Now, I've got the peroxide and antibiotic ointment out because one of Duchess' bumps burst open this AM. This one is located on her rear, fairly large, so we've been calling it her Bustle. Taking a step back here...you probably need to know that Bassets are prone to having skin problems, cysts, and cancerous growths. Duchess seems to be the only one of our current three Droolers to have these cysts (AKA: "bumps"), but Boots (our Beautiful Basset babe before Duchess...taken from us at age 11 by kidney disease) had the bumps, too. Duchess has had 6 of these removed in the last few years (none cancerous, TG). Vet suggested we just monitor the remaining bumps, and she measured all of them on our last visit in September. We knew it was just a matter of time on this one, since it had recently gotten bigger and felt warmer. You can even see it on her rumpus in that photo I took of her out in the last snowfall. We were hoping that we could deal with this issue after Elmo's upcoming appointment, but wishin' and hopin' never seems to work out, does it? Sigh.
Anyway...nasty, stinky gunk oozing out onto...wait for it...the quilt on our bed. Naturally.
But, Mr. T and I chased her down to clean her up (like wrestling an alligator), compress more of the ooze out (what fun...), and "doctor" the hole. "Yuck" is such an inadequate word. Now, how to keep it covered until the healing begins? Then I remembered a suggestion I'd read on the Basset Board on Ravelry (that knitters' social network site I've told you about): use a T-shirt as a bandage. I got several of Mr. T's oldest t's (he doesn't really need that many, now does he?)...clean, but ready for the rag-bag. Scissors. Cut the sleeves off and made "girdles" for Duchess' ample arse.
Working like a charm! I cannot say thank you enough for this idea. We just keep turning the "sleeve" around as the ooze begins to show. Then, we take the used one off, toss it away; clean the hole with peroxide and apply ointment, then slip a new sleeve/girdle/bandage around her. Imagine if you will putting a tu-tu on a hippo. Anyway, the place is far enough back on her backside...and she's tubby enough not to be able to twist that far around...that she can't get to it to lick the wound...thank heaven for small favors.
And all she wanted after all this was over? Breakfast, of course. Or, as we say in Duchess' case...brunch. Yes, her record is intact: never missed a meal. She's whining right now because she can't make it up the stairs to Mr. T's office, but otherwise is moving around OK. Has been outside for her business (4 steps down/up on the deck). Even made it up on the sofa (which we raced to cover with towels...:) for a little post-Brunch nap.
I'll keep you posted on how things are going here at the Drool Care Center.
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