Attacked by a Mountain Lion
Hopeful, at about seven months old, had been horribly attacked by a mountain lion near Elizabeth, CO. Her mother, who we suspect had been trying to protect Hopeful, was killed by the lion. The owner didn't have the experience or ability to treat the little girl, so contacted local vets. Terri Nelson-Baird was then contacted, and she got in touch with L'illette at SWLR. Terri brought the girl to us at Rocky Mountain Llamas, where she was treated twice daily for several weeks.
She had three major wound areas, as well as a number of smaller gouges. The two really large ones on her flanks, where the lion had ripped off the flesh, gave a frightening view into the actual muscles of the legs. The one between her legs was very high up and just to the left of her vulva. That wound wasn't so wide, but was a finger's length in depth!
Treatment
For about twenty minutes twice daily, we would use a Water Pik to gently irrigate Hopeful's wounds, sloughing away the dead tissue. The Water Pik helped tremendously in getting to the tissue in "hidden" places without our having to scrub the wounds. We used warm water with Betadine Solution mixed in to the color of strong tea. We would then pick off any loosened scabs or tissue that the Pik didn't get, and we'd have to dig out the dead tissue from the very deep wound. After gently daubing the wounds dry, we sprayed on Granulex to keep the healing flesh soft and allow the wounds to heal from the inside out.
Hopeful was treated twice daily with Penicillin and once every two days with Naxel. This regimen continued until the wounds were clearly healed.
Resolution
After about three months of consistent care, Hopeful is healed. This remarkable little girl never exhibited anything more than mild displeasure at the sometimes painful caring for her wounds, and is a wonderfully (appropriately!) friendly and intelligent youngster. Hopeful was incredibly lucky in that the wounds missed the sciatic nerve and did not do any damage to her reproductive organs. She has never limped or favored the injured legs; she's never exhibited the sort of fear one might expect in this situation, and she remains alert and interested in all aspects of her environment. Truly a remarkable gal with great potential!