Aggression and Post Op Complications

[YvonneGlen]

We have had a rough go with Bacchus and his neutering the last week. We had severe complications and I am at a loss here, tired emotionally and physically with taking care of him bringing him from doctor to doctor.

We had him neutered at the SPCA in Briarcliff Manor last Wednesday and it went horribly wrong. Put aside that they could not control him and I had to come back in, put on his muzzle then guide him into the OR where I had to constrain him. That is an entirely different saga.

He came home after surgery with his scrotum the next day swelling up to the size of a mango. I had the e-collar around his neck until yesterday. He was nervous with it on as it compromised his eyesight and his hearing. He could not navigate very well with it on. So I purchased one of those that you blow up and put around the neck.

The SPCA vet told me in "hindsight" that she should not have performed the surgery due to the size of him and how nervous he was (whatever that means why a vet would be concerned with his nerves is beyond me. Aren't they trained to deal with all types of behaviors and temperments?)

Bacchus is on edge at the moment as so am I because I am doing everything in my power to help him and get him better so we can all get retrained as that is his last chance. Last week he let me look at his incision with no problem. His incision is open now and I can only imgine it is making him uncomfortable, he's constantly dripping blood and now I had to keep him downstairs (which we never do). He is probably wondering what in the world is going on and why am I doing this.

This evening I got on the floor underneath him to look at his scrotum to see what was happening. He fliippin' growled at him. Of course I was not in an authoritan position being underneath him. I quickly got back up and said no, where he STILL proceeded to growl at him. No teeth but it was bad enough with his tail being up as well as his hackles. I was taken aback to say the least and am on edge from this last week and now this???? I am also now very annoyed with him and I am sure he senses it. I am trying everything within my power to help him and if he growls at me ---- it does not give me good vibes. I am his only ally right now and he does THIS to me?

I don't know how to take his as "momma I don't feel well" growl and leave me alone or an aggressive growl? I am stunned at this point and time and extremely upset with the entire situation that encompasses this. He does not look right at me now with trust and that is not a good situation since I am the only caretaker he has.

I don't know what to do. I am at a loss here. Any words of wisdom would help right about now. Do you think this was an aggressive growl at me because if that is the fact I have a HUGE problem. Would a dog growl at his owner if ever he is not feeling well? Or would that never, ever happen if there was a definitive line with pack order?

[YvonneGlen]

He has been Tramadol for the last several days. I called my breeder since I speak to her on a regular basis and have kept her informed of what has been happening with Bacchus. She told me to get him off of the Tramadol ASAP. It causes behavorial changes. Namely aggression. My other vet also put him on Gabapentin to keep him a "bit sleepy" so as not to lick his sutures. He has been on so many pain meds I wonder if it's taking a toll on him.

All I know is with every aggression episode I am losing more and more faith and hope with each passing day of rehabilitating us and Bacchus. I don't know who this dog is this past month. Starting with the nip/bite (depending upon who you speak to) on July 9, lunging at the several different vets (attempting to bite one when getting him ready for this operation) and now growling at the very hand who feeds him. For the last three weeks I have put all my energy towards Bacchus putting my husband aside and my children in order to get him better. On edge because of a dog who does not seem to even love me anymore or even like me for that matter. A dog whom I have put so much into and trust him 100% with my children. It just does not make sense to me.

[Teresa]

Hi Yvonne,

First of all I am so sorry that this has been such a difficult road for you and Bacchus.

It definitely sounds like you and Bacchus are dealing with a lot of stress right now. If you review the following link you will understand better why Bacchus has reacted the way that he has at the Vet's office. http://www.selfhelpdogtraining.com/A...ggression.html
It is very common to see this type of behavior at a Veterinary office or when a dog is in pain. It certainly does not mean that Bacchus doesn't love you. I can imagine that he is probably anticipating at least discomfort and at most pain when someone pays attention to that area. Even dogs who have never shown aggression in the past may show some aggression during in situations like these.

