Day 42: Pneumonia, Broken Leg Check-up, Toe Removal

                Today was pretty slow besides some Technician appointments and a few Doctor appointments; there were no surgeries and really nothing unusual today.  A cool/more-so uncommon patient we had today was an Abyssinian Guinea Pig named SuperYou (we haven't had many guinea pigs; we mostly get dogs and cats [companion animals]).  The owner brought him in because he was coughing, having a hard time breathing, and not eating.  Dr. Lou (who sees exotic animals [guinea pigs, rabbits, birds, reptiles, etc.] in addition to companion animals [cats and dogs]) looked at him, and she believes that he has pneumonia.  She prescribed Bactrim (an antibiotic specified towards pneumonia) and Critical Care (a mixture that is ground up and mixed with water to form a gruel, then fed or force-fed to the animal to give them nutrients and to get them to start eating again) for SuperYou (after giving him some sub-q fluids), and let him go home.

SuperYou, the Abyssinian Guinea Pig.

Giving SuperYou sub-q fluids.

                In addition, we also had a returning patient: Pete Pebbles from day 12 (he was the cat whose leg had been broken for five weeks, yet the owner didn’t bring him in all that time).  Pete Pebbles had already been back once for a check-up in between day 12 and today, but it was at a time when I wasn’t there so I was unable to report about the check-up.  But anyways, Dr. Mark took off Pete Pebbles’ cast and looked at his leg, and then moved it around to make sure it moved okay.  He was happy with the results, so he gently pulled the rod out.  However, the outer toe on Pete Pebbles’ foot was dead and nearly half-dethatched from his foot.  I’m not exactly sure how that happened, but the toe needed to come off.  Dr. Mark finished cutting through the rest of the skin to the joint, and then removed the joint.  He then stitched the small hole closed and bandaged up both the toe and leg.  Pete Pebbles was then able to go home.

Pete Pebbles.

Taking off the cast.

Pete Pebbles' leg and toe.

Gently moving the leg around to make sure it's okay.  Part of the rod can be seen slightly sticking out at the knee.

The rod after taking it out.

The half-off toe.

A closer view of the toe.

Cutting through the remainder of skin to the joint.

Removing the joint/toe (this is essentially the same to the removal of the joint in a declaw).

The foot after the toe being removed.

The removed toe.

Re-cleaning the area to be sewn up.

The area after being sewn up.

The bandaged (not casted) foot and toe.