Brac Update

Well today is the day of the Newham show and as expected 'hope-along' and I are at home.
I mentioned he was being really good at not chewing his bandage. Well he is but this is a border collie we are talking about here and no body ever told him he couldn't lick it! Thursday I gave him that hide chew he has in his mouth in the photo thinking it would help prevent him getting bored. Small hide chews he eats no problem but big ones are worth hanging on to so he wouldn't eat it, just kept walking around the house with it in his mouth. Not quite what I was hoping for. Yesterday he lays down with it on the front door mat. I put some honey on it to start him licking it with a hope that he will then start to chew it and sure enough he gets really into the honey. Satisfied I go to my study to do some work. The licking noises continue and I feel pleased with myself for my small success. 2 hours later I go to get a cup of coffee. He is dosing on the mat not doing anything. I leave him be. Lunchtime arrives, he follows me into the lounge, I don't notice anything different. After lunch I go to bathe and redress his foot only to discover his bandage is soaking. I look at the chew, it's untouched. He had been laying there licking his foot and spent all morning in a sodden bandage which was otherwise undisturbed. On inspection of the cut I notice the beginnings of some puss showing. Signs of infection. Hey Ho...off to the vets, where I am told that a few hours in a sodden bandage would indeed have been enough to allow unwanted bacteria to take hold. He's now on antibiotics and under strict instructions not to so much as sniff his foot. He has now started eating his chew instead.