Caring for an Injured Dog
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Caring for an injured dog or puppy can be challenging. I have written this article to offer my personal experiences, tips, and advice to anyone that has to care for man's best (injured) friend.
That Night
I was directing a late-night funeral service when I got the frantic call from my husband. Luckily, I live directly across the street from the funeral home and was able to run over there quickly. My husband was terribly concerned and worried when he said, "Honey, get over here quick! I think Trocar broke her leg! We gotta take her to the vet!"
Holy cow, that got me moving! I hurriedly excused myself from the funeral and ran across the street as fast as my black suit would allow. I asked what happened as I opened the front door, and this is what I saw....
Scary, huh?
My husband didn't know how she broke her leg in the backyard, but he heard her yelping, rushed to her, discovered her leg, took her in the house, called the vet, and called me. We were in shock, but I knew we had to stay calm and figure out a game-plan to fix our jack russell puppy.
The on-call vet wouldn't be in town for 30 minutes, so I grabbed the camera and took some photos. We carefully wrapped our puppy in a blanket and took her to the car. With every jolt or bump in the road, her leg would flop and she'd yelp; a sound horrible enough to break your heart :(
Once we met the vet, she carefully examined Trocar's leg before giving her an anaesthetic and taking some xrays. The xrays just showed the neon version of what we already saw and knew to be true. Both of her little leg bones were broken.
With Trocar properly sedated, we left her in the veterinarian's care and worried the whole night. The vet tried to reset her leg the best she could and bandage it up. The next time we saw her, she had some bandages on and her leg was a lot straighter than the last time we saw it!
A closer look at the xrays after setting her bones, the vet discovered that bones wouldn't set correctly, and they needed to perform surgery on our little dog. So, under the knife she went, and Trocar got herself an external skeletal fixation device! Sound intimidating? It is.
The animal doctors had to insert pins into Trocar's little bones, position the bones, and fixate the pins with long metal rods that run down the length on the outside of her leg. At first, it looks like some sort of metal brace. Upon closer inspection, you can see that the metal penetrates her skin and goes through her leg.
When she was finally able to come home after a few days of recovery, Trocar had to take pain killers and anibiotics. We didn't want her to develop an infection in the suture site, so we followed the doctor's orders.
Have you ever seen the vet bill for something like that!!!? Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. I can't believe I paid it, but that little dog means so much to me and my husband. After all, she is part of the family.
We would sneak her medicine inside pieces of cheese and hot-dogs, and she loved it. One time, she spit out her pill, ate the cheese, sniffed the pill, and crunched on it before swallowing it! I didn't expect that.
We had to leave Trocar in her little dog crate or tied up to a table leg to keep her immobile while she learned how to navigate with her cast. When we were there to watch her, we'd let her loose around the house and she'd bang her cone-type collar on everything. She needs the collar so that she doesn't chew her cast off.
Caring for a handicapped puppy has it's challenges, but our little girl is worth it. I don't know what we'd do without her. Even though she's a jack russell, she has calmed down since the accident and spends most of her time lying by the heater duct in the wall. Since she's so young, she should heal up just fine, and I can't wait till she does and we can play again!
Keeping the Dog Calm
While taking her to the vet, we kept our injured little dog quite. She was in shock like us and wasn't sure what to do. She mostly just lied there, as you saw in the first photos. We just stroked her fur and rubbed her ears to keep her calm.
Once she came home from the vet, we changed the way we usually do things. Tone of voice is a big deal. If you talk to your dog in an excited tone, then they'll get excited. So, just try to talk calmer while your puppy is healing.
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Keeping the Dog Immobile
We really utilized the dog crate at first. Trocar stayed in her crate all night and while we were at work. Since I work directly across the street, I could come over and check on her. The dog should be checked periodically and let outside in her normal routine.
After graduating from the crate, we tied Trocar's leash to a table leg in the livingroom by her favorite spot...the heater :) With her dog bed and food & water, she is content spending the day here, especially with the radio on while we're at work. By keeping her on the leash, we ensure that she won't be jumping around and hurting herself while we're gone.
