raffikki

Thanks to you too harlosmummy I found the first few days were reasonably good, except for the soft crying, which was heart breaking. I'm sure your girl will be fine

Thanks persephone I think I may have just needed a straight minded person to remind me to stop stressing so much! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply, I took her to the vet cause I was a little concerned that the injured joint looked a bit more knobly than it did yesterday (She's fine ) They also gave me a paste that they said might help. It's called BEHAVE paste, and it says that it's a vitamin, mineral, amino acid supplement. "Administer paste preferably 24 hrs before and with in 4 hrs of exercise or travel" is what's written on the packet. The vet said it may have a calming affect on her? He does not believe in the rescue remedy, as I guess some people don't Yeah, I wondered about that, but on the other side I also thought is sort of made sense as she would be more interested in the chew toys/treats. I'll do as you suggested and put her meals in kongs. Her crate is in the lounge room(with the TV on), but I do spend most of my time in the kitchen. I go in there when she's been quiet and is relaxed and take her out of the crate for short training sessions/trying to teach her tricks and then sit with her while she's relaxed. After some time she starts to get fidgety and wants to roll around and play, this is when I put her back in the crate. I know I have to get her used to being quiet and settled out of the crate, but she was a whirl wind before this happened and I'm still`working on getting her to settle/not want to tear around. Rhino has access to the kitchen most of the time, but I could rotate them. Or would moving her from one room to the other make things worse? She sometimes gets excited to see him, so I only allow them to be in the same room when they are settled, in the afternoon/evenings Will do this before I even try the BEHAVE paste! Thanks again for all your advise I'll start working on me and my stressing!

Well it's been pretty good here over the last few days...Rhino has learned not to scream and Electra was peaceful. That is until last night :D She's started to get really frustrated being crated and has started to dig pretty energetically in her bedding. She also chewed at the bars of the crate, it was hard to see her like that I bought some rescue remedy and started a thread in the health section about dosage etc. I gave her a couple of drops last night when she was at a stage where she wouldn't/couldn't be still. Her cry was completely different, more of a desperate sound (she had been fed, toileted and we were all in the same room with her) She did settle eventually but I think it was more out of exhaustion Though she started good this morning, she soon began the digging again It's almost like she's trying to dig her way out. My tears have started again....I'm so sad for her and worried she may even hurt herself. I have been advised to cut her meals right back, so she doesnt have as much energy to burn, and give her more treats during the day to chew on to keep her busy. Has anyone got any more ideas for us? I can't imagine how the next weeks going to go, and another 2 of gentle exercise(which may mean more time in the crate too)

Thanks for the replies Arty & Erny She is pretty heavy, but I carrier her out the front for toileting, and I'm sure I could manage to carry her from the car to some different spots like you mention. Last night she was at her worst so far She was great all day, I had her out the front watching kids in the playground that's across the road, she watched footy on TV and chewed a raw hide for a little while. Each time I left her she hardly made a sound. THEN in the evening at around 6ish, I had Rhino next to her crate and her almost asleep, b/f came home & wanted to give her a cuddle on the lounge, that went well for a while but then she wanted to start moving around too much/started getting mouthy/excited, so I put her back in the crate, once she was back in there she seemed ok. 20 minutes later she started whining, moving around, just so restless She was crying, but only to get out, and it didn't seem like she wanted to be with us, as much as she just wanted to be able to play, run and move about freely. I did give her some of the rescue remedy, it's hard to explain how she was, but it was so different to her normal crying :D She eventually settled but I think more from exhaustion than the few drops I gave her. Although it's sort of off topic, should I be putting her crate in a different room? So she's not distracted by us? I just want to see her heal as well as possible and want to avoid her getting so upset

Thanks sas :D BUT she gets her stitches out on Thursday, it'd probably take longer than that to get here I will definitely keep them in mind if something else should happen to either pup in the future though! I'll see how she goes tomorrow, before I try the rescue remedy on her. She still settles after about 10 minutes, I think that now she's feeling a bit better the crying and "tantrums" are just getting louder because she may be testing me, to try harder to get me to go back in to her

Hi persephone, I have learned the hard way with the cuddles! The first couple of days were absolute hell for me, with both pups crying I only give any kind of attention after they have been quiet for at least 15 minutes(tantrums completely finished) It's just tonight she seems to have so much more energy to burn, and is getting frustrated :D and I figure as she heals this is going to get harder for her. So do you think rescue remedy isn't suitable in this situation?

