# Open wound from tumor removal



## sharijim (Sep 22, 2011)

Buddy had surgery on friday, and we got him home finally on monday. They removed the tumor on his leg, and we have an open wound to treat for at least 2 months. There was no skin to pull over the wound, so it has to be left open. Its about 1 1/2 inches wide and probably about 2-3 inches in length. The wound is very wet so I am going to have to get air to this somehow. They want me to keep him blocked off in the kitchen and put the cone on him so air can get to the wound. I knew there was a chance if they removed the tumor that it would be open, but I had no idea what to expect. We keep 4 x 4s on it with the self adhesive bandage on top. Wish there was something else I could use that would allow air to get to it. This is not going to be easy, but I will do everything I have to for him. Has anyone ever had to deal with anything like this??


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

Are they having you wash it out daily or anything like that? Did they give you and advice on what to use? Poor Buddy....how is he handling it so far? I wish I could give you advice but I just know about horse wounds, not open dog wounds. But maybe this post will now bump up for advice from others..


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## sharijim (Sep 22, 2011)

I am having my daughter come saturday to clean it out. He actually seems to be handling it fine. I am waiting to hear from the vet anytime if there is anything else he wants me to do.


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## Our3dogs (Apr 3, 2008)

Poor Buddy, but glad to hear he is back home. It sounds like you can't leave the coverings off it at this point, but can you perhaps take the coverings off for an hour or so each day. Maybe sit with him outside on the deck or on the grass on a blanket and let the fresh air get to it? This is also a stretch, but maybe take off the coverings and put a small fan close by to circulate air flow? Good luck and hopefully Buddy recovers quickly.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

Sending Buddy healing thoughts and bumping for more feedback.


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## sharijim (Sep 22, 2011)

Well the vet said to clean the wound which I did. We were to use original blue dawn dish soap which really suprised me. I put his leg in a tub with lukewarm water and some dawn and used a white wash cloth, and just very carefully washed the wound. Then I just kept pouring the water on it and let it run off. My husband held his head and kept talking to him to prevent him from licking at it. He did very well. But last nite, he licked the bandage off. I don't know how long it was off, but he didn't bleed thank goodness. It really did seem to look better today. We are going to wash it again today. Tonite when we go to bed I am going to wrap an ace bandage around the vet wrap for double protection. We did this before he had the tumor removed and it worked. I don't want to use the cone unless I have too. But if he somehow gets the ace off I will be putting the cone on him at nite.
t


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Three years ago last May my Honey had a little "thing" in her leg that actually looked like a teeny tiny flesh colored balloon about half full of water. Was about the size of a pencil eraer. haveing lost my golden girl, KayCee to cancer the may before, and my old red golden boy, Buck to heart aqttack the May before that, I was paranoid.

my vet checked it out and said he didn't think it was anything, but he would remove it. Just had to remove a tiny area and when he came out to talk to me it said it was real "ugly" underneath and he was sending a sample off for biopsy. few days he called--was a grade two mast cell tumor and he need to do more surgery to get a clean edge.

so more surgery, larger spot. She was wwearing a cone, but about 5 days after the surgery she busted the middle section of the incision open--and it did bleed a fair amount. took her in and he said he didn't want to restitch her leg bcaue that would run a greater risk of infection. It was going to have to heal from inside out.

I had to flush out aht hole twice a day using water hose on patio. unlike most goldens, Honey is scared she will melt if she gets wet and i knew it was in for a rough raod to hoe (hubby is a cross crountry truck driver so was jsut me to handle things.) but she seemed to really enjoy it. I suspect it was starting to itch as it healed and the water from the hose nozzle more or less "scratched it>' It did take a few weeks, but now I can't even find a scar. This is her a few days after she busted it open. I don't know if you tell or not, but there were still stitches on either "end" of the incision, only the middle busted open.

good luck with your guy.


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## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

I love his name, I had the dog with the same name. I wish I could help you with some advice but have no any. I just want to send you the best wishes for Buddy's speedy recovery.


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## maple1144 (Oct 18, 2009)

Sending Buddy wishes for a speedy recovery, wish I had advice but have none sorry!


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## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

I'm so sorry that you and Buddy are going through this. 

Does the wound need to stay open? If not, could a skin graft be done to close it? I ask because that approach is used for people sometimes and I know some veterinary surgeons also do skin grafts. Our Joker has a growth on his foot that may have to removed from a place that has very little extra skin, so we have been asking a lot of questions about this.

Sending healing thoughts and prayers,
Lucy


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## sharijim (Sep 22, 2011)

I am so glad that your dog got stitches. That is part of the problem with Buddy. It actually is I would say the size of a lemon. The tumor was huge when they removed it. There is no skin there to close it up with. It is so ugly it is actually an open wound. Its right above his paw. We just have to keep non stick gauze on it with vet wrap.


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## sharijim (Sep 22, 2011)

I guess at the vets office they kept a cone on his head, and left it open for hours at a time. At home its a little more difficult at least for us. The only place I would have to close him up in is the bathroom. Our kitchen is very wide on both sides so they would be hard to close off. They said we could take him back in a couple months and possible pull some skin from the side over the wound, but she was leaving that up to us. We are just hoping it will heal on its own. I would not want to put him thru another surgery. We just keep it wrapped. I change it everyday.


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

Ouch.  I hope his recovery goes well. Good luck.


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## Sassy (Jan 12, 2012)

How is buddy doing? Did the wound close up? How long did it take?


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## sharijim (Sep 22, 2011)

*Buddy's Tumor removal....*

Buddy is doing great! The wound completely closed up. He has an area about the size of nickel without hair. It took right around 5-6 weeks to completely heal over. He is so much better. I think it was giving him a lot more discomfort than he lead us to believe. The difference in him was amazing. Thank you so much for all your prayers!!


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

Hooray for Buddy's wound healing and closing up!


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

So glad Buddy's has healed up and recovered. I missed this the first time around, we were dealing with TPLO surgery. So, I know how worried you were about taking care of him properly.

Things have worked out well for both our pups!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I hope it heals smoothly, but I would not take chances with it, since it needs to stay open I would keep the cone on him so he doesn't lick it.


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