Don't Stop Teaching
Just because your dog is injured, doesn't mean she has to stop learning. Although we can't do the daring tricks right now, we can still teach Trocar things like sit, down, stay, speak, and talk (howl). Since she's still a puppy, that works well for us. Obviously, she won't be able to jump, spin, shake, or anything else risky.
Giving Your Dog Medicine
Like I said earlier, if taken orally, you can sneak your dog's medicine in chunks of cheese or hot-dogs. Trocar especially loved the hot-dogs. There are many other treats you can use. Just give your dog what she likes :) Some people don't believe in treats. Try hiding the medicine in some of that wet canned dog food. If the medicine is administered in a different way (other than orally), follow your vet's instructions.
The Accessories
To keep Trocar from chewing her cast off, she has to wear one of those cone-like collars. Nothing makes a puppy look more pathetic than one of those. I don't know how she did it, but Trocar got ahold of the very end of her collar and was able to chew on it :) Oh well, it keeps her from chewing on her cast. She has also learned how to shake or push it off of her head. Good thing those are adjustable and you can make them tighter.
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Cuddle Time!
Utilize your dog's down time and use it as an opportunity for a lot of cuddling and bonding. It'll strengthen your relationship and promote your dog's healing process.
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How did you keep the puppy stimulated witout being able to walk and change environments?
My terrier mix has a broken back leg and I'm afraid he'll be too bored being crated the next 6- 8 weeks. I understand I can continue to teach him commands while crated but daily walks for a 1 year old terrier were vital.
Do you think he will automatically stay calm while he's healing?
ANy help you could offer would be great - my heart aches for him!
I am so sorry to hear about your terrier puppy :( I do think that the severity of the injury and the pain associated with healing will keep you puppy calm. Nature is a good judge of that.
To keep our Trocar stimulated, we placed her crate facing a window and introduced new toys that kept her occupied. We also left the radio on when we went to work. Oh, and lots of cuddle time!
Trocar’s external skeletal fixation device was removed 2 days ago and I have found that as she heals, she becomes more active and aware of her limits. I wish you all of the best!
this weekend my puppy a teacup pomerrian jumped off my bed and landed wrong i think. he broke his front leg,the next day he broke the other leg. so both front leg is broken. i rushed him to the vet on saturday and then also on sunday. it has been so stressful as i am raising this pup on my own with no boyfriend or husband.
i don't know what to expect but they said this upcoming saturday i am suppose to take him in to see a specialist that does the pin thing for the dog's bone.
right now both his front leg has a cast on. just like the picture you have above.
my heart has been breaking since i can't take him to go walk and i miss him being happy. this is the first time i had to deal with this. i don't know what to do or expect. it's hard for me to take care of him since i am so scared of anymore accidents.
i love him so much and i just want him to get better. all i have been doing is praying very hard,harder than i ever had in my entire life.
this page has helped me sooo much! thank you if you have any more tips please email me at ashley90210@tmail.com
i have a little puppy she's 5 moths old and is a cross between a jack russel and a westie. her name is lily and im mad about her. this morning lily was playing on the couch with her daddy (my partner) and she fell off the couch which isnt high at all and she landed wrong and it was clearly visible like your picture above that her leg was definitely broken. I cried when i heard her its just heart breaking i rushed her to the vet and she was sedated and had an xray and it was a clear break. she was put in a splint and casted and i was able to pick her up. ive never had to deal with anything like this before and im already stressed at the thoughts of it. im going to look after her best i can being a first timer but i dont know what to do and the vet didnt give me an awful lot of advice. ive read above about 'crating' what is this ? all i was told was is that its ok for lily to walk on it but just not outside. thats it. she's being very good very sleepy so its ok at the moment but i just dont know what to expect. any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. im a full time mam to lily boo so is her being crated necessary or tied up? im totally clueless.
glad to hear your little girl is doing ok. i have to say i cringed when i saw the photo of the break.
sarah
Yeah, broken legs can be terribly frightening! As far as "crating" goes, we just bought a little doggy kennel (crate) large enough for her to stand in, but small enough to keep her from running around in circles or jumping about. I'd say just keep your pup calm and watch her weight. Giving Trocar all of those medicines hidden in cheese and hotdogs really made her gain weight fast! Good luck. I wish you the best.
