Graphic Photo: Bama's Miracle Tailor

I'm finally caught up on this blog so people don't have to deal with long e-mails and picture attachments! Here's the news for today:

I thought you might find it interesting to learn about the creative approach the lead vet on Bama's team used to sew her up. In a previous posting, I mentioned that a couple of the vets told me he had used a technique that was similar to the way braces are gradually tightened. Today, I was able to watch a vet change bandages since it was Sunday and they were not open for other customers. Apparently, after the lead vet realized I wasn’t going to go to Virginia Tech and was relying on him for a solution, he went to Wal-mart and bought bright pink buttons, fishing line, and the little silver sinkers. I hope you are not squeamish and can look at the attached picture to see one of the wounds that uses this technique. It’s remarkable how much the wound in the picture has closed in a few days. Each day, the vets pull the string a little tighter through the sinker on the button. The sinker holds the thread against the button. Wow! Ingenious! I knew these were the right vets to help my little dog!

The vet today told me they never thought Bama would come back when her albumin level was so low. They thought she would die the same night that, out of desperation, I went to the gas station and bought her some yogurt. I don't know whether it was keeping her home, adding another antibiotic, feeding her yogurt to increase her protein level, or a combination of the three. I'm simply incredibly grateful that she is still with me.

Thanks for your interest in her story!