Salty's injury from an attack

April 25, 09 My total bill is $603 for Salty. He is healing up well now as the front left leg wound has scared together. His stomach wounds are not showing any sign of infection either. Photo of Salty taken in Feburary 2009 Update-I called on Monday because since Salty's emergency visit Saturday at 5pm, due to his front leg wound opening, again opened Monday morning after taking off his head cone about midnight Sunday. He had been licking at his wounds all night while I was asleep. They could not get him in till Tuesday and he had one staple left in the center of the wound. A small amount of infection was noticed. He was put on additional anti-biotic pills. Now the new staples were glued also. His stomach wounds are healing great, and now his front leg wound is healing. He will be seen again on Monday and I am keeping his head cone on till then.

Update Mar. 29 - Salty's new staples for his shoulder (see below with cost), now have him doing as well as possible. The Veterinarian removed his tube drains/stitches. His stomach had been swollen at the beginning. Now that fluid is gone and the anti-biotics, and my washing and applying a cloth for 10 min. with Epsom Salts that had been boiled and then made just warm for Salty. To see him healthy, though having to endure the head cone while the stomach and shoulder heal more, is beyond what I could hope for. To have my dog survive and look forward to many more years.
On Wednesday,March18, Salty and I were walking our usual walk up and down the lane in front of my house. Salty has a leash every time. My home is the only one on the lane that is connected to the Spillway Rd. blacktop. When we got to the end of the lane near the blacktop I saw a 160 lb. bull mastiff type dog approaching us. He came right up to Salty and attacked him. I could not get the damn dog off Salty and kicked him which did nothing. He was shaking Salty with my dog's back on the ground, nearly tearing out his guts. Finally the dog let go. I was yelling as loud as I could at it to make it leave. It came at Salty again and my hand got mixed in trying to break the dog away and I was severely cut on my right small finger and bleeding. After the second attack the large dog stepped back. I made a fist with my left hand and hit it in the side of the mussel as hard as I could. I kept screaming at the dog to leave. It just backed away a little as it kept starring at me and Salty. Finally it backed a little more, but did not want to leave. It left heading toward my home, up the lane, and out into the fields out of sight.
It was about 4:15 p.m. and I got Salty in the car to get to the Veterinarian. Right before the Veterinarian was a State Police car doing an arrest at the edge of a shopping mall. I just rolled my window down and showed my bleeding hand, but there was an arrest taking place and I was told to park away across the parking lot. Another State Trooper came and after 15 minutes he began to pull out and looked over at me and I held up my hand. He came over and took my information. I then headed to the Veterinarian before 5 p.m. closing. Salty needed to be kept overnight and have tubes in his bite wounds. Then I went to the emergency room in Carbondale, and was sewn up and was told they would notify the Williamson County Animal Control. Bi County Health Dept. phoned me Thursday morning as well as Animal Control and the State Trooper left me a message on my answering machine confirming that he notifying them also. He was concerned and wished me well on my injured hand and Salty before the machine cut off. I was instructed by Animal Control to look for the dog's home so they could issue a response to the owner.  still wearing his head cone. The skin did not stay together. Saturday 5 pm-Emergency visit at another available on call clinic was $156.