My 6 year old Jack Russell, Penny, has to have extracapsular repair on her right hind knee. I am SO worried about keeping her calm afterwards. She is so hyper and jumps all over the place. Did Trocar instinctively know that she needed to be still? I don't want her to cause herself pain OR reverse the expensive surgery. She hasn't even had it yet, and I am already worried to death about her. Added to that, I have another Jack Russell I'll have to try to keep calm to so that she won't get her all stirred up. My poor baby :(
I am so sorry to hear about Penny. To answer your question, yes, Trocar did know instinctively to take the hyperactivity down a notch. She could tell that something wasn't right with her leg and that she needed to heal. As for having another dog that you have to keep calm as well, that's a major concern too. We had to keep our little yorkie puppy calm just to keep Trocar from hurting herself. Talk about a full time job! But it was a labor of love. Funny how people will do anything for their fur-kids, huh? I wish you the best of luck, Stacey.
im sorry that you dog got hurt i hpoe its feeling better
My 6 month old shepherd broke his leg and he actually had to have surgery to repair it. They put a rod and plate in to heal his bone. I bought a round kennel/gate to place on a rug in our living room. Inside the kennel, I placed his dog bed. He can be with the family and I can also keep an eye on him. We made him a bedroom out of our spare bathroom by placing another doggie bed in there. I also take him outside to a 10 X 10 screened gazebo that I bought at walmart--he loves being outside. To keep him busy a Kong toy works well. Also ultra chewy bones help to keep him busy while I do physical therapy on his leg. Hope this helps someone!
my 4month Japanese Spitz( Vitto) broke his leg a week ago and since I work full time I decided it was best to keep him with the vet during the healing time. The vet actually recommended me not to come to visit him for the first week because it will cause him stress. I went to see him for the first time and it was heart breaking to leave him but since i work full time as an English teacher here in Korea I think it is the best for him. Honestly, I really don’t know what to do. There is a language barrier with the vet so I am in a very difficult situation. Help!
About a month ago I accidentally ran over my precious cocker spaniel Munchkin. She is only a six month old baby. I was devastated and horrified of what i had done. My kids were with me in the truck. it is the worst experience ever i feel so guilty. We rushed her to the hospital and the vet said that her back leg femur bone was broken and that she was going to need surgery. my family and i could not afford it but we did what we have never done. the kids donated all their savings and my brothers and sister all pitch in with a good donation for Munchkin. I was so worry that I was not going t be able to have enough for the surgery, so We prayed like we never had before and God Help us. The next day i went to apply for the carecredit but was not aproved, I was so devistated. Then God answer. He touch my little sis heart and she said she would apply for the carecredit card and hopefully it would work. It did, they approved her for 1400.00. so surgery was the next step.
Two days after Munchkin had surgery and pins were placed to heal back her leg.
My family had a yard sale the following saturday and we were able to come up with 254.0 dollars for future expense, such boarding and medicines after surgery.
Munchkin was a bit sad everyday but I knew that it was the best to do, we had to keep her in the hospital for 3 weeks, because i knew that at home there was no one to care for her through out the day since we all leave home at seven and dont come back until six evening.
My dog strained his mucsle. please can you give me more helpful tips. Thank you!
Ouch, CP, I'm sorry to hear that your doggie is probably in a lot of pain. Veterinary advice is better sought from a professional, but I think that the rules still apply for the healing process. Keep your dog calm and still (maybe a crate?) and comfortable. Vets have some puppy pain meds that can be administered in chunks of cheese, and that might be good too. You might also want to assist your dog when going outside to potty by using a leash and supporting or carrying him/her to the potty spot. I certainly wish you the best of luck, CP.
thank you so much molly broke her leg today she's eight. I feel like a horrible parent. shes made it this far with out injury and just lost her footing in the bed of the truck. she tumbled out and im kicking my self in the ass for what shes done 100s of times ... what do you think what should I do... im bringing her to the vet in the morn. Im in Jackson we live in Hailey ID
I'm so sorry that happened. The vet should be able to help a lot. If you're like me, then your dog is probably a big part of your life and worth saving :) Goos luck and fast healing! - Emma
my dog is having surgery on her leg today and is set to have an external fixation much like yours...i know that some vets leave them open and some bandage them... was hers bandaged- i'm guessing from the pictures it was... im so scared of keeping her in a crate if its exposed because i don't want her to catch it on the bars and rip it out...