Some medications may help pain but can cause disorientation. I am not sure if that was the case with the tramadol/ gabapentin. I would think more likely the gabapentin if it is making him groggy. But talk to your veterinarian about possible side effects and other pain medication options.
I am not aware of the previous circumstance of the bite/nip but did you mention that you have an appointment for a consult with a foundation trainer? Is that appointment soon? I think this will really help put things in perspective for you.

Best,
Teresa

[YvonneGlen]

Hi Teresa,

The appointment is the 1st of August with Chris and cannot come soon enough. Bacchus is not reacting well to me. He is not listening and almost seems wary and scared of me. He has never behaved like this towards me and it's stressing me out. I am sure he senses this in me. I don't want to bother him but at the same time I need to make sure he is ok.

He is still bleeding out and our vet keeps telling me basically to suck it up, let nature take its course and his body will absorb the blood. In the meantime, Bacchus is downstairs day and night (except when I let him out to relieve himself) which I am sure is confusing him even more since he always is with us. It's creating a very uncertain and unstable environment something that Bacchus does not need and I personally don't need either. He is full of blood on his backside and he won't let me touch him. For the first time in my life I am feeling intimidated and lacking the self confidence to lead one of my shepherds, which has NEVER EVER happened to me (and I have several over the course of my life). I don't know how to turn it back. My downstairs looks like there has been a massacre and smells of blood (don't mean to be so graphic) but I don't think I can take much more of this. I am worried that this experience with Bacchus and me is going to have irreversible damage for our future. I feel like the bond I had with him is broken and wondering how it can be fixed.

[Teresa]

First I would say don't lose hope. Although you are going through a tough time right now with all the complications from this ordeal, this will just be a bump in the road on your way to a better relationship with Bacchus.

Right now Bacchus needs to focus on healing, so if you trust your vet then I would keep your basement as clean as possible and follow their instructions. I'm assuming he is on antibiotics, and that they have found a suitable pain medication for him.

Aside from that I wouldn't try to do much else with his hind end. Once he is healed and non painful you can bathe him and clean him up. I would bring great treats with me when I went down to the basement and would feed him for approaching me, and for simple tasks. ( Keep in mind things like sit and down may be unfair to ask, he may be hesitant because it is painful to do so or it has been painful to do so recently.) Be patient with him and don't raise your voice, speak quietly and calmly at all times. Is he still wearing the Elizabethan Collar? Is it possible to give him things, like kong toys stuffed with canned food and frozen, bully sticks, etc to relieve some stress and keep him busy downstairs?

The other thing which sometimes helps (can't hurt) is something called a D.A.P. Diffuser
http://www.amazon.com/DAP-Appeasing-...1788546&sr=8-1
It's a diffuser you plug into your wall (like a glade plug in air freshner) that diffuses a pheromone called DAP (Dog appeasing Pheromone).
excerpt from website Entirelypets.com
[Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) mimics the the natural pheromone released by the mother dog 3-5 days after having a litter of puppies. D.A.P. has a calming and reassuring property in both puppies and adult dogs that can reduce or eliminate unwanted behavior due to stress, such as, noise phobias (thunderstorms, fireworks), traveling, sepearation related issues.... Dog Appeasing Pheromone has a relaxing effect for both the young and adults dogs. It is an effective natural way to help your dog cope with new and fearful situations such as fireworks, thunderstorms, holiday stress, traveling or moving to a new environment.]
I have known people to have great success with it in many situations and some for who it made no difference. It is also available in some pet stores as ComfortZone.

I can appreciate how difficult this must be for you, and the stress that it must cause for Bacchus and you. He has to heal from this procedure, and right now I would keep this in perspective. I don't think that this will have a major impact on your relationship with him in the longterm. I believe once he is healed and feeling better, the two of you will be on to better things.
I am certain you will find the consult with Chris extremely helpful.

Speedy Recovery to Bacchus!

