the ruins of Duncan's back leg, it looks like he won't actually lose it! There are spots where the bone is exposed, but they are fairly confident that he will be able to use it with the muscles he has left. He will be at Capital Veterinary Specialists, in their hospital for another week, which is slightly horrifying, but again, he is in the best possible care. Thanks again to all your support
PUPDATE: Sunday, May 30th...it has been almost a week since that fateful day and Duncan is in a good hospital with tip top treatment. The vet was not happy with today's report however, and there are now fears for a major muscle group around the front of the leg which they are going to watch carefully. I think if that goes his leg goes. Thank you to all the tripod owners who have reassured me that whatever happens, he'll be fine again and will once again be the happy little ragamuffin he's always been...
Last Monday, May 24th, Duncan was playing at the Bannerman Dog Park when he came across a large Cottonmouth Snake...there are muddy ponds up there with the drought and of course living in North Florida this is always a risk, but we somehow felt that being at a well maintained dog park we were safe. Although we rushed him to the emergency vet clinic and they were able to get the anti-venin into him, things just seem to be getting worse. Today I took this photo as I took him in to the vet again because the pain is just so intense and no amount of painkiller seems to help. He's now safe and calm and on intravenous antibiotics and sedative as they begin the process of removing the dead flesh so he can start to heal.
Apart from the miracle anti-venin, which is $800 a shot (thankfully he just required one) now he is admitted to hospital the bills are really starting to mount. He most likely will keep his leg and will soon be back being the little Cairn Terrorist that he is, but in the meantime, if my doggy friends want to contribute, here is a good place to start. I hate to even ask, but so many of you have offered and for that I am truly grateful.
Thanks to all of Tallahassee for the unbelievable outpouring of support.
20 days after Duncan made a very bad choice with a venomous snake, he is finally home and on the mend...thank you again to one and all for everything you have done to help us through this. It looks like the graft wasn't 100%, but we'll see over the next few weeks. For now though, he is happy to be home and we are delighted to have him back!
Thursday Pupdate. 17 days post snake bite. Today, the vet is very pleased with the skin graft situation and is confident that it will be 100% successful. After two days on the wound VAC Duncan is now resting comfortably with a regular bandage that will require frequent changes. He will be home on Saturday afternoon, all other things being equal. Thank you to all for your suport
Tuesday Pupdate. Today is the day Duncan goes under to take a skin graft from his torso and try and put that leg back together. I'll let you know as soon as I hear how he's doing. All fingers crossed at this point. I can't help but think transferring skin to a place like that where there is so much movement has to be difficult, but we have a very talented vet working on it...
Sunday June 6th Pupdate. Duncan is feeling well and apparently is eating and walking about well, it must be such a relief to not have necrotized flesh with the pain and horrible smell following him around... on Tuesday he is scheduled for his skin graft surgery. I was horrified at the prospect of yet another big wound on the little guy, but apparently it is very straightforward and he will be stitched up and healing by the time he comes home at the end of the week. This has been a long journey, being he was bitten on May 24th, but he is on the mend at last. We CAN NOT WAIT to see him! Thanks you a million times over to everyone for your support financially and emotionally. This really is an extraordinary community
This morning Duncan was hooked up to a Wound Vac to help with the healing for the next few days in preparation for his skin graft from skin that will be taken from his torso on Tuesday. All fingers crossed that that is successful and he can come home next Friday. We'll be on WCTV tomorrow, unless something more interesting pops up in the news...thank you again, so MUCH to everyone for support both financial and emotional.
Pupdate Wednesday.
T plus 9 days... Duncan now has his tibia completely exposed. He still has good circulation, so they are pleased about that, his foot will be fine, but he can't come home without surgery to graft skin and close this up somehow. The vet is putting together yet another horrific estimate, so I have put the fundraising goal up, though honestly, I am at a loss at this point. Poor guy. Neighbor down the street told me his dog went through this, then promptly went out and got bitten again. Thanks, Rodney. I don't think he realized the horror of what he was saying to me...In the meantime we had our television debut on local tv last night, which was totally cringemaking. I actually told the story of how I was leaning over to grab Duncan, not realizing I was inches from the snake, and Duncan grabbed it and threw it over his shoulder...instead they edited it to sound like he just randomly grabbed a snake, the implication being he was asking for it. Oh well.
No Pupdates today. I heard briefly from the vet tech that Duncan was doing well, but the vets were too busy to call me...I take that as a good sign that he isn't at the top of their list of priorities anymore... I'll let you know tomorrow when I hear. Thank you SO MUCH to all who have contributed.
Memorial Day Pupdate! Well, today things are looking MUCH brighter! Although they are still picking through the ruins of Duncan's back leg, it looks like he won't actually lose it! There are spots where the bone is exposed, but they are fairly confident that he will be able to use it with the muscles he has left. He will be at Capital Veterinary Specialists, in their hospital for another week, which is slightly horrifying, but again, he is in the best possible care. Thanks again to all your support
PUPDATE: Sunday, May 30th...it has been almost a week since that fateful day and Duncan is in a good hospital with tip top treatment. The vet was not happy with today's report however, and there are now fears for a major muscle group around the front of the leg which they are going to watch carefully. I think if that goes his leg goes. Thank you to all the tripod owners who have reassured me that whatever happens, he'll be fine again and will once again be the happy little ragamuffin he's always been...
Last Monday, May 24th, Duncan was playing at the Bannerman Dog Park when he came across a large Cottonmouth Snake...there are muddy ponds up there with the drought and of course living in North Florida this is always a risk, but we somehow felt that being at a well maintained dog park we were safe. Although we rushed him to the emergency vet clinic and they were able to get the anti-venin into him, things just seem to be getting worse. Today I took this photo as I took him in to the vet again because the pain is just so intense and no amount of painkiller seems to help. He's now safe and calm and on intravenous antibiotics and sedative as they begin the process of removing the dead flesh so he can start to heal.
Apart from the miracle anti-venin, which is $800 a shot (thankfully he just required one) now he is admitted to hospital the bills are really starting to mount. He most likely will keep his leg and will soon be back being the little Cairn Terrorist that he is, but in the meantime, if my doggy friends want to contribute, here is a good place to start. I hate to even ask, but so many of you have offered and for that I am truly grateful.
Thanks to all of Tallahassee for the unbelievable outpouring of support.
Organizer
Lizzie Ruse
Organizer
Tallahassee, FL