Hi, My dog is quite large and has broken her leg in three places and has to have an external fixation, how long did Trocar have to keep this on??, our dog is not excitable but I know we will have to keep her calm, did it take long for total healing??
My sweet five mo
old border collie Jill fell off a two story deck.
She will have surgury on Thursday to put screws, wires and sn external device on her which will have to stay on for eight weeks. I feel so sorry for her. She must stay crated and can not play with other dogs. Dud anyone try walking their injured put in a dog stroller for stimulation? How dis that work out. Any suggestions appreciated! I am so nervous about this!
Hi,
I've got a 14 week old collie pup. She broke her front leg a week ago last sunday. She has a external fixator on and it looks really scary. She's doing really well. Although i have the same problem as most of you on here. Trying to keep her calm in her crate is a nightmare.She's only aloud out for the loo then straight back in. It is very very stressful. I tend to take my puppy out by just carrying her for about 10 mins. But she's growing quick and getting heavy. Holly, it really depends what your vet has suggested. My vet has said that my puppy can't stand on her front leg for too long and to be kept as still as possible. I bought a calmer for her and am hoping that will at least take the edge off. Any other help please feel free to email me vixen1000@hotmail.com.
I really felt for all of you and your dogs. I am trying to decide whether to buy a puppy. She was 14 wks old when she sustained two breaks on her leg. She holds it underneath her in a banana shape. Apparently she sometimes puts her leg down when playing with the other dogs, where she lives. I have been told she has it under her most of the time and is really quiet all the time. She is know 9 months old. I am not sure whether to get her, we have all the love to give her. Short of the money at university and a single mum. Does anyone think the same as me that she will probably need to have an operation and have her leg pinned. How much does it cost? Thanks in advance
I have a little puppy she's 4 months old and is a cross between a yorkie and a bichon. Her name is bri. Yesterday bri was playing on the couch and she fell off the couch which isnt high at all and she landed wrong and it was clearly visible like your picture above that her leg was definitely broken. I rushed her to the vet and she was sedated and had an xray and it was a clear break. she was put in a splint and casted and i was able to pick her up.Then the next day they said that surgery was the best option so they put a pin in the break. Ive never had to deal with anything like this before and im already stressed at the thoughts of it. Im going to look after her best I can being a first timer but i dont know what to do and the vet didnt give me an awful lot of advice. She's being very good very sleepy so its ok at the moment but i just dont know what to expect. Are they suppose to be tired from the pain medication? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
My 13 year old chihuahua was minding his own business when a random pit bull ran into my house and bit him in the neck. He had to have surgery that night but he is recovering now, 3 days later. He has a drainage tube in his throat and stitches. Any help, anybody?
My 4 month old German Shepard, Simba, jumped out of the trunk and landed wrong and broke his back left leg and we took him to a vet right away. The vet just put him in a cast, gave us painkillers, sedation, and anti-inflammatory medicine, with a cone. It has been about two weeks and his cast is slightly damaged and our vet said it would be hard for it to heal. We took off his cone because he isn't messing with his cast, but we cannot immobilize him and stop him from walking around. I would very much appreciate any advice for that. Also, should we have him in an enclosed structure to stop movement when we are not present? What other advice is there concerning re-applying his cast and not killing our wallet? Also, what other advice are you willing to share concerning surgery such as your Trocar's external skeletal fixation device? should we have that done for Simba? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Please let us have the same feeling that you did when Trocar's leg healed, because the vet said that they might have to amputate his leg and that would be my last option. Thank you for your time. :)
Reading everyone's comments about their hurt puppies really conveys the point that, in moments like this, it is sometimes difficult to know what to do. From my personal experience, I have found the vets' suggested remedies and procedures to be well worth it. In fact, just 4 days ago, my husband ran through the house with Trocar chasing him and barking. They tumbled on the couch and continued to play. Out loud, I said, "That right there makes all of the money and stress worth it!" I am so satisfied with my decision to put the pins in Trocar's leg and save her little doggie life. - Emma
My 4mth old pomeranian broke one of his front legs jumping off of the sofa. He is now about to get his cast off. Our vet put a brace in his leg internally, it will stay in him forever because he didn't want to risk taking out screws and weakening the bones with screw holes. He clunks around with his hard cast as he has gotten the ok to walk/play normally for the last two weeks to build muscle and stregthen the bone. The vet bill was over $2000 for everything.
