Well, ten days after amputation.
I had a little scare this afternoon when I looked at Freya’s incision and there was a thin piece of what looked like dental floss sticking out from the middle of the incision by about a centimetre. Eek. It looked dried and not covered with any gunky stuff, but it was definitely there. OK – one hasty repair to an e-collar later and I put it on her and the sulks began (hiding behind the couch).
I then called the Vet on call as it was Sunday afternoon (not our usual vet but his associate) and after a bit of discussion it became clear that it was not an internal suture as she said they would be purple, but rather one closer to the skin that are used to keep the upper layers of the skin together – the fatty layers. She also felt it was not a matter for concern if the skin layers were still joined together – which they were (you can check out a photo from today below). So we agreed that the length of suture sticking out should be removed to avoid temptation and that the collar could go on when I’m not around to keep an eye on her. If after observation I felt a trip to the vet’s was required we could do that in the morning. So, that made me feel a bit better.
I then went back to talk to my sulky cat and what do you know? The suture string appeared to have snapped off as it wasn’t there any more. I think maybe in the slight chase to get the cone back (and wasn’t that a golden moment in my life, lunging after a three legged cat with plastic cone in hand!) on there may have been enough movement to snap it off. No sign it was ever there really. I had said it looked really dry, not even like (now that I think about it) that it had even been licked by a cat recently.
Anyway, I examined the incision in a lot of detail as you could imagine and saw that the top part and the bottom part are healing really really well. The middle part is not yet covered by hair and has some little … bulges? … not yet healed over. I could see a little bit of what could be a suture stitch at the surface inside one of the bulges but it looks well settled in there. So given all that, the cone of shame came off and Freya forgave me ….. after some biscuits.
Then I thought, hey it’s Day 10 and I really enjoyed the comparison shot that was done of Fang at Day 3 and Day 10 (and again later comparing Day 10 to Day 21) so here goes, my comparison shot of Freya’s incision between Day 2 and Day 10, albeit not side by side but you should still get an idea.
- Freya’s incision Day 2 and Day 10
Looks good at Day 10 doesn’t it? You can see the bulges I’m talking about where the white patch on her belly ends at the right. But compare that area to Day 2 and it is amazing the progress that has been made. That area of bulge is obviously where the greatest pressure is and therefore will take the longest to heal over, but it is well on its way I reckon – loose bits of surface suture notwithstanding.
Freya also hopped up onto the cat chair again today. I worked out that she wanted to climb the leg and not use the wussy chair and so I shifted the chair that was in the way and up she went. She had been sniffing the air and all that and so clearly wanted to be up there that it was breaking my heart that she wasn’t able to – but of course she can!
Then it was another evening on the couch together. Excitement plus. But again, when I think how I was the first night after the operation when she was home, I’ll take lounging on the lounge together every time!
I’m off to work for the full day tomorrow, the first time since the amputation, but I should be able to come home at lunchtime to check on her (my guess, and you can work with me here, is ….. sleeping on the couch. Just a thought! LOL). I have made sure that I’ve had a few days where I have been out for half a day or so, or nearly even a full day (went to see the Hobbit at a 3-D cinema which involved driving an hour each way) but this will be the first full day. I’m pretty sure she’ll be fine, but we’ll see about me. When I went into work for half a day on Xmas Eve it was like I had a baby, showing off pictures and telling everyone how she was, and I expect tomorrow I’ll bore people the same way. Ah well, they can cope.