Staffyluv

This is my dilemma... I have always walked him and now that he can't (because of the ligament injury), he is going nuts. He hates being locked up more than anything. He just lays at the front door and stares outside - it is absolutely breaking my heart. He looks so sad. I called the vet and asked if we could take him for a small walk - was told it is not really advisable but he could go for a small sniff around, if he really needs too.. He does not go for surgery until Tuesday so OH and I are going to take him to the park to just have a sit and a small sniff around, no running around, on the weekend. He always goes on lead, so it should be OK for a little while. I am also going to take him on Monday morning and Tuesday before he goes in for surgery because he won't get to go for ages after the surgery. I am going to buy an cheap play pen and keep him in that after the surgery, so he does not move around - we will just have to listen to him complain (which he is really good at)... Thanks heaps for all the well wishes, I am feeling more confident about it all after a chat with the vet and reading a bit on it... It is just another one of those road bumps that we keep coming across with our boy... But we have managed to clear all the ones before this one and we will clear this one as well... Cheers Jodie

Thanks guys. I must admit, I am worried sick this time - he will be 11 years old in June and I am worried about the effects of the operation on and old boy like him... I just keep telling myself I am doing the right thing and I have spoken to the vet and they are confident that he will be fine because he is so well at the moment.

So sorry for your loss. RIP Blitz, too young to leave

So sorry Warls and family. RIP Houndee

Hamish is doing it. They are going to put him under, do some test and xray the leg it to make sure they are doing the right thing - but they are pretty sure that is what it is. It is a tough call, but he is well and I cannot justify not fixing his leg and he is certainly not at a point where he needs to be given his wings (which still astounds his vet and oncologist - they did not think he would be here 2 years later and we are heading at 2.5 years now, let alone be so well).. We have been through the wringer with this lad but he keeps bouncing back, so I have to do what I think is right give him every opportunity to live a full and happy life. Fingers crossed for us for next Tuesday, I will update after we have been and done it all... Thanks Jodie

My poor old man is booked in next Tuesday to have his cruciate ligament repaired. I never wanted to put him under again - I swore I wouldn't and now I am feeling so guilty but how do I just let him keep going with his leg like it is? Mind you the cancer is still in remission and the joint infection is under control, so he is very well... Apart from his back leg. How long does it take to heal after this sort of operation? Why does he seem to get everything going, it seems so unfair.

My old stafford stopped eating bones etc when he cracked a big back tooth on one. Now he just has those oral chewy things to keep his teeth clean.

Can you crate him Staffyluv or confine him to an indoor pen. Each time he pulls up sore he may have torn it just that little bit more and any scar tissue he has built up will break down. He probably needs to be strictly confined to help build scar tissue. I did borrow Moopers crate once when he first had all the surgery to remove the MCTs (50 odd stitches in all). He just cried and cried the whole time he was in it (the neighbours thought we were hurting him, he carried on so much). I have a phone consult with one of the vets tomorrow, I want to ask if it can be strapped? (as humans we strap ligament injuries, so why not dogs). But you are right, I have to stop him from walking around and trying to play. Doing it is only making it worse. I have some pain meds here for him and I thought I would give him one tonight, as he does not seem to be comfortable. Give the girl a hug goodnight for me. Jodie

Great news. I think that we underestimate how much they want to stay with us.. Ollie tried to get me to play with his rope earlier and he tossed it across the room - when I did not get up, he went to run for it and has hurt his leg more - it must be so touchy (cruciate). One minute he looks like he is bearing some weight and the next he is not...

He is good - bored but good. He is still not happy to put too much weight on his hind leg but the two front legs are great now. There is almost no swelling in his elbow joints and he even jumped up on the lounge last night (he has been standing there and whinging to be pick up and put on the lounge for the last couple of weeks)... He keeps bringing me toys to play with him but he loves to chase them or play tug with them and both those games are out at the moment.... So he destuffed a couple of soft toys yesterday... He loves to go for a walk but I am not going to chance it yet - I really want to give that cruciate ligament the best chance to heal as much as possible. The thought of him needing more surgery just freaks me out... Glad to hear she is having such a good day... I hope it stays that way for you...

Being so hungry and having low energy levels you may want to get his thyroid levels checked - Ollies thyroid was ruined because of his treatments (I know they were different to Jaspers but you never know)... It took me ages to get the vet to check them to - but I persisted and I was right, his thyroid was hardly functioning.. Glad to hear Jasper is doing so well. Cheers Jodie

I was not going to say anything... Actually my sisters stafford does the same thing (but that is only because she is a major hoover and will eat anything)... CnR have you tried turkey mince at all? Ollie loves it and woolies sells it for $3.99 for 500g (it says preservative free, so I figured it would be OK)... We used to use the BBQ chicken but I can't get him to eat it anymore, he just smells it and walks away. I have also boiled sweet potato in chunks and then pushed a tablet into the chunk - he still likes that one... Hope the girl is doing well today.

Thanks guys... he is a pretty amazing dog...

Not yet CnR. He is still on antibiotics and is still not allowed to do any exercise at all - poor boy is so bored. He keeps trying to entice us all into a game of tug-o-war or he throws his own toys, so he can go and get them... Unfortunately, it turns out that he injured his cruciate ligament when his front joints were infected and he could not walk properly and now we are also waiting to see what happens with that. According to the vet, it is just a matter of time before it completely ruptures and he needs surgery. I am hoping and praying that it heals itself and it is just a small strain (but my gut feeling tells me otherwise)... He is in remarkable spirits though and being very naughty (I think it is because he is bored)... He is his usual self bright eyed and full of mischief... Thanks for asking Jodie

The only way you can tell what it is or is not is to have it aspirated and the contents checked. Feeling a lump is completely inconclusive.