thank yo thank you my dog broke his back leg!!!:o
My13month Mini Pin/Jack Russel broke his back right leg yesterday. He had to have surgery today. He did well. He had a plate and pins inserted. The hardest part will be keeping him immobile for 6 weeks. I could use some ideas.
can u help me me dog had injured but my dog feet become bigger how i can heal that sorry im not good in English cause im from philippines sorry but plz try to understand
Need advice!! My dog broke her back leg, and now I cant get her to go potty outside.She wont walk on the cast, and will just stand there.. Any advice????
Hi, my dog broke her femur getting hit by a car. I have 660 in medical bills right now, and she's getting an X-ray finally today, which will be 180 or so, that will tell us what kind of break it is. I'm nervous as all heck for it because I have 470$ coming to me in the mail and a couple people going to help in a couple days... I feel so bad not having any money to give her the care she needs. I wish i could get carecredit and just pay per month. In August I get school grant money, but can't get it any sooner. :(
Hi, I had a male 14 wk Norfolk Terrier that was dropped onto cement today by accident. The vet took a digital x-ray, I took a picture of it off their computer screen and sent it to the local Orthopedic specialist from my I-Phone. He has a inline break of his left rear Tibia. They were able to tell me that by keeping it stabilized in a cast it should heal in 6-8wks. He must be kept contained. The cast will be changed weekly to allow for growth. when I have not been holding him he is in a deep plastic file box with a towel in the bottom. Tonight he will sleep next to me in a wire crate. Cost this far $291.00. Using Kongs and bones to keep him busy.
On July 23, 2011 , my 6 month old yorkie , jumped out his doggie bag , while i was talking to a neighbor and ran into the street . I ran after him and couldnt get to him on time, when a nyc bus came on the lane where patches was running to, and was hit by the bus, all I did was scream for the life of me. I saw everything, it happended so fast remarkably Patches only suffered a fracture arm,I thank GOD that he was not killed by this bus. I cried to my husband who was in the garage getting the vechicle cause we were on our way to PA, my husband saw his arm and heard the squealing pain coming from patches , and drove off the the vet hospital. I feel so bad I love him like my own child, we are all caring for him and bought him his own cage, he is a spunky little dog and vet dr said he will recover fine as long as he doesnt do too much walking and jumping while he has his cast. I know the pain and hurt other dog owners feel, I truly understand ,
ellie90
My 6 month old papillion chi mix broke his leg Tibia after my 11 yr old stepped on him. He had surgery pins and stuff placed in in his knee. He acts like nothing happened and I am having trouble keeping him crated and have to give him sedatives. He acts like he has no pain. I even stopped giving pain meds the anti inflammatory. Dr said pain would sedate him but it isn't. He actually didn't want to give pain meds becuase pain keeps them from overdoing it. It is heart breaking I can't let him out becuase he is too hyper. I did let him run around the first week like an idiot. Dr. got upset and said he could tell he is being to active from conditon of cast. So he is on anti anxiety meds now and sedated.
We took our dog to the ER with broken toes. They splinted her under anesthesia & sent her home when she woke up telling my daughter she had to be re wrapped every few days because it would get dirty? This makes no sense to me. She weighs 9 pounds, will only be out to poop & is being kept quiet. It seems unnecessary & would be very expensive as she is in this for 6 to 8 weeks.