Hi sas ;) The vet calls it "avulsion tibial crest" there is xrays etc in my other thread(in the puppy section) I am trying different things....like training sessions(that don't involve too much movement), chew toys(but I need to supervise as she struggles with the Elizabethan collar on, so I take it off, but after some time she tries to chew/lick the stitches) and of course she gets lots of cuddles. It's hard cause I have 2 pups, and can't be with her all the time. At first when I left the room she's in she would just cry a little, now she's putting up more of a fuss and really sounds stressed She's moving around a lot in the crate and I'm worried she may do more damage :D

Hi all :D I have a nearly 19 week old puppy who has injured herself and needs to be crated for up to 4 weeks The injury happened Monday and she has been pretty good up until tonight, in the crate. She is starting to get frustrated, and appears to have a lot more energy to burn. It was suggested to me in our thread in the puppy section that maybe Rescue Remedy may help. I have just rung our vet to ask about dosage but they didn't know and told me to ring a different vet on Monday. I am wondering if just 1 drop would be ok to give her? And would it have any affect? How often should I give it to her? Just when she is appearing anxious/stressed/frustrated? ETA: she's an AST pup and weighs about 10-11kgs

Shellectra, Thanks They ARE getting better everyday, and Electra seems very calm considering she was really hyper before this happened. Kelpiepupmum, Thank you as well I will look into that Now for another problem While at the vet, I was a little worried that Electra hadn't poohed for 24 hrs. The vet told me not to worry too much, he said that because she's crated "things" will move more slowly and advised me to just keep an eye on her. If she didn't go for another day to give them a ring. Anyway...on the way home she started to cry, I thought maybe she was just upset because the crate she was in was smaller then the one at home. Seconds later she was poohing Tonight she woke me up just after 11pm crying, I went straight to her but was too late, she had poohed again, in the crate. Has anybody got any advise for me to work out her new timetable? She gets breakfast at 7am and dinner at 7pm. It's sort of tough because before this happened I'd get them playing for a bit and the running around would get "things" moving, but now because she's kept quiet it seems there's no pattern to follow ;) I have reduced the raw chicken she gets because it makes her pooh very firm and I figured it'd be easier for her to not have to strain to go. She now gets just over 1 cup of dry in the morning and the same for dinner with a bit of chicken mince(minced frames) mixed in. On a plus, I have stayed up and took her out again at 1am and she did wees

Well.....Electra got her pain patch off today and the vet that I saw, told me he won't give even mild sedatives to puppies He said that even though it works in the short term, it also has ramifications? I didn't really go into it with him, I could tell he was totally against it. He did mention a vitamin B supplement(sp?) that has something in it that can cause a calming affect, but also said he's not keen to give it to pups. I am hoping that the anti inflammatories(sp?) she's on will be enough for her. If I think she's in any kind of pain I'll ring and ask to speak to the vet I originally saw, and who did the operation. I didn't get a smaller Elizabethan collar either The vet said that because she can get her nose to the end of the one she's wearing now, anything smaller she'll be able to chew at her stitches She struggles to chew toys and raw hides cause when she's laying down the collar digs into her neck I have tied the raw hide to the side of the crate with a long shoe lace so she can get to it easier :mad She's still pulling on my heart strings, after I've spent time with her, had cuddles etc and then leave the room, she cries(sort of a half howl, half moan) I want so much to go back in there and comfort her, but I know that would not be good for her learning how to cope On a brighter note I have figured a way to keep Rhino happy. Though it's not an ideal fix, it is keeping the place quiet for now! As long as the back door is propped open, he's quite happy to play, sleep explore the back yard. The way my house is set up...their room has the back door in it, then there's another door into the laundry, and then there's the kitchen(where I spend most my time) I can shut the door in between the laundry and back room, he's happy as long as the very back door isn't closed. I know, he's not very bright but he's quiet and I can control where he is (providing the weather holds out)

OMG ruthless...that would have been a nightmare! And a fear of mine. I am trying to "teach" them but am not really sure HOW I am praising him heaps when he's quiet, playing with him, taking him for his daily short walk.....I'm not sure what else to do

amstaffchick, when I went to see my neighbours yesterday to explain and apologize for the screaming, the old lady next door offered to take him for a while, but I couldn't do it to them. I don't think they realize how loud it is when your so close Thanks Missymoo I'm trying and think we're getting there I'm still trying to work out how to keep Rhino happy He's restless and loud, and only takes interest in things for short periods (including me!) he really misses being able to play with her. Electra on the other hand seems to be coping quite well......so far. She has her moments of crying but on the whole seems happy watching TV Though last night she woke just before I was due to get up(at 1am) to let her have a wee, her crying woke me but I was too late in getting to her and she weed in the crate Rhino did do his usual screaming knowing I was up, but settled down in less than 10 minutes. All was quiet this morning, and I got to sleep in till 6am He's been crying in dribs and drabs but compared to yesterday it's a huge improvement!