Teresa

[YvonneGlen]

Thank you Teresa for your input. Between your posts and Chris being so kind and calling me back after my txt to help me sort it out, it has helped me de-stressed a bit and put it all in perspective. Especially with my husband being away again and not having anyone who truly understands both of your expertise helped me more than you know. Bacchus seemed a bit better today. I let him upstairs because that is the only way I can guage how much blood is seeping out (since our basement rug is a dark green). He is still bleeding but it's down to droplets now and not steady drops every second. So that's a good sign. His sac went down from a mango size to a grapefruit size but is still very swollen. His disposition is still distant. I did manage to get a couple of wag tails out of him this afternoon after I came home from being out for a couple of hours. I also decided to hand feed him today (this morning and just this evening) so he knows where his food comes from and to let him know I am on his side. He gladly took it. My mother came over this evening and he greeted her with his usual excitment for her as he always does; crying for her, going between her legs and giving her licks (a reception that I hardly get which is reserved only for a very few LOL). After his greeting he quickly went to lay back down and attend to his nether regions. He just does not want to be bothered so I am letting him be. He barked this evening which he has not done so for several days even with the garbage men he has been quiet. I have noticed that his bark is not a hearty, deep one but a very weak and soft one; one that does not resemble a strong GS at all but a sick and tired one.

Hopefully this will be the worst of it. I don't know. I am deciding whether I should have him go under the knife again to remove his sac if it does not dissipate within the next several days. Its just so huge and must be uncomfortable for him. I just don't know if I can go through this again or more importantly have him go through it again..

Oh and yes I had him in one of those cone of shame....and took it off this past Monday and replaced it with a blow up one that fits around his neck. I just recently took it off to see if he would go right for his wound. He will lick it after he eats, after from coming out from relieving himself and when he changes his position other than that he does not bother with it so I decided to take it off to make it more comfortable for him.

Thank you again..

[YvonneGlen]

So I decided to let Bacchus sleep upstairs last night seeming that I did not think he would bleed that much. I was wrong. I have two huge blood stains in my bedroom on my light beige carpet. I thought he would at least sleep on his bed. He ended up sleeping underneath it. I don't see how a vet can tell me this blood will reabsorb itself. The blood clot that is in his sac he so swollen still. I feel so bad banishing him downstairs and I know he hates it because he is such a family dog. Do I bring him back to have his sac removed or give it more time? Do you have any thoughts that may help me.

Thank you Teresa.

[Teresa]

HI Yvonne,

Unfortunately the swelling will take some time to go down on its own. Since he is not allowing you to touch the area then I am guessing that he won't allow you to apply a cold compress like an ice pack or frozen bag of peas to the area. This would help bring the swelling down. I have not heard of removing the sac. Although it sounds like functionally this would help, its also another procedure , and I don't know what the pain and complications from this could be. If the vet feels like it is healing ok and he is not in pain, I would allow his body to resorb the blood on his own as well. This may take a few weeks. The dripping should gradually stop. These don't always stay draining the whole time that they are healing.
My only other suggestion would be to put something on him like boxer shorts, but I think this may also be out of the question for him since it would require a lot of back end handling a few times a day (on and off for potty trips).

I think your best bet is to leave him downstairs or somewhere that is tiled and easy to clean. You can bring him upstairs for short periods of time in an area that's easy to keep clean like a tile floor (kitchen maybe). Try to keep things consistent for him so that he has some sort of new routine. This will help him remove some stress. Give him things to occupy his time when you are not around. Remember this is not a permanent situation.

Hope this all behind you soon.


Teresa

The other idea is to use thick drop cloth type material in a room that he is in. Not sure how functional this may be though.

[YvonneGlen]

He **finally** stopped bleeding!! He slept upstairs and there was not blood in the morning. I even gave him a belly rub this morning! I finally feel we're back on track and funny as it sounds I feel like I need to re-establish a bond with him for some reason. I gave him a well deserved bully stick this morning and he is happily chewing on it in the office. His spirits are much better and seems less stressed since he has been reunited with our family and back to his routine.



I can happily close out this thread!!! And get on with our re-training sessions in the coming weeks and then hopefully join the aggression management support group at the facility. And eventually get our female shepherd (Isis) down the road... Like I don't have enough to keep me busy! LOL

Thank you Teresa for ALL your support! Many blessings to you and have a fantastic weekend!

[Teresa]

SO happy to hear this good news. Glad to see handsome Bacchus looking so content chewing his bully stick and your office rug looking so ....beige

Happy Training!

Teresa