Unfortunately, Mr. Z had another tough night. At this point he's lost so much fur that he has trouble regulating his temperature. Now I know why he likes to hang out on the back porch as much as he does - warmer temps. Last night was the first night that he cried in pain - it''s heartbreaking. I was in the other room when I heard him whimpering. I gave him a little extra pain meds and gave him a doggie massage on the unburned side of his body until it kicked in. After that he was able to get some sleep. Dr. Jefferson is getting Mr. Z some more pain meds - he's now on three!
This morning started off rough: he was once again in pain. I waited until the meds kicked in before giving him hydrotherapy treatment. The treatment stimulates his skin cells by irritating them, which in turn, helps them to regenerate, healing more quickly. His back leg (all the way around) is so raw that he kept turning away from the spray, but he licked my hand, I think to let me know that he understands that this will make him better - he always feels better afterwards! He's still losing a lot of skin and fur - after hydrotherapy I was patting him dry and a flurry of fur and skin came off - it looked like confetti. He also lost part of his ear today, which is heartbreaking. But, as I mentioned, he was very happy after the therapy and jumped at the chance to take a morning walk with "the pack". He still walks kind of sideways and uses his tail as a rudder to keep his balance, but it is so good to see him outside and enjoying himself. I would like to thank all of you for donating to his care and keeping him in your thoughts and prayers!
