The bandages are off!

It’s been a big week for Riley.  On Thursday, I took him to the vet and we got some great news.  Riley doesn’t need to be bandaged anymore! We’re now focusing on drying out the foot a bit more and watching to make sure he doesn’t lick it too much.

Riley revealed! No more bandages!

The wound has now healed over completely – no more oozing, bleeding, or scabbing.  There’s a lot of fur growing in, but there is still a big pink scar in the middle. Only time will tell how that will heal.  He also doesn’t have much fur on his toes, and we’re not sure if that will grow back. The pads of his paw are really tender, mostly from being bandaged for several weeks, but also from being injured. The toes and nails also look quite mangled, but that’s probably from being squished in a bandage for a while. Every day we see improvements. He’s putting a lot of weight on the paw now, but we can tell it bothers him because by the end of the day he’s limping on three legs. Still, as always, he’s not letting it get in the way of his enjoyment of life!

Riley's paw - January 9

We’ve been putting a little bootie on his paw when he’s outside, and when he starts licking it too much. It’s been a couple of days now, and he’s started to ignore the paw a lot more, which is great.

Our next vet visit is in a couple of weeks, when he’ll be x-rayed again. We’ll know more about how he’s healing up and his long-term prognosis then. Photos of his paw healing can be found here (squeamish alert: the first few pictures are pretty gruesome).

This dog had boundless energy before, and with the bandages off, it seems like he feels like a new dog.  He’s constantly getting into trouble.  We’d forgotten what it was like to have such a puppy around.  Here’s the Riley damage tally as it stands right now:

1. Broom
2. Dustpan and small broom
3. Deck stair
4. Stuffed elephant
5. Quilt
6. Socks (at least 10)
7. Numerous bandages
8. Roll of duct tape
9. 2 dinner plates
10. Television cable
11. Living room floor (attempt without much success)
12. Stuffed monkey
13. Piano leg (no damage, we caught it in time)
14. Ribbons off gifts
15. One cedar bush

Riley is fascinated by the dogs next door.  I think if he could climb the fence to visit, he would. Below is a video I took of him over the holidays. He clearly loves life, and isn’t going to let something like a mangled paw get in his way!