We have a corgi mix, about a year old. She was hit by a car and broke one of her back legs. A nearby vet accepts CareCredit, which I have, but they were gone on vacation. I had to take our dog somewhere else that didn't accept it. I was worried about the cost as I knew my husband wouldn't want me to spend a lot on the dog. It cost $140 to have a cast put on her leg and to get two medications. Koda is normally a very active dog that stays outdoors- we live near a lake and she enjoys playing in it. She is supposed to be crate-bound except for small walks for 6 weeks... she is taking it pretty well, considering she's never been indoors and is now inside in a crate. I really want to let her out while we are in the house with her, but I am trying to follow instructions... hard when she is looking at me with those pitiful eyes!
My little 7 month old "Tiny Toy Poodle" had a little fall off my very high bed. It was a terrible habit to get in, in the first place, but they are so cute you just want to cuddle with them.
After her significant fall she broke her front leg. A rather clean break from what the doctors had said, but due to her size it would not be as easy as casting it. And hoping the bones heal correctly. We had to turn to plan "B" and get a plate and pins put in to line the little bones correctly. After the very expensive surgery we brought her home, she had to be casted for 10 days then it had to be removed. She did pretty good while the cast was on. I tried to keep her as calm as possible, sometimes a challenge due to her age and wanting to always play.
Close to the date of her cast removal, I noticed that the cast looked kind of bent, her leg bowed out. Took her to my vet, they had a look said things looked ok once they removed the cast, and replaced it with another one for the remainder of her casting period. She had the cast removed soon after and I noticed her leg looked very bowed out still. I took her to my parents place so they could see, and they both said that things did not look right. So the next day we took her back into the vet and they could definately see what I ment. So they X-rayed her leg again and forwarded the x-rays to the Surgeon whom perfomred the initial surgery. What had happened was the bone had fractures near the pin site, there was 5 pins put into place and only 2 of them we working at holding the bone together. The only option they gave me was to have external fixators put on. My oh my, what an overwhelming experience. I have been so strict with keeping her calm, the most she walks is to the bathroom then right back into her crate. I take her in daily to have her pins cleaned by the girls at the vet office, She is much to squirmy for me to do. But I guess at some point I will have learn to do it myself without been scared. Wish me luck everyone, that my little girl will have a successfull recovery!...
This artical made me feel so much better knowing that this can truly happen to little ones. Thanks so much for the info. All the best with your pups recovery! :)
This article & thread of comments has made me feel so much better! My poor mini-aussi Koda broke his front leg on September 4th after leaping from a 3 foot high ledge & landing wrong. I can't get the scene out of my head & I have been so stressed & sleepless since. Koda's papa (my boyfriend) has been out of town & is returning tonight, which is also Koda's first night home after surgery. The amount of guilt, stress, money & heartbreak is now validated as I watch him sleep in his kennel with all of his toys & blankets. The entire situation is overwhelming & my hat is off to anyone doing this alone! He had his surgery Sunday night & has been released today. The vet bill so far has reached $4300 & will continue to add up with weekly bandage changes for 4-6 weeks, & final x-rays. Thankfully with 3 maxed out credit cards, CareCard, & the loving donations from family- he is now home with his family & hopefully on a fast track to recovery. This article has answered so many of my concerns & questions especially on his first few days home. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!!
Dogs are so cute. Great hub on curing injured dog.
It has been a few days since Koda's surgery & we noticed a strange smell coming from his bandages. After my boyfriend stopped home during the day to check on him, he said the smell was worse & the bottom of his bandage was wet. We had followed the Doctor's orders and wrapped his peg-leg in a plastic bag while on potty breaks to keep from getting dirty & wet. After hearing it had gotten worse I called the vet to see if this was normal & if we should wait for his weekly bandage change in 3 days- They said absolutely not & we must see him ASAP. So we dropped everything at work, rushed home & saw he began biting at his bandage, enough to expose his paws. The doctor said he has an infection, which is why he began biting & licking, but thankfully the sutures looked healthy. The cure- more frequent bandage changes & the e-collar. Long story short- just because your dog does not show interest in the wounds or bandages at first, the e-collar is a MUST! It's not worth the risk to not have one, which could result in severe infections & possible amputation!!
