Chasing Charley

Cutting back on the Tramadol has created a furiously licking dog!!  In about 5 minutes, Charley chewed through his t-shirt and TWO vet wrap bandages.  Normally we just use 1 vet wrap, but this one had shifted so far forward (blue) when he scratches the incision site w/ his back leg, that I just added another pad and wrap on top of it (red).

I had just changed the bandage on his front leg (also red) and he’s already going to town on that site because it was a little raw from the first IV shaving (I think).  So now we’re back on track with a long sleeved t-shirt (I hope).

Oh — and another thing!  I drove home from work at lunch to let Charley out to pee.  Pre-accident, I didn’t have to do this.  But since he got hurt, I’ve been coming home to check on him.  Anyway, so I came home today and Charley didn’t want to come out of his crate!  I even bribed him with American cheese!  He edged forward and grabbed it and then went right back in!  I went to coax him out by holding his collar and he GROWLED at me!  What?!  So I decided to just forget about it, closed the crate door & he barked at me like a crazy dog!!

Charley got scolded pretty good then – so hopefully this isn’t a new habit.  Trying to give him the benefit of the doubt — his pain meds have been lowered, he’s crabby.  We’ll see how tomorrow goes to know whether I’ve possibly cut back too much already….

P.S.  He just chewed through ANOTHER t-shirt.  We need to get this under control or he’s going to get the Cone of Shame.

1.    Carmen (Catie's Mom) 10.28.10 @ 8:55 pm      
   Reply

   Charley, naughty boy barking and growling at mom! And if you don’t stop worrying at your incision site that cone of shame won’t just be a threat and then you’ll really have reason to be crappy.

   We didn’t have any problems when Catie was off the Tramadol. In fact, our vet just had us use them as needed and once we were past the two week recovery she was off of them (no weaning). I hated giving her that med; made her really spaced out. She was actually more like her old self once she was off of Tramadol.

   Hoping Charley smartens up soon!

2.    admin 10.28.10 @ 9:09 pm      
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   Sick with the tough love and Charley will come around. Junkies always fight the ones they love after an intervention.

3.    etgayle 10.29.10 @ 10:10 am      
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   we agree – charley’s got a monkey on his back..the withdrawal isn’t pretty.. tough love (and plenty of cheese)… would peanut butter in a kong toy or a chewie of some sort help relieve his licking/chewing ‘need’?? this too shall pass.

   charon & gayle

4.    jerry 10.31.10 @ 11:59 pm      
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   You’ll have to forgive us, sometimes even cheese won’t rock our world the way it used to when we’re high as a kite.

   He’ll get back to his old self soon, you’ll see, and you won’t need to hire a lion tamer either.

5.    Ginger 11.07.10 @ 5:43 pm      
   Reply

   Just like people, puppies coming down from the pain meds can have a personality change. I’m sure that is all it is.