Trust your gut

March 2025

This month we want to focus on the importance of trusting your gut and seeking a second opinion when your furry family members are in pain or just generally aren't themselves.

This is Sheldon.

He is a little accident prone

Last year he had a sore leg. 

His parents took him to the vet and they referred him for an xray. The xray showed no abnormalities. He was still limping and generally being grumpy. 

After not to long, an abscess formed on the same leg, so he went back to the vet.  The abscess was drained, and he was given antibiotics and pain relief. 

On one of our dog walks, not to long after the procedure, I noted that the sore on his leg looked a bit red and 'angry'. He also growled and lunged at his brother getting out of the van which was uncharacteristic for Sheldon. 

Again, not to long after this walk, I did a home visit for Sheldon and his brother Augie. I noticed Sheldon's sore and skin on his leg had changed colour (not in a healthy way) and he was grumpy when I touched it. I cleaned it with saline, and bandaged it up so he couldn't lick it. I was back the next day for another visit, so I could check on it then. I also took a photo so we could compare it if required. 

The next day, I took down the dressing and took a photo to compare to the day before. It was pretty much the same, but all my nurse intuition told me that something wasn't right. By this stage, Sheldon had completed 1 course of antibiotics and was a few days into a second round (which should have cleared any infection) however his skin was still discoloured. It just didn't add up. 

I reached out to a vet contact for a second opinion, who suggested to go back to the vet and get them to explore under the skin, which I agreed with (that's what you would do with a person). The next day, Sheldon's owners took him back to the vet to get checked out. I had told his owners to not take no for an answer and to get them to explore the area. The staff at the vet weren't overly concerned about Sheldon's leg. They explained away why the skin was discoloured, but again it just didn't make sense to me. Lucky his owners pushed to have the area explored. 

So the next day, Sheldon goes back to the vet, and they explore the area. Guess what they found??? A grass seed popped out. 

So after weeks and weeks of Sheldon being uncomfortable and being in pain we finally had answers. 

Why am I telling you this story?

I just wanted you all to know that if something doesn't add up or make sense, make sure you ask questions. If it still doesn't make sense, please go and get a second opinion. If left untreated, ultimately Sheldon could have lost his leg. 

I am grateful I have medical knowledge to help my clients when needed. 

Cheers

Rachel