Last Sunday I was grooming my little old man Beau and he jumped...I ended up knicking his side with the scissors. It did not bleed at all, and Beau has such fragile skin that it has torn in the past when sutured, so I decided to treat the cut at home since his regular vet was not in on Sundays. I flushed it, and used a medical manuka honey infused patch and covered the wound. I sat up with him all night, and he did not run a fever, or act ill in any way. I also gave him a very small bit of manuka honey to help boost his immune system. He ate, played, and did not attempt to bother his dressing (I covered it at night with a onesie, and slept with a hand on his back).
He had a brief amount of loose stool, but seemed constipated. We gave him his usual probiotic, and he passed solid stool. The wound remained clean when changing dressings, and we thought we had turned the corner. This morning he passed bloody loose stool, and we immediately took him in to his vet. The vet said that the wound was starting a small infection, and that it had irritated his intestines. He cleaned and sutured the cut, and ran a full blood panel. Not good results...his red blood numbers are up, and he has some slightly elevated liver numbers. They are keeping him until Tuesday morning in order to hydrate, IV meds and run another full panel before release.
I feel HORRIBLE, and am blaming myself...but my dear vet said that he is sure that Beau's age is playing a role and at least we are aware and able to reverse his numbers. Beau has never had to stay anywhere overnight, and I am already pacing. They do have visiting hours on Monday morning at 7 am, but I have concerns that seeing him, then leaving again, may agitate him and trigger separation anxiety. I want to do the best for him, not merely be selfish because I am already missing him. Any experiences to share?