Boy it’s been an eventful 3 days! Mostly we were taking care of Topaz…on Friday morning he had the mass on his leg removed as well as a teeth cleaning. The mass is being biopsied and I’ll have the results next week. However, there is no evidence at this point that is was anything but a benign cyst. While the procedures went very smoothly, there was much drama on Saturday concerning his staples.
Ouch.
When I picked him up from the vet, I was astonished to see that the incision was closed with staples instead of sutures. How interesting, eh? Apparently this is the norm these days, and is preferable to sutures for a variety of reasons. However, they do not pierce the skin, just hold it together.
Even on Friday he was remarkably mobile, and the lower third of the incision rests right over his knee joint. When I woke up Saturday morning, the lowest 2 staples were out. We went to the vet, who glued that part of the incision together. The incision was not bleeding and showed no sign of infection – the vet said it looked great and he was already starting to heal well.
We thought that was that, and he had been very good about not licking at it, so we left the e-collar off over the evening while he was laying with us on the couch. However, not too long after we were rustling around to go to bed, he had gotten at the wound and not only opened the glued portion but had managed to get out 2 more staples. Fully a third of the incision was open, but not bleeding, thank goodness. But it was a startlingly large open wound – it was hard to look at!
We took him to an emergency clinic at about 11pm, where they cleaned and re-stapled the incision all the way down.
He is now wearing the e-collar full-time, which as you can see he is not happy about. Hopefully, only a couple more days.
All this at home time does have knitting benefits, though. I finished up the store sample of French Girl’s Yvette in Rowan Ribbon Twist in “Rascal” (119)…
About 5.6 skeins (400ish yards) on US17 needles. I realized as I started this that it had been forever since I had used needles that large! I was surprised to find I felt a strain on my forearm tendons, almost more so than when I use very small needles! I ended up knitting this English style, which helped immensely.
Earlier this week I also started a Jemima sweater, from Anna Bell. (Also a Ravelry link.) I needed soothing stockinette in the round like a big old chocolate malt! This is a basic, loose-fitting raglan jumper in dk weight knit up to a worsted weight, to create a drapey, airy fabric.
I’m knitting the body in one piece, although the pattern is in pieces. I’m loving how the Rowan Cashoft DK works up at this larger gauge. And it’s fast going too!
On the bright side of this eventful weekend, in addition to plentiful knitting time, has been the post-Easter run on ready-to-bloom daffodil bunches at Trader Joe’s. At a price so unbelievable, I got some for every room. It is a rare and special luxury for us.
Aww, poor kitty. Give him a hug for me.
We’ve been getting bunches of tulips at 2 (bunches) for $6 — hard to resist for an instant burst of spring! Daffodils are great too, of course.
Topaz does not look thrilled about the e-collar. I’m glad the surgery went well though, despite all the visits to the vet for missing staples.
Your sample looks great!
There’s nothing quite like a determined cat! I hope he’s doing well now.
yikes, i know i wouldn’t have handled seeing that wound open! poor thing! hopefully all will be over soon!
i love Jemima! looking forward to seeing yours
Hopefully he will leave the rest of the staples in! Tucker had staples too when he had his rear dewclaws removed, and they came out as well – they ended up gluing it and it worked much better…..
Love the new projects – all so springy!
The cat does look decidedly miserable ;(
I wouldn’t worry too much about the incision though. I’ve had two surgeries that used staples to close the incisions. One was really large and they were removed in about a weeks time. It was painless so I’m sure Topaz will be fine.
This sounds so familiar! We have a dog walking around looking much the same. Poor things…so abused and misused. At least they should both be healed in a week and our trauma will be over.
Oh, poor baby! I know Topaz will be just fine. It’s so hard when our pets aren’t well. I just hate it. The knitting looks great as always!
Oh poor Topaz! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Beautiful daffodils! We had some in the house last week. They just scream “Spring!” to me!
Good luck Topaz, hang in there buddy!
Hope Topaz is doing better!
Ah, the ole cone of humiliation. I hope Topaz is surviving the indignity and healing quickly! *scritches*
Soothing stockinette…the balm for kitty woes any day.
Hope Topaz is feeling better. What store did you knit the sample for? Love all of Annabel’s designs – can’t wait to see how that comes out.
Hope Topaz is feeling better – it’s impossible to keep animals from staples, scrapes, or anything else they’re supposed to leave alone!
I’m sending lots of best wishes to Topaz for a rapid recovery!
I can’t wait to see your finished Jemima….I am busily knitting on the CPH…
You try to be reasonable with these cats, and they just won’t have it. So, the collar is the punishment. As sad as he looks, it’s still so darn cute! Yvette is smashing!
Yikes! I don’t blame Topaz for not being happy about that wound. He looks so pitiful in his collar. I hope he heals soon!!
aw, kitties in collars… poor dude
oh……poor kitty baby !!! we use staples on humans at work too !!! i think he is so upset because the collar is not knitted !!!! x0×0x
ohhh…that disgusted face above the collar. not good. poor poor kitten. hope he mends quickly!! does that lil soleil pester him??
Oh poor Topaz. I can’t help but giggle at him w/ the collar on though.
Poor Topaz! Dalton would never wear the e collar. He’d find some way to escape! Hopefully he heals quickly. Boy, I don’t miss being a vet assistant. You can’t believe some of the animals that had to come in because they wouldn’t stop licking their wounds. And those cones! LOL. HUGE!
I like the shade you are using for the Jemima pattern. I’ve had my eye on that pattern but I need to catch up on everything else!
Poor topaz. He looks quite sad in his ecollar. Hope he heals up well so he can get rid of the collar of embarrassment soon. Jemima is looking good!
Poor Topaz! I hope he heals quickly so that he can get rid of that annoying collar. Enjoy your daffodils!
Look at da poor puddy tat! Does he walk around backwards trying to scrape the collar off? One of ours did that. Very amusing to watch. Heal quickly, Topaz, so you are out of the hated collar quickly!