see'n'spots
north central Florida
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Posts:334
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| 07/03/2012 10:32 AM |
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Dog Park incident at dusk. Coon hound rottie mix at fenced, Off Leash, park is agressive to other dogs & owners keep it on choke chain. My always friendly, free running, GSP (Kal)gets too close & is attacked, but defends himself. After pulling dogs apart they immediately turn away & begin to leave. Upon examining Kal I find blood on hands. Ask if their dog is OK, can't tell who's blood, they don't reply. So I go to water spigot & hose blood off Kal's chest, but in fading light don't see wound. When I get to truck interior light quickly reveals 1" rip in ear dripping blood.
My vet doesn't respond, it's Sunday night, only option is Emergency Vet, who uses topical anesthesia, 4 staples to close wound, bandages ear/head & antibiotics. Bill is $242, don't get home until 2 AM & need to return next week to remove staples.
Question is: Should owners of other dog be responsible for vet bill, or any part of it? |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
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Posts:7921
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| 07/03/2012 10:47 AM |
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| I think they should if their dogs attacked your dog, but I bet they will say their dog didn't do it and if you have no witnesses you are out of luck. I would however let the owners of the dog park know what happened. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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tgatto
Lake in the Hills, IL
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Posts:420
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| 07/03/2012 11:17 AM |
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I really don't like Dog Parks. My opinion is that Dog Parks are for people who don't want to socialize, or train their dogs; and trainers who want to drum-up business (or at least that may be a good business model for a trainer  ). I totally realize that a lot of people in Dog Parks do train, and socialize their dogs. It is just amazing how a bad apple can spoil a bunch! In all seriousness, I hope your dog is Ok. I understand your feelings. |
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It is watching the dogs work that I thoroughly enjoy, and love. I could get by with just watching them work - if it weren't for all the training, and the joy they exhibit when they pick-up, and deilver to hand a bird that they pointed, and you shot. - Todd |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
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Posts:1216
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| 07/03/2012 11:20 AM |
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I don't get why people with aggressive dogs insist upon taking them to public places. Yes Yes, I understand desensitization, but having an aggressive dog, on lead, on a choke, where other dogs are running freely is just not the best way to start.
Unfortunately in this case...I don't foresee willing participants in taking over your bill. 1. they didn't bother apologizing or talking with you after to insure both were OK 2. didn't so much as bother responding to you when you asked if their dog was OK and 3. they can easily claim that their dog was on leash and yours was not, so yours was to blame.
I worry for Bella's safety as she is almost too happy go lucky for her own good. She rarely stands up for herself which I think makes her a double target (a non dominant eager to meet happy thing). Sometimes I see even dogs I wouldn't consider dominant targeting her almost as if they just think they can. I don't want her to be aggressive or overly dominant, but I wish I could get her to stand up for herself a bit. |
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weerubbertummy
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Posts:730
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| 07/03/2012 11:39 AM |
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I'm so sorry for what happened - you'd think that people have dogs because they love them, and so they would be more considerate of other people's dogs. I hope he's ok!
When i first joined this forum i thought dog parks sounded like a great idea (we dont generally have them over here) but i've come to realise they're so very risky, but that they're the only option for some. I'm kinda glad that Keely's really submissive as she generally lies down to other dogs and doesnt present herself as a threat, which diffuses some potentially bad experiences.
Are the dog parks publicly or privately owned? |
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Miss you forever Kintra baby xxx |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
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Posts:1015
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| 07/03/2012 11:47 AM |
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UGH I am so sorry - but I doubt you will have any success getting them to pay part of the bill. Clearly their dog doesn't belong there if it is on a leash and CHOKE chain. Total asses and dangerous for others and their dog
Mostly I hope your dog heals up well - ears can take a good long time to heal 
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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Nancy D
No. Lower MI - Gaylord Area
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Posts:857
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| 07/03/2012 3:57 PM |
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I'm so very sorry to hear Kal got hurt, but to answer your question, I totally agree with Texas Belle's reply. I very much doubt that you would get any satisfaction or response from the other party.
I have never taken my dogs to a dog park for that very reason, plus not knowing if the other dogs are utd on vacs in case of an incident like this. |
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Smylinacha
Connecticut
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Posts:1208
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| 07/03/2012 6:41 PM |
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| Poor Kal! Unfortunately I don't think the other dogs owners will pay up and I agree about notifying the dog park. In the beginning we took Windsor to the dog park in town. He was never attacked but there were other things going on we didn't like.....gates get left open, big huge dogs in the small dog area, drunks. Also our friends dog was just atttacked there recently and he has a pit that was attacked by another pit. Another friend of mine had her dogs ear shredded in a fight at another park. They either go hiking with us or stay home. |
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see'n'spots
north central Florida
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Posts:334
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| 07/03/2012 11:14 PM |
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Interesting, so far consensus suggests the aggressive dog's owners "should" take responsibility, BUT aren't likely to.
