***Update on Buckley Prayers needed

[Grace]

Just an idea...in the cases of Siamese twins that have to be separated, something is put under where healthy skin is to stretch it, so that it will be available for a graft. Would this have to be done at the vet hospital?

Prayers for dear Buckley - and bless that vet for trying her best!

Those are expanders - sort of a balloon device placed under the skin and slowly expanded. They are used prior to separation of conjoined twins, and in breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.

I get the impression there is not enough time for this to work with Buckley.

[momtomany]

The problem for Buckley is that he is one of the hugh chested type labs and his entire chest from just below the neck is gone as well as to the outer edges under his front legs. That is why his chest can't be pulled back together as originally thought. The necrosis just keep spreading and then after the debridement and trimming.............well....
According to our vet, who we have been with for 30 years, a small area could be grafted, but not this large. The plastic surgeon vet she used to work with at the vet school has since retired and she is not familiar with who took his place. She is not really sure we have many options. Small areas of grafting are on thing, but this large is another. We have already spent $1000 so far and don't know how much more we owe our vet right now. Our oldest daughter lost her job 2 months ago and we are having to help her. We just had a roof put on and it ended up costing us $3000 more than we planned, so like so many these days, we are tapped out.
We have had Buckley just shy of 7 years. He has a typical male lab personailty, that is he never has grown up. He does his invisible act, where he thinks if he walks past you and turns his head he is invisible and can sneak out to the kitchen to see what he can scraf up. He loves oatmeal raisin cookies and I can no longer leave them on the stove. He ate 13 of them not to long ago when I left the pack I had got from Publix on the stove. Bread is another favorite of his. He knows place and will creep his way off until his back toe is on place and look at us with, "well, I am still on place." He loves Jasmine and all the cats and plays with them. He lets our chichihua (spelling brain cramp) Chili Pepper, clean his teeth. They usually sleep together. 110 pounds with 7pounds.
Thank you again for your kind thoughts and kind prayers. Pet Talkers are the nicest folks I know. May God's favor shine on all of you. Julie

[critters]

I've wracked my brain over this--tissue expanders, generic/lab-grown skin grafts, etc. It'd be SUCH a shame to put down such a great pupper over this, especially since he's doing well with all the treatments. Any chance of hyperbaric oxygen treatments? They'd probably be hard to find.

[pomtzu]

Poor Buckley. What a terrible thing to have to go thru. Prayers and well wishes going out to all - hoping he can pull thru.

At the risk of being verbally attacked, this is the exact reason why I would never own a Pit or a Chow. I could never trust one.

[momtomany]

Hard lesson learned. Bono initially was not a bad dog, really just a big goof ball, but that chow/pit possessiveness came out. Unfortunately we will now loose Buckley also. Claire, our vet, and I had a difficult heart to heart and we will being putting Buckley to sleep on Tuesday. Even if, and it is a huge if, the vet school could do anything, this would be a multiple surgery procedure to harvest small portions at time and grafting them to see if they would work. It is the same process as would be for a human with burns, months of surgerys. His organs were damaged from the sepsis, infection rates would be high, and no guarantee that it would work. The initial surgery she did Tuesday to start closing off the areas isn't holding. We don't feel that it would be right to put him through so much. He wasn't happy today and didn't feel good. He was ozing again, has that smell, and just wasn't himself. I felt like he was looking at me saying Mom, I've had enough. Please keep us in your prayers Tuesday. As always God's favor on all. Julie

[Moesha]

Oh no. This update makes me so sad, but you are making the right choice for Buckley. I'm so sorry. You and Buckley will definitely be in my thoughts.

[pomtzu]

Julie - I am so sorry- but I feel that you're doing the right thing for Buckley. I know it will be a terrible loss, but once his quality of life is gone, then it's the most humane thing to do for him. You will both be in my prayers.

Sometimes I wonder why we humans aren't free to make that same decision for ourselves or loved ones. In the end, we can be more kind and humane to our fur kids, than we can to our family.

[Bonny]

I just got done reading about Buckley. I am so saddened for you & Buckley. You are all in my thoughts & prayers.

[3Catcondo]

I am sorry to hear this, I will keep you and Buckley in my prayers. I think you are making the right decision for him, bless his heart. Will be thinking of you on Tuesday.