I rescued a 12 year old+ dog from the street. As a disabled veteran I can only budget $200 for something to ease the dog's pain. Every veterinarian that I called was a money hungry and uncaring person. Spouting platitudes like, "good medicine requires it." Two to three visits , hundreds of dollars for tests and $45 for each visit.Only prescription for would be an anti-inflammatory. The dog remains in pain. Its an old dog, then they want to do an over $2000 operation which could kill it.I have met and talked over the phone with 11 vets in the Smoky mountains area. Every one is a money grubbing, uncaring person. My poor dog is suffering because vets charge too much and prolong the animal's suffering. A number of my friend' have paid out a lot of money to vets and their dog died mysterious. In two cases the dogs died after teeth cleaning. Its an ugly process when you deal with a vet in TN.
Our minature poodle broke his leg in 3 places when a bar stool feel on him. Because he also had a cut the vet told us he needed a splint which will need to be changed every couple weeks. We were given a mediboot to put over the cast when he goes outside to help keep it clean. I was planning on taking him to the groomers that weekend when his leg got broken on Wed. Now his fur is really long and needs to be cut but the vet says no bath. Anybody know if I can get him groomed without the bath or if that would be too much for him? He is a 12 yr old miniature poodle. thanks
My dog was jjust run over by a car we have no money to go to tthe vet and pay for all the things we don't knw wat to do for her she's in so much pain? Can someone please tell me what to do?
Call the emergency vets in your area and see if they can offer assistance thru the humane society or if you can go on a payment plan. Sometiimes vets will know of someone who may donate money to help you, but please, take the dog to a vet or emergency hospital!
Hello anoymus well I still don't have any money to take her to the vet she is a puppy and I think its her back that is broken not her leg or somthing am really worried today I feed her in the mouth because she can't get up I don't knw wat to do and am really scared because we might have to put her to sleep and I don't want her to go.
Can someone please help me? With my puppy who has a broken leg?
wow that sounds really scary my dog blue gor ran over.but it was not as bad as your dogs. it was reall gross you could see her bone.when it happened i was right thir. my dog trid to stop but she could not .all i sall is the tire going over her. when we got her to my house you could see tire tracks on her.
My 5 month old puppy broke her right hind leg this morning. We took her to the vet and they put a splint on it. We go to see a surgeon tomorrow. She also has a cone and is being given pain medications. She won't stop screaming though. The vet said she isn't in pain. She's just scared. But we can't seem to keep her calm and the screaming is driving my entire family to tears. Does anyone have suggestions on how to stop this? We can't move her without a panic.
My dog king has a small hole in his leg.................... P.S.From a 2 other dogs....................
My 15 week old yorkie/rat terrier pup just came home for the vet after an overnight visit to set her broken leg. I put more tape on her splint because she is trying to chew on it. ( she is teething and loves to chew) Any tips. She does not have a cone.
Peppermint
Here are video links to her first hour home. http://www.youtube.com/user/mommymint?feature=mhee
OH!That is scary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It breaks my heart when puppies get hurt!
Update on my puppy. She does not use her foot at all with the cast on. It either drags behind her or out to the side like a fin. She seems just as happy as can be. She of course is spoiled to pieces now. Isn't that what they are for. I just realized last night after carrying her in the baby sling I used with my son. They were the same weight. My son now 13 was born at 3lbs 9 oz and so is the puppy now. WOW.. so I had saved some of his socks and slipped them on the cast to discourage chewing it worked. ((Hugs to everyone that has an injured pup))
Does anybody know how to teach an adult dog to like being in a crate? Having a terrible time getting our injured dachshund to stay in it for more than 20 minutes without a panic attack ... afraid she is going cause injury to her splinted leg ... haven't had a good nights sleep in 5 days ... and I don't have the freedom to come and go from the house ... not going to be able to keep things going like this for the next to 4-8 weeks ... I am 59 yrs. old ... appreciate any suggestions
We think our 3 year old dog, a cotton de tulear, strained his back leg, but the vet actually couldn't tell. She just gave us some painkillers for him.
