[Mom2BabyNatalie]

Originally Posted by Beabble

I just came from the live cam watching Punkin Butt, oh she is simply adorable!! I spoke with Dena as well and before her last feeding, she weighed in a 120 grams, YAYYYY!!! Way to go girl. Dena, thank you SO MUCH for doing what you're doing and taking such good care of her. Those nightly compresses with the gauze are an awesome idea and what love to sit and keep icing her lil face for her to keep any swelling down. Keep up the wonderful job! Prayers going up for you and Lil Punkin Butt as always.

It's our nightly routine... since the first set of stitches came out. I don't know if it WORKS, lol - but it did keep her content enough to get some good rest at night. At first it was only an hour or two... but since the second set of sutures ripped her skin so badly - we do it much longer.

Six hours - every night - usually betwen 2 and 8 am - - - that's OUR time... and my most favorite!

She didn't like the wrap.... (gauze, then med tape - wrapped around her muzzle) then the little "burrito wrap" and then warm compresses... damp at first with warm water... (to loosen the scabs) then heated dry compresses..... the steady pressure and heat comforts her after a few minutes.... I hold her tight till my hands ache - - - but the goal was to get the skin to adhere even without the sutures. The longer I "held her face together"... the better chance of a positive result.

Two hours of cool compresses to her face (not wet, just refrigerated cloths) at some point during the day.... sometimes right after the heat... sometimes later in the evening.... usually an hour at a time... she doesn't like that one so much, lol.... but it too, helps with the swelling. I try to do the cool when she's REALLY sleepy and with a full belly so she's a little more still...

With all that... the oral antibiotics and the injectible Penicillin G (I don't inject it, I just drip a tiny drop into the wound) - she seems to be healing.

I wasn't having good luck with this at first.... but today is showing marked improvement ... so I'll keep up with it...