|
| |
Sayler's Fourth Surgery and the Fixator
|
Christmas 2002 came and things looked good, the splint came off and Saylers activities were very restricted. We played “Grrrrrr” a lot. Early in February, I noticed Sayler was holding up her fused leg. I immediately took her to see Dr. Buback and left her at the Center so they could work her in for an x-ray. The doctor phoned me later that day and told me the plate broke and needed to be removed. Once again, I was beside myself. By this time, I had refinanced my home twice to consolidate the credit card bill from Sayler’s previous problems and expenses.
Dr. Buback told me that they would put an external fixator on and it would stabilize the joint for the fusion to continue. Not knowing what to do, I called her vet in Manitowoc and Dr. Conzemius in Iowa and they both recommended the procedure. |
 |
Dr. Buback scheduled it for 4 pm the following day. By 6:30 that night I was getting nervous, 7:30 I still hadn’t heard anything and the receptionist at the Center told me that Dr. Buback was still operating on Sayler. Finally, at about 8:30 pm, she called and said things were fine but because of the amount of callous build up in the plate it took a long time. The fixator went well. Two days later I was able to pick her up only to have her home for one night. She had the start of an infection so she stayed at the Center for another 5 days and I was taught how to change her dressing and clean around the pins of the fixator
 | The Fixator
I will never forget the first time I saw that contraption, I thought “Oh my God, what have I done to my baby, now” and then I remembered what the other veterinarians told me. They said that the fixator was easier than the plate and less painful. All the time I am just thinking that I just wanted Sayler to have a loving home, a good life and a chance to run like all the other dogs. | |
The fixator finally was removed in May, seven months after the initial fusion and more than a year from the 1st surgery. |
 |
|
 |
|
