Splint Stint

So, as mentioned in the previous post, Squee got a splint, today. The vet cautioned me that the most important thing, so far as splint care went, was making sure the splint stayed dry. "A wet splint is like wearing a soggy gym sock," he warned, "and it can literally rub the skin right off of her entire leg." So, then, this was me:

And I promised several times that I would not let Squee's splint get wet, because I agreed that her skin was just right exactly where it was. We headed home from the specialty vet, which is about an hour drive, and I carried Squee into the house and set her down. She wasn't a fan of the splint, as it made her hold her leg differently, and she wasn't sure how to manage. But, after a couple misses, she got herself over to the water bowl and had a nice long drink. After which she immediately lifted up her splinted leg and plunged it elbow deep into the water. And then, this was me:

Okay, no, wait, I thought as I snatched Squee from the water bowl far too late. I can salvage this! I rushed her into the bathroom and got out my blowdryer. How much time did I have before her flesh would start peeling away?! Thirty seconds surely wasn't too long, was it? I began blowdrying, but if you've ever had a pet with a splint, or endured a splint yourself, you know the trouble with this plan: splints are basically layers upon layers of bandage. I could dry the top, but I wasn't making a dent in the soggy inner layers that were the real concern. So I tried to unwrap a layer or two to dry further down. Finally, with Squee thoroughly sick of my antics, the wrappings were dry again. I wrapped the bandaging back up and set Squee loose, proud of my ingenuity... until I looked behind be to see her hobbling happy along, sans splint. She'd yanked the whole sucker clean off. So, this was me:

Back we drove an hour to the specialty vet. And fifteen minutes later, with a fresh new splint in place, back home we went, again. Believe me, Squee will not be drinking water unattended for a while!

Just a reminder, if you would like to help Squee on her path to better leg-dom, please click here to donate!