From:
katharine
Date: 2001-07-28 18:51:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Adrenal Surgery
Trina wrote:
<One of my 5yr old males is undergoing exploratory
surgery for adrenal gland disease and
possible insulinoma...... <
I have one going in for adrenal surgery on
Tuesday. I've been through several adrenal (and
other) surgeries so I will give my opinion to your
questions. Others may do things differently.
<What preparations should I take for transporting
him home? Is his regular carrier going to
be okay? <
Yes. I just transport mine in a small carrier
with some blankets on the bottom. Just be gentle
when lifting him.
<I assume I should keep him separate from the
others <
Yes. I separate mine for a few days until I feel
their energy level is pretty normal. Some people
separate until the stitches come out (10-14 days)
but I've never found that necessary. I start
letting them interact (other than through the
cage) after a couple of days and once I feel the
patient is strong and can climb, I move him/her
back into the cage with the others.
The other reason to keep them separated for a
while is that they shouldn't climb. I have a
single level hospital cage that I use for this
purpose.
<How do I keep him from scratching and/or biting
at his incision? (I have aloe plants, and
most of you know, aloe tastes horrible! As far as
I know it's perfectly safe, plus it aids in
healing. What are your thoughts, or do you have
any other suggestions?) <
I've never had a problem with any of mine messing
with their incisions. And, remember, the outer
stitches are mostly cosmetic. My vet puts two
layers of stitches underneath. I would assume
that is routine procedure. Occasionally, toward
the end they may scratch a little (you know how
things healing will itch). I just use a little
NeoSporin (which is safe). I don't know whether
aloe is toxic so I can't comment on that.
<I use is Yesterdays news recycled paper pellets
for litter. Will that be sufficient, or should
I just have him use flat newspaper on the floor?
<
I have one of those corner, flat littler pans (no
lip in front) that I use in the hospital cage. I
just put a little bit of litter in it. Plain old
newspaper works too.
Animals make miraculous recoveries from major
surgeries. Just spoil him for a few days and
he'll be good as new. He may not eat the first
night and that's OK. You may want to moisten a
little of his kibble and warm it up to entice
him. Maybe even use Pedialyte for the liquid to
make sure he stays hydrated. Chicken baby food or
Hill's A/D are good also for a couple of days if
he likes them. I usually hand-feed mine soup for
a day or two until I'm sure they're eating on
their own.
Good luck. I'm sure he'll do well.
Katharine