The Trouble With Stan Lee

I wanted to tell everyone about my new little friend Stan Lee. Stan is a Pit Bull pup that, at six weeks of age, came into the AEHNT the first week in April. He had been attacked by two Boston Terriers and had really bad wounds on both of his elbows (for those of you that don’t know, dog elbows are in the same place as people elbows). In addition to these wounds he was very much in shock. The owners of the little pup had already decided that he was “to far gone” and just wanted us to euthanize the little guy. Well as you can imagine that didn’t go over very well with me. So we talked the people into releasing him to the hospital and I decided that I would take on his care and find him a new loving home.
So his treatment started simply enough with an injection of penicillin, pain medicine and his wounds stitched closed, as well as a bath to wash all of the blood off of him. He was started on oral medication for pain, inflammation and one broad spectrum antibiotic. He made it through his first night at the hospital and was doing well. Not really eating the first two days but his appetite improved. On day three he started to smell really bad and the wound on his right leg seemed to be getting worse and infected. He was started on another antibiotic to go with the first one and hydrotherapy was started. I took him home with me on day four and my dog pack welcomed him into the house. The humans that had him first had obviously carried him around every where and did not let him be a dog. He had no clue about the other dogs and he preferred to be glued to me all the time. Which if you know me is not going to happen. He was still pretty sick and spent most of his time in his kennel either barking at the top of his lungs or sleeping.

Here is Stan when he first became part of the pack...you can tell he is not a happy camper.


On day five the wound on his right leg had become very infected and the skin that had been sutured closed died and opened up. So off we went on my day off (when I should have been studying) to the AEHNT, where he was put under anesthesia and the dead tissue removed from both front legs. He now had a 1 inch deep and 1 inch diameter hole on his left elbow and a 3inch by 2 inch hole that was all the way down to the bone on the right leg. So his wound was debrided and he was to get bandages on both front legs that had to be changed every 2 days for 3 weeks. So it went that way for 3 weeks. I took him in on the scheduled day (some I was already working on and some I had to drive there special) he got sedation and general anesthesia so that I could remove his bandages check the wounds and apply new bandages.

Here he is after he had been with me for about 10 days... A little happier but he was still pretty painful and still not really interacting with the rest of the pack.



After one and a half weeks the hole on his left elbow was able to be closed and sutured. The right one was steadily getting better and each time the bandages came off his wound was smaller and smaller until finally after 3 weeks it was small enough to leave his bandage off and form a scab.

Only one bandage on now. He was getting a little better acclimated.

So finally poor little Stan who had been living with bandages and an e-collar all this time could have the freedom of no bandages and no e-collar plus he could stop taking all of his meds that he had been on this whole time.

Stan enjoying the drugs he got before another bandage change.



Seven days later he was limping a lot on his right front leg. I took him to see one of the doctors at the AEHNT (they all knew him by then) and of course as I put him on the floor and he ran around like a maniac. The doctor that saw him that day decided that he had just over done it the day before with Daddy and Violet. He did fine until 3 days later when the limping returned and then worsened they next day(another one of my days off of course) So back we went to the hospital and then discovered that the infection had crept back and not only did he have swelling around his right elbow joint but x-rays revealed that he has osteomyelitis. Which is an infection in the bone. Which is not good.
So now the poor little guy has a really sore leg, and has to be on antibiotics for at least two months and maybe more. So to make a long story short… I think I am stuck with Stan. I am not sure who is going to want a puppy that may or may not be deformed, need expensive surgery, and or his leg amputated. We will not know any of this until he is done with his fast growing which is when he is seven months old. By then he will be big….he will be trained but a big burley boy that is in love with me and the pack. How will I part with him then? I know, I know…you are all saying “Cassandra! You don’t need another dog!” But really, do you want him with all of his problems? I didn’t think so. I decided to take on his care and so now it is my responsibility to take care of him. He si fitting into the pack quite well and has turned into a lazy lump just like his big brother Daddy. He even tolerates Violet and Lily likes him as long as he wants to rest next to her. He is a funny little guy and likes to bark with his toys in his mouth. He is as smart as the rest of the pack and has already started his puppy training which is going really well. He walks on a leash really well most of the time and already knows how to sit. Every day his leg gets better and better and he is almost without a limp. Check out the photos section to see some pictures of him. I think this officially makes me “The Crazy Pit Bull Lady”. I will keep everyone posted on his progress.

Here is Stan in his little bed comfy and healing in his new forever home.