I need a second opinion

[Artmaker]

Ok, it's a Sunday, my vet is closed and I need some advice.

The vet I have been seeing for some 24 years now sold his practice.  I really have doubts about the new guy.  TIme to get another opinion.

I have a 12 year old half black lab, quarter each  shepherd husky.  She developed a hot spot on her front fore paw about half way up.  Vet put her on antibiotics, and I think gave her a shot to help with the irritation.   It helped a little and she seemed to me to be leaving it alone but apparently not.  When I came back for simple shots and heartworm test I noticed the spot had become hard.  Asked the vet to have another look and this time he said uh oh, this is not a simple hot spot.  This has to come off.
So fine.  (This would not be the first "thing" we had cut off of her. She seems prone to it.)   Surgery went well. He told me he bandaged the entire paw so that the paw pad part would not swell up.  That sometimes it can swell like a balloon.  So fine.  She also got one of those satalite dishes to wear to not bother the wound.    More antibiotics and now some pain pills.  (I will list everything at the bottom of this post.)

It had been raining.  He told me to "put a plastic bag over the paw when going out" so it stays dry.   Ya think the vet, for an over 600.00 surgery would have something?  No.   A plastic bag does not work.  She drags this paw and my asphalt driveway just shreds it before she can get to the grass to pee.  So the thing got wet on day one.  I made her a bootie with thick window plastic and duct tape.   That worked fine.  

Days later she was to have the bandage changed.  The doctor put a lighter self sticking gauze thing around only the stitched area now leaving her paw exposed.  (and threw away my plastic bootie.)  But I thought this was ok as now she was walking normally and her paw could get wet now.

Well.... a few hours later, and of course after the vet is closed, she had been in the house alone just long enough I guess, this paw swelled up just as he described and must have really irritated her because she chewed the hell out of it.  Blood was all over the floor.  The dish around her neck was useless. Kept her from the initial surgery area but not the paw.

SO back I go.  He cleaned and rebandaged the whole leg again.  Paw included.   And of course it's raining again.  With my handy bootie gone, all they could do was rubber band a zip lock baggy over her foot which didn't even last across the parking lot.  (I should have gone right back in.)    They also gave her a larger size dish to wear.

Well that larger neck thing is USELESS!   Such flimsy plastic, she is still able to chew up her foot.   So again, now with a blood stained ring around her head, and chewed up bloody bandage I took her back.  (And I lost count at this point how many of these trips I've made.)  This time he decides to sedate her.  Wanted to send me hope with something to basically dope her up.  BUT... I had to be out of town that day so I left her with the vet for the day to monitor her and adjust the dose as needed.  My husband picked her up later.

Now she's on 4 drugs.   And that evening I could not even get her to pick up her head to drink let alone go outside.  Trying to coax her to go out, she just let fly and peed herself right on the kitchen floor.    I'm thinking this is no good.  Her paw is so chewed up now I can't keep her on dope until this heals?    

This morning, and of course a day no one is open, there is even more blood all over her collar, floor, bandage chewed off her foot, clearly the drugs wear off during the night.    I gave her the pills this morning and now she's back to just laying there like a sack of sand.  Even the word "treat" which ALWAYS perks her right up did nothing.

So.... seems I traded one wound for a worse one.
Only good news is that mass they removed is not cancer.   It was caused from her constant licking.  (A behavior until now never happened.  The doctor said hot spots can be triggered by just about anything.  Bug bite, scratch, so ok, it happened.)

There has to be a better way than having a totally drugged out dog until this all heals up.    I debated buying a muzzle but.... we don't have air.  My house can get real hot and not being able to pant could be dangerous.
I then debated if there is any other means of covering this paw besides a stupid bandage she can rip off even with the big collar on.   ya think the VET would know of something?  

So there we are.   What can I do if anything?   Is this vet doing everything he can or is he a quack I need to find a replacement for?

And what about all the drugs she's on now.
cechalexin 500 mg every 12 hours
tramadol 50mg every 12 hours   (This one is for pain and I have only been giving as needed.  Mainly after surgery,  and she lets me know.  And again after my first bloody trip back.)

The two more recent ones are
acepromazine   25 mg tablet, cut in half give half twice a day.
prednisone 20 mg    1/2 tablet twice a day for 8 days, then half tablet for 16 days, then half tab every other day till gone.

I tell ya, it's been about 2 hours since her morning dose and she is totally out of it.    This can't be a good thing.

Any thoughts?

[Artmaker]

I know the stuff.  Saw two vets now and both sort of rolled their eyes.  I once worked in a large pet shop and I know the nasty tasting stuff is hit or miss.  That MIGHT have helped early on when it was just a hot spot.  
(I will NEVER take hot spots lightly again.)  


Now... thought I'd post a follow up.  As I said I went and found another vet.  She took the bandages off (wow they stink) and well... she starts talking about nerve damage, how a 12 year old dog is not a good candidate for "AMPUTATION." and mentioned possibly putting her down.  OMG!!!!!
She gave me some ointment to put around the edge of the wounds.  Told me the bandages need to be changed once or twice a DAY.   Not the two weeks my first vet had me doing.   Said to stop the prednizone, that prevents healing.   Told me to get her on bennidral and clariton. (no D.)  She said this was a "last gasp" treatment.
I left somewhat confused.

Had to get my other dog in for a heartworm shot and decided to see my original vet.  Mentioned to the receptionist how this other vet suggested the dog might have to be put down.  Well... I had a long meeting with him.  

He said the stink was in the bandage NOT on the dog.  It's suppose to be.
He also asked me to describe the wounds.  Then he said they were twice as big only a week or so ago.   When I asked about nerve damage and why he acted so shocked when the dog was walking on her knee, (as soon as I got home from the second vet I googled that, and yea.  Nerve damage.  Or at least it's been pinched.  She MIGHT recover from that.)  I questioned why those stinky bandages were kept on for weeks?   Why HE didn't tell me to change them every day????

I said the prednizone is off the table.  I questioned him on that right from the start.  Another vet saying the same thing is the clincher.  
HE said all the anti allergy pills will do nothing.  And I havent given her any.
But I don't know who to believe here?  Neither of them want to discuss this with each other.  Vet 2 said I had to choose my horse.   NOT!  

I have another appointment tomorrow with vet 2.  So far, the changing of the bandage more often (and no where near as tight as he had it.)  Seems to be doing some good.   She is no longer hell bent on chewing anything.  I left her muzzle and collar off while I watched her for a few hours and not once did she make a move to chew.   She will stand on her paw until she's excited to get outside then it's the knee.    I think I'll order a splint I saw on line.  Going to print out a picture and bring it to the vet and get her thoughts first.

I did buy some rubberized socks on line and those really do help keep the bandaged leg dry and not torn up as she drags her foot across the cement.

So I think she's recovering, but time will tell.

[dobienamedraven]

Try this stuff called bitter apple. Its at most pet stores and is a safe but nasty tasting spray. My dobie had a bandaged paw that she wouldn't leave alone until I sprayed bitter apple on the bandage. Just don't get it n the wound, I'm sure it would sting.