another 3 days??? I'll be in an asylum by then Seriously though....I do know it can only get better. Rhino has been shocking most of the day, screaming, but around 3 he realized he wasn't getting anywhere and occupied himself by burying his raw hide chew, digging it up, moving it, burying it again. It was really cute to watch and actually made me giggle. Electra has been better, she cries for a while(actually getting a little louder ) but then settling down not long after. She gets frustrated when her chew goes under the collar, but is slowly working out how to get it back :p I'm going to ask the vet tomorrow about a mild sedative for Rhino, and maybe Electra. To help him/them adjust. The weather is starting to get bad ;) so I think I'll be in for another shocking day tomorrow

Here's a pic of her trying to chew her raw hide bone I ended up putting her in a larger crate cause she was having trouble turning around with the collar on This pic looks peaceful but unfortunately the peace hasn't been lasting for long periods I'm off the bed now, I've got Rhino screaming at the back door(I've spent loads of time with him but he just wont settle) and I've been advised to ignore him. I can't seem to stop crying, it's really tough BUT on a good note, Electra has just quietened so hopefully she'll be asleep for a bit.

I think I need to harden up Last night was pretty uneventful, though when I tried to crate Rhino next the her he was most unimpressed! I decided it would be less stressful for Electra if he slept in their room,as normal, and put him in there about 10pm.He winged a little but settled after a few minutes. I then woke around 1 am to Electra crying(this cry she does is actually more like a whimper) I took her out to toilet and she went straight away. :D When I put her back in her crate she cried for almost 1/2 an hour :D but then fell asleep. At 4am I woke to Rhino screaming again, he's pretty loud I ignored him and took Electra out to toilet again and she went back in the crate without too much fuss. Rhino was still screaming, so after a short quiet period, of a few minutes, I went to him and let him out to see if he wanted to toilet, but he just sat at the back door. So since 4.30am I've been in the kitchen with Rhino asleep at my feet. He just wanted to be with someone and I caved. I'm wondering if maybe I'd be better off bringing Electra's crate into the kitchen, as I spend most of my time in here, or if it's better that she stay where she is, so if Rhino gets playful she can't see him? I'm also thinking maybe I need to trim her elizabethan collar a bit, it sticks out about 4 inches past her nose and this makes it hard for her to chew her toys, raw hide chews ect. I have some pic's that I'll upload shortly ETA: after looking at the pics I have, the collar doesn't stick out very much, but does seem very wide. She still struggles and I'm not sure what to do :D

Thanks NewAmstaffOwner ;) It has been really tough :D BUT now after 6+ Beam cans and 2 sleeping puppies, I'm feeling alot calmer I'm sure tomorrow will bring new stresses and you will all find me posting here for help OH is not very impressed though, I haven't got the energy to make dinner for him and he's not very understanding of my plight :D Ruthless, I wish you were closer, I'd probably take you up on that offer :D

Sorry if I sounded grumpy, when I wrote that I was totally stressing Electra cried constantly up until about 1/2 an hour ago and I was almost at breaking point. Rhino was screaming(he is a very vocal pup at the best of times ) and I had know idea what to do. I can see the irony, just not giggling yet Hey Ruth That actually sounds like a brilliant idea, BUT because they are so close I think you'd have to take rhino too I'll pop over to Bali, and when everything's all better call by your place to pick them up ;)

Hi again Well she's home now Not too happy about the larger Elizabethan collar the vet put on this morning, but she's now sitting in the lounge room in her crate, with the heater and TV on, chewing a raw hide bone. Rhino is out the back in the sun chewing his and I'm going from one to the other checking on them and giving them cuddles. I asked the vet about a mild sedative but she said that once she gets the pain relief patch off, we'll discuss what's needed. I also asked about something for Rhino & me harlosmummy, yep it did happen in the morning when I let them out. I'm not giggle yet, but I'm sure in a few months I may see the funny side

Thank you everyone for your replies :D I'm a stress head in normal situations, so this one has me really freaking out The vet told me that it should be able to stay in. He has buried the pin and wire in the cartilage so there should be no rubbing, irritation etc. I'm planning to have her crate in the lounge room, with the heater on, and will be spending lots of time with her(luckily I'm not working) I think I'll only let Rhino have access in there in the late afternoon/night time and I'll keep him on lead if necessary, which I doubt I'll need to as he loves just laying by the heater Then he'll be crated next to her so they will still sort of be able to sleep together. Not being crate trained is a whole other issue, so it'll be a few sleepless night for me, getting up every couple of hours to check on them They still need toilet breaks at around 10-11pm and early mornings. I guess the only positive is that it'll help with toilet training. If anyone has ideas for keeping Rhino happy without her, I'd love to hear them! This morning when I let him out to play he really didn't know what to do so I had to be out there with him and it was freezing They loved doing zoomies etc and if the neighbours had seen me doing that with him this morning, I'd be the laughing stock of the block They are so used to playing with each other they have little interest in toys, except for when they feel like chewing.

