Hey guys, I need some propping up today.
Bo is sick. About a week ago I noticed what I thought was a red sticky place under his chin but he was so wiggly I couldn't see it very well. I figured he had gotten into a candy wrapper that my son had left laying around. Life ensued and I forgot about it. Well, Friday night I noticed in the same spot a thickened brown crusty scab-looking thing about the size of a nickel (which is big on these little guys). I freaked out and could barely get to sleep Friday night worrying about him, and of course my husband would be out of town on a business trip. I thought it may be ringworm or mange or who knows but his coat is thick and soft and really pretty and the fur wasn't coming out in that area so I didn't know
WHAT on earth it was. Finally Saturday morning I called my vet and she worked us in (I love my vet, we've gone to her for years). So while I waited to take him over there I decided to try to get a closer look in the sunlight. I wet down the area and still couldn't tell anything about it except for what I've described. Evidently wetting it irritated it because Bo started to scratch scratch scratch and he broke it open. It started to run and bleed a little and there was pus inside. I could tell it was hurting him pretty badly. It broke my heart. When I took him to the vet she shaved all the hair around the sore
(Bo's sweet little tan puppy fur!) and pulled off all the brown crusty crud. It left a raw sore. The scab wasn't helping it to heal, it was holding in bacteria. My poor baby has a staph infection. He is now on antibiotics two times a day for the next 10 days. Dr. Laurie said that he could have gotten it in one of two ways: One, the groomer nicked him and broke the skin (this is what I think, I don't blame the groomer, he's so wiggly, but if that's what happened I wish she had told me); Two, Woody, my Schnauzer, on his last nerve from Bo's relentless playing and aggravation, nipped him and broke the skin. Bo loves Woody. Woody, unfortunately, despises Bo. Either way, staph germs exist in every environment all the time and the vet said young puppies don't have sufficient immune systems to fight it. If Bo had a place where the skin was broken and came in contact with the staph germs
he would become sick.
She said it is very painful to him. So, after that long-winded post what I really want to say is please remember little Bo and send sweet thoughts and prayers our way. He had two doses of antibiotics yesterday and one this morning. He was very playful this morning but barely ate any of his breakfast. I'm worried that the antibiotics will make him sick to his stomach or ruin his appetite. This afternoon he has been really tired and sleepy. She said he wasn't running a fever and didn't give him a shot. I'll just feel better when he's eating better.
We REALLY need puppy hugs and kisses today and any advice you might have. Thanks for listening...
