First Aid for Phod

Sunday was a beautiful day so after the house was cleaned, we head to the beach. Phod was having a great time with his new water toy (more about that later this week) and even more fun when we realized his old water toy had been found and was waiting for him on the beach!

Phod's old water toy - found! 

I threw his old water toy and on the way back he stopped and lifted one of his paws up. I could tell instantly it hurt. He started to limp on it as the Man and I went to check it out. We quickly realized it was bleeding.

I will be the first to admit I don't do well with blood. I do better when I am alone and have to, but if someone else is there, I can't handle it, so Man had to be in charge . The Man did a quick check of it and nothing major appeared to be in it. While trying to decide what to do next (we were at the beach about 5 minute walk from home), Phod started walking well enough that we decided we could walk home. At one point on the way home Phod threw up a little, not sure if shock or if he had played too much fetch. 

The Man putting pressure on the pay

After leaving a trail of bloody prints from the beach to the house, the Man put Lee on her tie out on the tree, while I came in to get the first aid supplies.  We decided we would treat it outside. The Man did a great job (with a very resistant Phod) cleaning it out (so what the water at one point went everywhere). He applied pressure and we both worked to try and get Phod to relax (keeping pressure on a paw of a stressed dog is challenging). 

Paw with cream on it

As Phod was starting to relax, Lee got herself so tangled in the bush I had to go and get her out. She went in the house. (We needed to only be worrying about one dog at a time!)

Two tired pups! 

By this time Phod's paw had stopped bleeding, so we put some of the K9 Kelp moisturizing cream (which is good for cuts too!) on it. Then we let him in the house and after about 10 minutes, he curled up and went to sleep.

Then every time he got up it kept bleeding. We decided to wait until the morning to go to the vet. The Man took him to a new vet (one closer to us as Phod gets so car sick). The clinic may not have been thrilled that he showed up without an appointment but too bad! Overall, Man said this clinic was fine (and it saved us hours of driving so for minor things this is good)

Because of where it is, they can't really do stitches. They cleaned it out, gave him antibiotics because we don't what he stepped on. There is a spray to help it too. He needs to wear a sock when he goes outside to keep stuff out of it.

My poor boy! He should be back to his normal self in a few days. POTP that it doesn't get infected!