Your Friday Quickie * Pour Some Sugar On. . . The Dog????

It's exhausting being this cute while recovering.

It's Friday!  And not just any Friday.  It's the Friday of a three day weekend!  Can I get a "whoop whoop!" from everyone?  The Hubbs and I will be celebrating by going to see Lyle Lovett and His Large Band with some friends tonight at an outdoor concert after partaking in this week's Whole (craft)Cocktail recipe by The Whole Smiths.
But before we get to all of the festivities and frivolity, it's time for your Friday Quickie.  

Maybe it's just exhausting being this cute all the time.

As some of you may know, it's been a crazy month at Casa Callahan.  There was the water issue (yet to be resolved).  The crafting extravaganza (tie-dyes, coozies and Clorox).  And our Irish Setter, who goes by many nicknames (The Red Dog, Boubbs, Smitters, Smitts, Smitteroo, Smitty) but who's official name is Smithwick Ronan Callahan (after the Irish Beer Smithwick's), had surgery to remove part of the end of his tail.  

I have no idea how that is comfortable, but apparently it is because he sleeps like this ALL the time.

He had something the vet called "Happy Tail."  He would get so happy when someone came home or something exciting was going on, that he took his whip-like tail (it's been known to leave not only a welt but also a bruise when you get hit by it) and whacked is on whatever was near (a wall, his crate, his dog-sister Lark). So much so, that he'd worn off the hair at the end and weakened the skin.  Which resulted in it popping open almost every time he hit it on something.  I swear if CSI were to come Luminol our house, they'd be convinced there had been a murder there.  The tail would pop open and he would wag blood EVERYWHERE.  

Curiosity about what goes on in that tub thing and Lark photo bombing.

It was getting pretty bad and we were worried about infection (and running out of peroxide to get the blood out of everything), so we finally gave in and agreed to have a part of the end amputated.  We thought it would be a slam dunk and he'd be back to good in no time.  That's what the vet said.  Piece of cake.  Nope.  No such luck.  It got infected and we've been battling to save what's left of his tail and more recently to get good healing at the wound site.  

One of the many attempts to keep him from banging it on stuff.  Under the wrap is a pool noodle.

We've made lots of trips to the vet and given up on the crappy vet hospital that originally did the surgery (they SUCKED and the vet YELLED at him several times during check ups.  What kind of vet yells at a scared, hurt dog?!).  We've found a new vet hospital that we LOVE (not the use of not only bold but also underline and italics - yup.  We love them that much) and we love both of the vets there (Thanks, Shiloh Animal Hospital and Drs. Alley and Kleisch).  Not only have they saved Smitts' tail but they've done great things for our lab-mix Lark who has horrible allergies (remember, she's the one I made the homemade dog food for).
The latest trick they've given us is nothing short of miraculous.  The wound was healing slowly and not as well as we were hoping and so on a follow up visit with them, Dr. Alley suggested we try a sugar wrap.  I knew that sugar was considered a holistic healing tool and had antimicrobial properties but it never occurred to me to use it on the tail.  

We dunk the end of his tail at the wound site in regular old white sugar and then wrap it up each day and the transformation has been amazing.  What had been inflamed and raw is now healing nicely.  So much so, that we have hope for the first time in a month that things may return to normal for poor Smitteroo.  

Our patient resting quietly (for once).  Note the contraption taped to his tail to keep him from whacking it on stuff and his "frankencone" because he's so bendy and can reach his tail in a regular cone.  

You can read more about using sugar on wounds here and here.  Dr. Alley said she first heard of it being used in nursing homes to treat bed sores.  Apparently it's been used as a healing tool for more than a thousand years before the time of Christ.  People call me weird and tell me I'm a tree hugger, but I continue to say there's something to these old time remedies and we shouldn't count them out.  

So, go ahead and have fun during these last few Dog Days of Summer (I couldn't resist).  And if you get a little scruffed up, just throw some sugar on it.  
Thanks to all of you that have already visited the new "This Is The Life I Have Chosen" storefront.  There's all kinds of good stuff on there now.  Gear for men, women and kids, as well as pets, electronics and even your home (I'm in love with the "If Not Now Then When" lamp).  
Have a great holiday weekend and as always, you're welcome.