Took Kal back to dog park, on way to vet to get wound examined & have bandage removed or changed. Cadre of regulars got to hear story, commiserate & voice opinions. Most knew the aggressive dog (Duncan) & majority attitude mirrored what's been posted here.
Debate about the wisdom, utility, safety & choice of visiting dog parks isn't of much interest to me. Have nearly 20 years of good experience at this particularly convenient county park. Kal absolutely loves the dog park & enjoys his canine friends, just as I enjoy the people. Where I live in Florida venomous snakes & mature alligators are facts of life & in very close proximity. My 17 acres abut 23,000+ acre wildlife refuge & a state park. Kal killed his 1st cottonmouth last fall & year before caught his 1st alligator on my lot. We encountered a 12' alligator walking to mailbox. There are feral hogs here & last week we saw Black bear treed. Relatively speaking the dog park is a safe haven.
Discussing how to treat ear wounds is far more important. Kal's ear had not healed as well as hoped. Moments after vet removed bandage Kal enthusiastically shook his ears & reopened wound. There was also the telltale odor of yeast infection in ear canal. Not directly related to the dog bite, vet dubbed it a "bandage complication" from the tightly wrapped bandage closing off ear & high humidity. Suspect vet could've anticipated this & cleaned/pretreated the ear.
So instead of rapid healing & being free of annoying bandage, Kal got his head wrapped up again, this time w/ear opening exposed & a tube of oinment to knock out more annoying yeast infection. Go back to vet Friday w/fingers crossed. |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
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Posts:1015
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| 07/04/2012 6:32 AM |
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there was a thread on here about how to get an ear tear to heal but I don't know how far back it was - perhaps someone else will be able to locate it.
A friend with a weim had a heck of a time getting it to heal and it wasn't wrapped or stapled because that rarely works (sorry). I'll contact her and find out what finally worked because I remember it was a long haul.
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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gharner
Middletown, PA
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Posts:565
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| 07/04/2012 11:24 AM |
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Dax cut up his ear back in the fall, but it sounds like it wasn't quite as bad as Kal's. In Dax's case bandages didn't stay on too well and i had to super glue it. The glue held and kept the ear from bleeding all over the place until it healed. Sorry about the incident you had and good luck with the ear.
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Smylinacha
Connecticut
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Posts:1208
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| 07/04/2012 11:46 AM |
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Ahhh, wildlife in Florida! Yes, you do deal with a ton of dangerous critters out there!
Windsor gets those yeast infections in his ears now and then. I have to clean them every other day. It seems to get worse on humid days. We just had him at the vet for shots and she cleaned them better than I did and he's on the ointment now too - he hates it. Our other gsp doesn't get any infections at all and her ear canals are tiny compared to Windsor's and also he has allergies. He's on grain free but I still think the humid summer days effect him because he has no problems in the fall and winter.
Well I hope someday when you are at the Park, that bully dog's owner will come up to you and at least give you an apology. At least others at the park are aware of this dog too. If I had an aggressive dog, I wouldn't take it to the park. Not fair to all the other dogs and owners there. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
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Posts:7921
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| 07/04/2012 1:49 PM |
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For those having problems with yeast infections in your dogs ears try using DermaPet Otic. I had cockers for years and they are notorious for ear problems. My bet at the time recommended this stuff regularly and I never had any more problems.
Here is a link for off of amazon: www.amazon.com/DermaPet-Malacetic-Otic-Skin-Cleanser/dp/B00076KPS4
As for the ear wound the best way to get it to heal with with the ear wrap like your vet is using. I would probably also use some EMT Gel on it too (that is like a liquid bandage and you can get it at gundogsupply.com). Use gauze and vet wrap for the bandage as it is not so air tight. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
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Posts:1015
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| 07/04/2012 2:53 PM |
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this is what my friend with the weim said re the ear injury:
For his ear. That's a flipping bear. TAPE IT. Use bandaid brand large bandage, sterile pads and wound cushion tape (you HAVE to use a name brand, generic does not work. Trust me. I tried!!!) be careful to make it loose enough when around the edge of the ear, or it will rub and cause another sore. I figured out a way to get it on solid and then when I needed to clean the wound I'd clip the bottom open of the bandage, put fresh sterile pad in and put in a bit more antibiotic ointment and then re-seal it along the bottom with the cushion tape. Then you only need to re-do the whole bandage every three days (unless it gets wet.) keep the dressing on until it is completely healed. It sucks, but if you don't it will re-open. |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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see'n'spots
north central Florida
MH
Posts:334
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| 07/06/2012 11:21 AM |
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Update: Vet used 5 staples to close Kal's ear wound. Was bloody mess. Found blood flung on panel TV & French doors. The new bandage didn't hold up to Kal's attempts to scratch ear, even w/2 socks pulled over foot & taped at ankle. He managed to drag part of his ear out thru hole in bandage in middle of night & his distress woke me up. Decided I had to remove bandage, worried circulation could be cut off as it was & that I'd better have a look at wound. It looked good & Kal was much happier w/o head/ear wrapped. Put some antibiotic ointment on. Talked w/vet, won't take him back in until next week to have staples removed.
