Feeding Tube is Out!

This afternoon we received a call from Dr. King. He said that Caine is really getting enough water from his food for maintenance. Caine is getting all of the water he needs from the canned food, except for just 2 fluid ounces. He said that we can come now and get the tube out! I was so happy! My face just lit up. We hopped in the car and were at the vet about 7 minutes later. Once we walked in, he was weighed, and he he now weighs 66 pounds! Gained one more pound. Dr. King gave him a pain killer that would take effect in about 10 minutes, and we definitely saw when it started working. Caine became glassy eyed and just sat there.

I elected to leave the exam room when Dr. King removed the tube, but Mom and Ryan stayed inside. They both said it took a lot of force to remove the tube, which had a piece of foam on the inside. You first cut the tube to deflate the foam piece, but then it still has to squeeze through the tiny incision hole. Caine did jump a bit when that happened, but Dr. King didn't want to give him to much pain medication. Mom said that it didn't leak too much when the veterinarian pulled it out, which is good. In the experience she had, stomach contents have splattered all around!

After Dr. King pulled the tube out, Ryan called me back into the room to sit with him while his bandage was placed. The incision did not look that bad. It was a lot smaller than we anticipated, maybe between the size of a pea and a marble. It seemed to start healing immediately, to the point where you could almost see it closing. The body is an amazing thing.

We go back tomorrow for the doctor to check the bandage (that we might take off tonight if it really bothers him) and then he'll go next week for a urine test to make sure he has enough water in his system.

Take a look at his pictures at the vet. In one he is giving Dr. King kisses, and that was before he took the tube out. After he took the tube out, Caine didn't want to have anything to do with him! Caine is now asleep on the couch.


I want to say thank you to Leslie Cruz and the Early Act Club of Brookwood School District 167. Her club of middle and junior high school students rolled 36 cans of canned food into meatballs after school yesterday! Thank you so much! It is very appreciated. They even agreed to do it again. I guess the students had a fun time playing with the dog food!

Thank you again for your generous donations. Caine is doing well and the donations of money, shirts, and love are helping. We are hoping to hear from the shredder company very soon, but I guess we'll see.