The "Ugh!" of Aftercare

And that's from Vida too.

It's clear now that one reason many dogs experience worse side-effects may be because they aren't getting the supervision and frequent interactions that I'm able to give Vida.

If I had to leave her alone all day she would have to wear a cone to keep her from scratching the area. She's getting away with a little bit, but it only takes one or two good scrapes with a nail to tear open the skin that's struggling to heal. I'm threatening her with a cone if she doesn't stop, and she hates my admonitions.

She also wouldn't get the frequent gel applications to her skin. When it dries out it gets itchy. It's also threatening (ok, more than threatening) to increase it's acreage on her chin. So I'm trying to apply it at least every two hours during the day. If she spends time outside with this wind it gets dry and itchy, so it looks like I'll be carrying a kit with me to a dog party this afternoon.

I don't know how one can really do good herbal work with singular recipes because circumstances vary so much. I'm changing her gel recipe today in response to the need for stronger and quicker healing of the skin (let's get this over with!).

3 t. irish moss simmered 5 min. in 8 oz water
this is poured over:
2 T. calendula
1 T. fresh comfrey leaf
1 T. yarrow
1/4 t. goldenseal
1/2 t. fresh sage
Let steep for at least 30 minutes (or until I get back to it, whichever is longer)
The resulting liquid is mixed 50/50 with aloe vera juice and stirred occasionally as it cools and thickens.

(I hope everyone hasn't lost basic cooking knowledge: lowercase "t" = teaspoon, uppercase "T" = Tablespoon)

This mixture adds more antibacterial and astringent oomph. I'm tired of green goo (Vida is too), and need to speed the healing. We'll see how it works.

Along these lines I'm also starting her back on two supplements: antioxidant capsules and PetLife. She's back on raw, still on tea and all her other goodies.

I'm also trying to use the Photonic on the wounds to speed up the healing. I say try because she's completely sick of any and all ministrations to the area, but luckily the red light therapy works well in short bursts. It's just trying to aim at at parts she's trying to hide while blocking her sightlines.

This is certainly a care situation that many owners could use help with simply because of the persistance required. Vida and I can't wait 'til it's over!