Day 29: Infections, Vaccines, and Tendonectomy Description

                Today was a bit busier than yesterday was; there were a couple spays and neuters and there were also a couple of patients we were taking care of in the recovery room: Purple, a Weimaraner puppy (six weeks), and Skittles, a Lhasa Apso.  Purple came in because of vomiting, fever, and an increased WBC (white blood cell) count, and she was receiving sub-q fluids in addition to the antibiotic Ampicillin (to fight any bacterial infections she may have).  Skittles is an old dog that can’t see well or hear, and because of that she was a bit aggressive because she never could tell what was going on or what was going to happen; she came in because she was having seizures.  She was receiving the tranquilizer Diazepam to help calm her down, and the doctors were recording her seizures.  Once I left the recovery room after I first arrived, Nancy was finishing shaving and beginning to wash a dog named Abbey.  Abbey was an old and cranky dog, and she was a long-time patient of the hospital.  I helped Nancy finish washing Abbey, and when we were done we dried her with a towel and Nancy allowed me to give Abbey her injections of a rabies shot and a booster-26 (protects against distemper and other such viruses) shot.  A rabies shot goes in the upper thigh of the back right leg, and a booster shot goes into the shoulder area of the front right leg.

Purple, the shy Weimaraner.

Skittles, the old Lhasa Apso.

Abbey after she was groomed (we all had fun picking out the scarf for her!)

Abbey as she was getting groomed.

                Dr. Amanda performed a neuter and a tendonectomy on an older Domestic Short-Haired kitten later on in the morning.  I have never heard of a tendonectomy before; it is a surgery where an incision is made in the toe, and a small piece of the tendon leading to the claw is cut out of the tendon line.  This prevents the cat from jutting its claws out, and therefore prevents the cat from scratching anyone or anything.  The claws still have to be trimmed of course (because they still grow, so the owner needs to trim them now and then so that the claws don’t get so long the cat can scratch things), but they can’t stick their claws out anymore.  If anyone is considering a declaw for their cat, I HIGHLY recommend getting a tendonectomy instead.  A declaw is extremely painful to a cat because, as I explained on day 8, the first joint of their toe is removed because that area is where the claw is held (so that would be like a person getting the top of their finger or toe removed to the first knuckle).  As I said it is really painful to the cat, and the cat also has to learn how to walk properly without that joint.  With a surgery such as a tendonectomy around, I feel like a declaw is unnecessary.   A tendonectomy is far less painful, and it provides the same type of idea that a declaw would; the only difference for the owner is that every now and then, they need to trim their cat’s claws.  I highly recommend a tendonectomy over a declaw.

Smokey, the tween kitten recieving the tendonectomy.

Smokey neing placed under the anesthesia right before the procedure.

Diagram of how to block the nerves before surgery.

Dr. Amanda blocking the nerves.

Dr. Amanda making an incision in the toe.

Dr. Amanda pulling up and cutting the tendon (white line in the picture).

The inside of the toe after cutting off a small piece of the tendon.

Smokey all bandaged up after his tendonectomy.