Day 14 Post-Op - Fur & Licking

Well, this second weekend of Koda's recovery proved to be mostly uneventful. He finished all his meds (antibiotics, pain killers and anti-inflammatory pills). No more icing. He's walking pretty well, with a bit of limp, but with less of a limp every day. Sometimes, he almost walks normally, transferring equal weight from each leg. He puts his entire paw/foot on the ground - planting it - as opposed to just tiptoeing on it.

For the most part, Koda has been very good with his new boundaries and the baby gates. I was able to go run for 3 hours and he stayed within his confines. Most of the day, he just sleeps or lays around. I guess when there's really nothing to look forward to in a day except meal times and a couple trips to the backyard to do one's business, the only thing left to do is nap. He hasn't been interested in any of his usual toys. Probably because the fun part about the toys was fetching them, and then shaking them while in his death grip before pulling all their stuffing out. And so, he just naps. All. Day. Long. (Except when a cheesy pizza arrives and must be given a good sniff.)

His husky undercoat is starting to thicken over his bare, naked leg. It will be interesting to see the stages of how his fur comes in, as I've never seen a husky without all of its luxurious coat.

The newly grown fur has covered the stitches entirely now. However, I'm a bit concerned about the bumpiness. It's not inflamed or sensitive to the touch (he lets me run my hands over the stitches), but the area where the sutures are knotted—at the topmost part—is disturbingly pink, raw and bumpy. I'm pretty sure Koda's been licking that part of the stitches. My guess is the knot is irritating him now, so he's licking it raw.

Luckily, all the stitches come out tomorrow morning! And we will see Dr. Munjar, so I'll be able to address these hot spots with him.

Another area I want him to look at is Koda's front "arm" - where the IV was inserted. He's been licking that patch of bare skin more than he should (or than we should allow him), so now it's a bit red and raw, also. I'm thinking that as the hair grows back in, it's itchy, so that's why he's licking it. And he could just be bored. I could put the e-collar on him, except he isn't licking all the time and he is so miserable with that Cone of Shame on.

Sweet Dreams, Koda! In the morning, you'll get to go for a car ride and have your stitches removed. Hopefully, the surgeon will say your progress is great and that you should only improve as the weeks go by. I think we might get to start outdoor 5-minute walks!