Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Blossom Update No. 2

Blossom 8-24-09

On Friday we went to the vet for Blossom’s last Class IV laser treatment. The treatment seems to have helped her quite a bit for it looks like her tail will be saved. The laser is not painful at all but rather very warming to the deep tissues of her body. When we arrive at the vet’s the technician places a towel up on the cold steel table and I lift blossom up there. Next the tech opens a box about the size of a brief case and takes out an instrument that looks like a black wand with a clear shield at the tip. The other end is attached by a cable to a meter which has various settings. After donning special glasses to protect our eyes the tech turns the machine on and it whirrs and hums while a thin beam of light emits from the other end. The tech passes the wand back and forth and up and down over the area to be treated. In this case she is treating Blossom’s rump and spine, so the wand passes over her back in steady rhythm. She cannot linger in any one area too long or the beam could burn Blossom’s tissues instead.

Blossom has no fear of the machine and after awhile she usually lays down and relaxes. The treatment only takes about 3 to 1o minutes and the theory behind it is that the warmth of the laser stimulates the tissue and brings blood to the area which promotes healing. The rays emitted are in various frequencies and the settings are determined by what type of animal you have and what you are trying to accomplish. There are different settings for wound healing than for muscle soreness and different settings for a horse than for a small 15 pound dog!


Blossom with her happy tail curled over her back 4-5-2008

Blossom with her happy tail 4-5-08


Blossom with her tail as far as it will go now 8-24-09




While Blossom’s tail looks like it will be saved, a new issue has arisen. Small wounds have started to open on her rump from the impact of the other dog’s teeth. At first one appeared last week, then another. Right now there are about 5 of them and the vet says it is because the tissue is dying from the impact and pressure of the attacker’s teeth. As a result Blossom is on her second round of antibiotics to keep her from infection. She is also on a daily laxative to prevent any pain when she has a bowel movement. At first you could tell this was a problem for her and it was painful to eliminate but now things seem to be normal. She will be on the laxative for at least a month and she may have to be on it for the rest of her life. We go back to see the vet this Friday so he can check on the wounds on her rump. For now she is mostly normal and her tail goes higher every day. She still likes to go for walks, but we are so wary and our hearts clench whenever we see another person walking towards us with a big dog or small. Blossom could not withstand another attack and neither could we.

One side affect of all of this is the guilt we feel for not being able to protect her. Gus constantly recriminates himself for not protecting her but I remind him that he saved her life. If her had let go of her for even an instant that dog would have shaken her and she would be dead. As for me, I chide myself for being so useless. All I did was scream like a girl. I am usually good in a crisis and can think on my feet. I am usually the one who reacts first and falls apart later, but this time I just screamed like I have never screamed before. I frequently have dreams where I am in grave danger but I cannot scream. I have often wondered what would happen in real life. Well, now I know that I CAN scream, but I wish I had done something a bit more useful.


For more information on the use and science behind Class IV Laser go to the


They have an excellent demonstration video as well as in depth information on how this therapy works.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

sending healing thoughts to Blossom.
Its tough to see any loved one suffering

shraddha

Q said...

Bless her heart and yours!
So happy she is recovering....
Such a trauma!
Enjoyed catching up with you this evening.
So sorry you had to go through this.
Sherry

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

I hope your little Blossom continues to improve and that you and Gus can find some peace of heart.

Gaelyn said...

I'm so glad Bloosom is responding positively to the treatments. Dogs are so resilient. During a confrontation between my dog and a Buvea all I could do was scream. And was probably tramatized longer than my dog. Does put us on guard. Hope Gus' hand is OK.

Bernie said...

Amazing the treatments they have and what they can do now for our pets....it gives me a good feeling knowing how well cared for and loved this little dog is. You and your husband are wonderful pet owners and should not feel any guilt whatsoever, Gus did all he could and as you said he saved Blossoms life.....I am happy for all of you and so very pleased how well everything is going. Take care and thank you for the update.
Prayers and Hugs......:-)

Kathie Brown said...

shradda, thank you for those healing thoughts.

Q/sherry, thanks for stopping by. It was a hard thing to go through but we are all healing in one way or another.

Lynne, you are so sweet! We are trying to find peace but I think there may be a can of mace in our future for protection on our walks.

gaelyn, well, I'm glad to know I am not the only one who screams! Gus' hand is healing nicely. All things considered, he is doing well. Thank you for asking.

Bernie, thank you for your kind and reassuring words. Thank you for the prayers and virtual hugs!

Beth said...

I'm glad the entire family is healing. Go Blossom!

Beth

Larry said...

Poor dog-At least Blossom knows she is cared for by two people that love her.

Unknown said...

What a brave girl she is! She has the best mom in the world. xxooo

Dawn Fine said...

Poor little Blossom! I hope she heals well and soon! I know how you feel..went thru similar situation with my cat..always blaming myself.
But, truly you did the best you could do..
thank goodness you got her away from that dog.
Take care and healing wishes to you all.

Q said...

Hi Kathie,
A quick responce to the Paco-Vicuna yarn I knit with. It is very soft and I understand those that have trouble with other wools do just fine withthe Paco-Vicuna.
I buy my yarn from Hickory Ridge Farms. They have a web site.
Hope that helps some.
Sherry

Ruth said...

I missed the post about the dog attack and have gone back and read about it. How awful! I am glad Blossom is recovering and hopefully your vet bills are being covered by the owners of the other dog. I have used laser on my patients too, but there are higher powered units out now which I haven't worked with.

Kathie Brown said...

Hey Beth! Nice to see you again!

Larry, she is definatley cared for and loved!

Nancy, thank you! What a nice thing to say!

Dawn, it is a hard thing and it's even harder not to blame yourself. That helpless feeling is so horrible!

Sherry, thanks for that info. I was just curious since I can't wear regular wool.

Ruth, yes, the vet bills are being covered by the owners of the ohter dog. They have been very responsible. They feel just awful themselves. Thank you for your concern.

Deb said...

What a dear little heart she is, I'm glad you updated us and that she's improving, despite the setbacks. I know it must be a constant struggle between your head (knowing you could have done nothing) and heart (feeling you should have) regarding her attack. Blessings to you all!

Mary said...

Amazing what medical science can do now. Sorry about Blossom's problems and hope this works. I just went back and read about what happened....how awful for all of you. My prayers are with you and your dog.

DeniseinVA said...

Hi Kathie, first of all I think you and Gus were amazing under the circumstances and you should definitely not reproach yourselves. These attacks happen in a matter of seconds even though they seem so much longer at the time, and there is barely any time to react. From the sound of it you have a brilliant vet and Blossom is getting lots of good care. I'm sorry about her wounds opening again and I send loads of good thoughts and prayers for a fast healing. Bless little Blossom for all she's been through, and you and Gus too.

Celeste said...

Poor little Blossom, she is so lucky to have you both caring for her so carefully. I can't imagine a more horrific experience and I am just so glad that you are all recovering from it. Please don't punish yourselves with what you could have or should have done, Blossom couldn't have more devoted owners.