Note that I have no qualms about the quality of bandages vet used, but would school them on technique. Three basic components, several wraps of gauze were covered w/semisticky elastic gauze (that sticks to hair, yet EZ to remove) forming a sock over bandage. Then bands of stretchy tape fore & aft secured it. They didn't use enough tape to close bandage, overlap was just couple of inches & placed right where it was EZ for Kal to scratch at it. As a result both bandages quickly began to come undone. Was able to save both by adding strips of duct tape.
Haven't seen Duncan's owners at Dog Park. They're a nice family, either parents or college age son bring 2 dogs, the other an extremely skittish Plot hound that I've been helping socialize. They bring microwaved hotdog bit treats, which were involved in Kal's injury. Still don't know if Duncan was hurt? Kal's not aggressive, but will fight back. He can change from Gumby to the Alien in a split second.
Kal never had yeast infection in ear before & enjoys regular ear cleaning. He leans into deep gentle probing of ears while cleaning & often moans. High heat/humidity after record FL/Debby deluge, coupled w/tight bandage closing off ear & vet's failure to clean ear first, no doubt conspired to allow ever present yeasts to multiply.
Thanks for tips about using super glue, liquid bandage & bandaid brand vs. generic, but IMHO the size & bleeding of this wound plainly required a vet's attention. Vet prohibits owner beyond exam room & left saying he was going to stitch/suture wound, so I was surprised by change to staples. Perhaps Kal is a special case, he's fond of shaking his ears like whips & doesn't wince if they smack on end table. When using foot to scratch ear you'd think his claws would shred it. |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
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Posts:1015
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| 07/06/2012 1:22 PM |
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Hopeful it works - I can only say that my friend with the above weim started with staples but it wouldn't heal and he's a young very healthy weim.
She texted me after that email stating she had no idea why only the name-brand worked but it was true
Like I said good luck for your boy's sake |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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Smylinacha
Connecticut
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Posts:1208
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| 07/07/2012 1:51 PM |
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What about wrapping "athletic tape" over the wound? duct tape is awesome but hard to take off? When I got my roadrash on my right palm, I used neosporin, a huge Bandaid (brand), some elastic wrap and then sealed it with Athletic tape around it and it kept it in place really well. I could go all day and then change the dressing at night and shower in the morning and put a new one on - did that for 2 weeks. Now I just have scars on my palm - everything closed up really well.
Velvet pulled all her staples out of her leg when she was injured - we had just gotten her and she came to us with a gaping wound that wouldn't heal. We used liquid Bandaid for that - kept putting it on and she wouldn't lick it. Then when she was spayed she tore all her stitches out. Never a dull moment w/ her. But she's a tough one, keeps on going! Windsor, on the other hand, whines at every little bump or bruise - he is very vocal and sensitive - can't really do much with him LOL but I love him just the same! |
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see'n'spots
north central Florida
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Posts:334
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| 07/08/2012 4:13 PM |
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Note: Vet used staples a week ago. I used duct tape on top of vet's less sticky bandage, not on fur & it was EZ to get off.
Kal's ear is healing nicely, virtually no puffyness left, amazingly he hasn't ripped wound open again. Yeast infection has cleared up. Still haven't seen Duncan's owners at Dog Park.
By Wednesday Kal should be ready to have staples removed. Am tempted to save another costly, time consuming trip to vet & DIY. Googled the topic & found polarized opinions, as well as misinformation. Debate cutting staples & plucking halves out, or obtaining staple removal tool. Part of the online BS included pic of ordinary office staple remover! Suggestions that it's EZ to buy special tool on eBay defied my search. Liked bushman's guide, basically just grit teeth & Go For It.
Wonder what shorthairs.net's collective opinion is? |
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Smylinacha
Connecticut
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Posts:1208
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| 07/08/2012 6:59 PM |
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| Well if the vet is gonna use the same staple remover and you are confident doing it, why not? Just have some Liquid Bandage ready. I hate doctors and try to fix everything myself when IT get hurt, cept for my gallbladder which comes out the 23rd......freaking out over going to a hospital lol. We use Liquid Bandage a lot on Velvet. |
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sheilak
Rocklin, CA
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Posts:269
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| 07/08/2012 10:20 PM |
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| My grand pup got bit on the ear last year. Bella needed a couple stitches and the vet wrapped her ear with vet tape I believe, around her head, so that the ear could not flop around. Also he put the cone of shame on her. It took a few weeks but healed completely. Good luck with your pup, hope it heals soon, sorry that it happened. |
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