Poor Shae

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life. I slept in late. I lolligagged around just enjoying the day. And baby Jack (I mean Camron) was born! That sounds like a great day, doesn't it?

Yesterday was also a scary day for me. I happened to notice that my puppy's ear was not laying flat. She is a floppy eared dog, so her ears usually flop over neatly. However, I noticed that one of her ears was not folding properly.

I called her over to check it out. When I flipped her ear over, I found a huge hematoma. Now that was scary! It was so big that it was beginning to close over the hole in her ear.

Being a floppy eared dog, she's prone to ear infections. Usually she just scratches more and we know it's time to visit the vet for more meds. She's also been known to develop rash-like blotches on her belly and lower under region. It can usually tell when she's bothered by another infection as she will itch and shake her head a lot. She has been itching some but not enough that I was alerted or concerned by it.

So today I took her to the vet's office. I picked her up after work and spoke with the doctor. She will be having surgery on Friday and reduce the swelling of the hematoma by draining it. According to the doctor, it is a big blood blister. It can reduce in swelling on it's own, however, it could cause some problems for her later if it's not properly reduced. So, I opted for the surgical route. It will cost a little more, but at least I know it will be drained properly and shouldn't cause her any problems with hearing. It will also more likely heal better after surgery than it would if left to it's own devices.

Fortunately I have Friday off! I'll be able to take her to the hospital and pick her up early in the afternoon. Plus I'll be home for the weekend to help her with the healing.
Until then, she's on antibiotics to help ease the itching and redness.

Poor Shae!