That was my first thought too.. Just wait until the vet is open and get it checked out - ask for it to be aspirated. It only takes a minute and it could make all the difference in diagnosis (only speaking from experience, please don't just accept that it is probably a fatty lump)... J

It is on par with us taking a couple of asprin... Low level pain killer with anti inflamatory.

CnR we have resorted to those cheap doggie chocs from woolies to get him to take his tablets - if he takes them, he gets a choc. We used to use half an arrowroot biscuit until he got bored with them... It is hard to get them to take so many tablets. Ollie has four and a half at breakfast, two at 2pm, three and a half at dinner and another three at 9pm every night - so four chocs a day (no wonder he is porky)... but he is good taking them, I just say 'open big' and put them at the back of his tongue and then offer the choc and it all gets swallowed whole - I swear that choc does not even touch the sides before it is swallowed. The vet was the one who suggested to make it a pleasureable experience - he said if Ollie thinks he is going to benefit from taking the tablets, he would take them easier and so far it has worked.

Glad to hear some good news for Sophie... The drugs will make her gain weight as well as the change in diet and exercise - you do eventually learn to live with people passing comments on that fact that your dog needs to go on a diet (we have)... Give her a hug for me Jodie

Ollie has improved so much and is almost back to normal. The joint infection is almost gone but he still needs the antibiotics for another two weeks - just to be sure. Unfortunately they think that his back leg injury is different to the front legs. The vet thinks that he has a cruxiate (sp?) ligament injury in his back leg. He thinks he sustained it from trying to walk when his front legs were so bad - to much pressure. So it is rest, rest and more rest for the time being. Ollie is heavier due to some of the drugs he takes (by about 3-4kg) and that does not help his joints at all. So I am going to try to get a couple of kgs off him (he won't like that at all) and hopefully we can avoid surgery on his knee... But overall, he is happy and does not appear to have any pain unless he uses his back leg too much. He is desperate to go for a walk, he cries when we pick up the car keys and follows us around until we leave - I feel so bad that he can't do what he wants but I know it is for the best at the moment... If I thought that I could take him to the park and he would just go for a casual walk, I would take him for 10-15 minutes but I know he will go nuts and hurt himself - it is just not worth it yet... Thanks Jodie

Big hugs Shek, I am so sorry.

It is not an easy point to get to, when you can say that they will be PTS. Sadly those of us with terminally ill angels will all eventually have to make that final journey with them. I used to cry at the very thought of having to even make the decision but I came to terms with it a fair while ago now and like you and CnR- it is all about the dogs. When they no longer want to eat or that vacant stare stays for more than a day or two, I agree that the kindest thing to do is to let them go... Thinking of you and Jaida, Shekky... I hope she has a better day for both of you.

Glad to hear that Sophie has had a better day CnR - it is a roller coaster with them... Good luck tomorrow with the onco. Shek, there was a few times when Ollie was on chemo that I thought I was doing the wrong thing keeping him going but in hind sight, I am so glad that I listened to the vet, when he said it is definitely not his time yet... She will let you know but the vet can tell if it is just a bad day or two or otherwise. My fingers are crossed that it is just a hurdle and she will jumo over it and come back bouncing around... Thinking of all of you with the sick pooches...

Thanks for thinking of us. He has had two lots of cartrophen and he has been having fish oil and glucosamine for years now - it is just unfortunate that he tends to catch infections so easy these days (I think most of it is caught at the park because it really is the only place he goes except to work with me or OH)... What do I do - If I kept him locked up, he would be miserable or do I take the risk and see a happy smiling stafford at the park everyday. As much as I love him and want to keep him safe from everything, I just can't take his walk away from him - it is the one thing that he looks forward to every day. He can't go at the moment (and it shows, he is miserable - every time he gets in the car to go somewhere, he acts like he does when we are going to the park) as the vet wants him to rest and not overuse his joints but as soon as we get the all clear, he will be going back to the park everyday. He is improving so much, I think we should be able to go for little walks next week, hopefully. Cheers Jodie

Well we got to the vets this morning and the girls at the reception desk had lots of lovely treats for the fat boy and he decided that he was going to do his best not to limp. The vet and I think there has been much improvement that we are just going to keep in on the antibiotics for another three weeks (apparently 4 weeks is average for a joint infection) and see how he is then. He is not sure that his back leg is actually the same issue as the front legs - he thinks it may be a cruxiate (sp?) problem, but wants to wait... He is doing so much better. He can walk with a waddle, much to the amusement of the girls at the vets this morning. The local ranger bought in a little kitten (only about 10 weeks old) and the poor little thing was crying in the cage it was in. Ollie laid on the floor with his nose against the cage and sooked back at it - the ranger thought it was funny.. Big tough boofer! So apart from being a bit flat - I think because he has not been to the park for over a week (and the vet said not to exercise him at all yet), he is much improved - thank Dog! Once again I would just like to thank everyone who pops in to see how he is (the moral support when you have an ill dog is worth more than any words can descibe). Thanks Jodie