In the morning you can tell he really hurts and can't move but as soon as the painkillers set in he runs around like usual. The vet told us that we could not walk him and that he had to rest. But walks are what keeps him happy and his leg doesn't hurt when he has taken the medicine. I really don't know how to keep in stimulated because we can't play with him or walk him. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to keep the dog stimulated and happy without doing any physical things?
here i go again with my luck here, we have 9 babies it took kirra from 1:30pm on the 3rd yesterday till 1am last night, she had 7 then this morning around 10am she had number 8, he was so late and when he came out kirra was ruff getting the bag off, when she tried to chew the cord off she bite his leg off the back left leg, i had to help him breath and rub him for about 20 mins and then he was ok but does not drink from kirra im so worried and dont know how to handle this. they are all healthy 9 of them so far and hope the last, i have been so up-set and hurt over this. maybe cause of no sleep, she had 6 girls and 3 boys the boys were the last one's born.
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Good on ya
My beagle got hit and has broken hind leg, got x-ray and a cast for 2 weeks, now the vet tells me she wants to do surgery, so many money grabbing vets everywhere, Here in Taiwan too
Update my dog is all healed up now after 3000 in vet bills. So worth it hough he had surgery several casts and it's been months and he is running walking and jumping.
We just got a Pomerat Terrier (weird name, but he's mostly rat terrier) that is about 3 months old. We had one fantastic night of playing and a great morning of bonding... then he decided to leap from the bed... and broke his forearm in two places. One was a clean break, one was a "greenstick" break. For the rest of the day he sulked and slept. The little guy lost all his gusto. All three of us (puppy, girlfriend, and I) were thoroughly depressed. It all turned around when he made a brave effort to limp his way into my arms. My girlfriend got incredibly excited, and so did out little pup. From then on we've been praising him with as much excitement as we can muster up for everything he does right. I can't describe how fast that turned him around.
If your dog is injured, don't change how you interact with them. If you act as though your dog is broken, he/she will feel broken. That's not to say you shouldn't be careful with the injury, just find new ways to have fun together and stay positive!
Lily had surgery after she jumped off the arm of the couch. We felt terrible. She is only 3 1/2 lbs. pom puppy. Well she had surgery with a plate and 4 pins. Like fixing a chicken bone. Now the challenge. we crate her at night, she wears the lamp shade collar as she would tear out her stitches. So we have 2 weeks before we can take the collar off her. We have a round pin in the family room so she can rest and move a little when we are in the room. We cuddle and hold her as much as possible. and we put a round pin in the back yard so she cant take off and run on her newly set leg. Our biggest problem is she wants to stand on her back legs when she wants out of the pen. Its terrible restricting a puppy who was loving life and being a happy little girl. Now she thinks we are horrible we wont let her play. How long until she is safe to be normal vet says 6 to 8 weeks. Help me to keep her calm, its a daunting task. We will prevail though cause want her to be normal after that. Vet says, teach her to only jump up on something when invited. She is 3 months old. Easier said then done for sure. This is not fun. Alert: dont let this happen if you can avoid it. No jumping off of stuff for these little bits.
My 6 month old beagle was hit by a car a few weeks back. he broke his back leg. We took him to the vet, and about a thousand dollrs later, had a dog with a cast at home. the vet assured us he would calm down, but he wasn't allowed to jump, run or play aggressivly. With two young kids in the house, it was less than 24 hours after we brought him home when he decided he was going to jump on and off all of the furniture in the house and run every chance he got. he won't go near the road now! BUt as far as calming down, the pain didn't stop him. The cone didn't stop him from chewing his cast off either. In two weeks, we've had to take him in 3 times to get it recasted. It's getting more and more expensive by the week. The dog kennel/crate doesn't work, he still managed to chew his cast off and he howls every second he's in there.....
my dog leg hurt it starded hurting today when people try to touch it she trys to bite.
I have a four month old pup, he fractured his back leg. It has been 5weeks and the splint is off but he walks funny. Has anyone experienced this, he now looks flat footed. If so what did your vet say?
MrMarmalade 4 years ago
I guess yo learnt the art of looking after all us live ones, as well as the dead.
Thank you.