Hope things go well for your Sam
Hope you have many more happy years with him
Sending him lots of healing thoughts
and sending you a big hug
Maureen

Healing vibes being sent from here!

Sending Sam (I had a Sam too) hugs and snugs. Hope he continues to improve. He sounds a real character. I love the oldies.

sending lots of healing thoughts for Sam. Hope he improves quickly, lovely boy. He sounds like my Gelert.....never quite knowing if she will manage to get outside in time

Thanks all. The first hurdle will be tomorrow when bandages are changed when we are hoping and praying that there is some improvement.

He certainly seems far more comfortable with the bandage on, but I'm guessing that changing it may be a challenge as, of course, it's likely to hurt if it has stuck at all. I have an antiseptic spray cleaner that I'll use if it has stuck to try to ease it off that way.

We've just changed the bandage and things don't look good at all. How my poor, poor boy is not showing obvious pain all the time I just don't know because it looks horrific.

Looking at it, I just can't see how things can improve from here, but we will stick it out with the current course of anti biotics for now. Bless him, he just seems to be my Sam when the bandage is on, but he showed just how much this hurts as the old bandage came off and the new one on.

Tears are flowing and the inner turmoil remains. Am I doing right by keeping things going to the end of the course?? Would I be letting him down by jumping too quickly and not giving the medication enough chance to work??

For now, I'm going with continuing the meds and willing it to start showing signs of getting better. Obviously, if the pain develops into showing up at other times than when the bandage is being changed, then we really need to sit down and try to work out what's for the best.

PLEASE keep those vibes coming - he so desperately needs them.

Oh.poor little boy.. I was hoping for a marked improvement when the bandage came off. Sending lots of healing vibes for him and hugs to you. Chin up xx

Oh deary me, you are going through it too with your dear old Sam still I'm so sorry you found what you did under that bandage, poor little man, but now that you've changed it, see how comfortable he is, and let those ab's start doing their work. How about ringing the vet and telling him how awful it all looks under there and see if he will allow you some Fuciderm coz that is an ab ointment which could help improve things from the outside as well as the ab's helping from the inside? I'm assuming you did the bandage yourself here and not at the vets. He could also maybe give you some painkillers for him or if he's already on them, maybe he would allow a higher dosage?

You must be beside yourself with worry, but only you know whether you are doing the best thing for Sam, and from where I'm sitting, you are! Give him a hug from us please, and I'm sending lots and lots of positive vibes that he's going to get through this painfree.xxxxx

Thank you both.

We had long discussions with the vet when the first courses of antibiotics didn't work. The sore is open to the bone so ointments are out and he's on the maximum dose of Rimadyl. He's walking about fine and now the shock of the bandage change is over with, he's just my Sam again. It was so distressing for both him and us to change it. He whined so much almost to the point of screaming. Now it's done, he's settled and had his treat.

The next bandage change is day after tomorrow and his abs finish on Monday.

You must be dreading the next bandage change, but thank goodness he is happy and pain free again for the moment.

I do hope that you can find the answer to this horrible sore, and may all the luck in the world be with you.