Hi tic, sorry it's taken me so long to repl, was a very stressful day yesterday The vet told me complete rest for 2 weeks, then gentle exercise for 2 weeks then she should be right. With having 2 pups, I figure that crating her is my only option. She is the one with all the energy and I can't see her lazing around without being in a crate There is no cast, they have put a pin and wire in to hold it in place. Although the vet says fracture, to me it looks more like the joint has popped out. This is her good leg, the gap is 3.9mm This is her injured leg before the op, the gap is almost 10mm And this is obviously her leg after it's been pinned & wired, the gap has been reduced back to 4mm

This morning there was a terrible situation here :p 10 minutes after I let the pups out to play I heard this god aweful screaming and rushed outside to find Electra with one leg raised and obviously in a heap of pain I rushed her to the emergency after hours vet, but a vet wouldn't have been able to see her for hours. At this point she wasn't crying and even wagged her tail while the nurse had a look at her. We ended up going to our local vet, who opened not long after, and she has a fractured leg, rear right at the stifle ;) The vet called it a "avulsion tibial crest". Anyway..she had surgery this morning to pin and wire it, and the vet has told me it was a successful operation. Now she needs total rest for 2 weeks, and then gentle exercise for 2 after that. I am after suggestions to keep her entertained that won't put any kind of pressure on the joint, she tends to move around heaps when using the kong and i'm a little worried that in the first couple of weeks this may not be best for her. AND.....because I've got the 2 pups here I'm stressing that even crated she may move around a fair bit if Rhino in near by. He is pretty laid back and will probably just want to be near her, but before this happened she was always goading him to play. I'm hoping you all may be able to give me ideas to keep them both happy, with out totally separating them? Of course they will not be able to sleep in the same crate and I'm wondering should they be able to see each other and lay next to each other, even if the wire is between them OR would this possibly create so of fence fighting in the crates? Any advice will be much appreciated

Hi settrlvr I'm a little confused ;) I would have thought that feeding them later would mean they would need to toilet later This is also something I am still working on too, they are paper trained for night time(when they're in their room) and I'm trying to figure a way to teach them to hold on, without resorting to shutting them in crates? The last couple of nights after getting dinner later, between 6.30 & 7pm, they are toileting before bed(9-10pm) and there has been less mess on the paper in the mornings. They are still waking up around 6am though They do go for walks, everyday I'm taking short walks with them individually and working on stopping them pulling. I was doing these walks around 3pm, but have changed to earlier in the day so they nap earlier too. They don't really play all that much with me, they seem to prefer cuddles, I try things like fetch, tug etc with little success. I will start rotating their toys, at the moment they have access to all of them though their favorite toys are each other Any other advice would be greatly appreciated Edited to add: I have put them outside the last couple of mornings when they wake, they have played for about 10 - 15 minutes then asked to come back inside. They then snooze until breakfast ;) I've stopped worrying so much about the cold and they are behaving so much better after their run around :rolleyes: I think I've got some very clever puppies

Thanks for the replies every one I just want to say that they share their crate of their own choice, the crate is left open and there is a second one in the same room, that sometimes one of them use. I think they just like snuggling up to each other when it's cold. I would never shut them in the same crate, ever. periannath, I'm trying to do the tough love, I definitely don't want them playing inside to become a regular thing! This morning they were really good, and I'm hoping it'll continue I'll continue to put them out if they start playing & getting revved up. Tonight I fed them much later than normal....7pm They napped for a while then woke and played quietly with chew toys until 10pm, then I put them in their room. Hopefully tomorrow morning we all will get a little sleep in, even 7am I'd be happy with

Well this morning they woke around 5.30am as usual, I am guessing it IS the cold that wakes them. I put them out side but they just cried at the door, when I let them back in the fun began so I put them out again, they lasted maybe 10 minutes before wanting to come back inside. Once inside they went straight to their beds, in the kitchen, and have been napping ever since They were awake later last night, I think the earlier walk may have helped. They snoozed earlier in the afternoon and chewed their toys for much longer in the evening. luvsdogs, Unfortunately the house isn't heated, just the gas heater in the lounge room. I was going to look at getting them coats, but because there are 2 of them was advised by their breeder that it probably wasn't a good idea.....

I have put a blanket under their crate to see if that might make a difference. settrlvr, Putting them out is what I'm worried about it's pretty cold around then, maybe 5 or 6 degrees, is that not too cold for them? I am usually up at that time and they would let me know when they're finished playing, they gently scratch at the door. I guess I'm worried about them getting sick, Electra had a bit of a snotty nose a few weeks ago, and I've blocked all the places where I though a draft might be getting in. Now I worry that if I do put them outside when it's that cold, one or both may get sick, or am I worrying too much? I've taken them for their training walk earlier today, they are both snoozing now, I'm hoping that they may stay awake longer tonight!