12 Week Old Puppy - Broken Leg- Help

[Pei]

Hi,

My 12 week old Sharpei has broken her leg, well to be exact, the albow has fractured through the joint. She has had surgery two days ago, and I brought her home from the animal hospital today. She has a screw & pin in place and a big cast.

I am releived that she made it through the operation well, but now, I am very worried about how I can keep her from confined and happy for the 8 weeks this is going to take to heal.

I am worreid about her missing all the things you are suposed to do with a new puppy, taking her to obediance, and socialising. Also I am concerned about the lack of exercise and boredom making her a very unhappy little pup. (which she certainly has not been up until now. Even all the dealings with the vet, she has sat there tail wagging)

Does anybody have any ideas of what I can do to help her keep amused without letting her move around? Currently she is in a baby play pen, which i am using to keep her confined.

Also, I am concerned about leaving her water bowl in the small area of the play pen. The bandage needs to stay dry, but being a sharpei, she is a 'sloppy' drinker, spilling water everywhere after a drink, effectivlet soaking to floor of her pen (which is a padded plactis mattress covered in newspaper right now. - if i was home all day i could just take her out and carry her to the drink bowl every few hours, but this is not possible as she is left at home while I am at work, and I dont think offering her water only before I leave and after I get home is fair.

Any ideas would be great. I know this is going to be hard, but I am just so happy she is ok, and are willing to try anything to make her as comfortable as possible.

oh- also, I have brought her several kong toys for her to seek out treats, and lots of squeaky and chewy toys (she is a spoilt puppy!) before the injury she wasnt at all interested in her puppy kong, but today she started licking at it, should I rotate what she has each day?

Ushi_in_Pen.doc

[Reddii]

Hi,

I really feel for you with this one. I'm six months down the track with a BC pup who only cracked his elbow when about 4 weeks older than your girl.

We've done lots of training (roll over, hand targetting 'still type stuff' for want of a better description and walking (once he was allowed out again) and had to keep him mentally active. The biggest thing I've found is that he missed out on a lot of socialisation so if you can get your pup out and carry her around then get her to lie down and watch the world go by that would be a great thing. I'm not sure how practical this is, but my time over I'd give it a go.

WRT the kongs - the two important things IMO are to keep them rotated so she does not get bored and to make sure that you factor them into her diet so he doesn't put on too much weight.

Best of luck, I hope it all goes well - we've had a long road to recovery, but it seems that he's all fine coming off the end of a cartrophen course of injections.

cheers

Tony

Edited to change sex of your pup Sorry.

Edited September 17, 2007 by Reddii

[Poodle wrangler]

I'd encourage you to follow your vet's advice to the letter if you want her to recover well.

8 weeks will seem like a long time, but it's only a short time in her overall life. Most important thing is for her leg to heal properly! My breeder had one of her dogs seriously injure his leg and felt sorry for her active dog. Vet said, "Well, do you want it to heal or not?".

A small dish of water only during the day, then drinks once you're home? Something highly absorbent in the crate e.g. puppy pads?

[PeiLuvR]

Ohhh the poor little thing How did she break her elbow ?

The baby pen is a gr8 idea and with lots of toys to amuse her !

I think u should deffinately get a puppy bag and carry her around to let her see other dogs and hold her so they can sniff each other etc. Take her out and about in the world to see people, dogs, traffic etc.

All the best, i look forward to reading lots about her !

Also wot location are u in ?

[blacklabrador]

I really feel for you. I am just coming to the end of a month with a crated Lab puppy who had surgery for elbow dysplasia. He is a bit older but it's been really tough on him (and me!). We certainly went through a few tough days while he adjusted. He was great for the first week but then had a couple of very unsettled days where he barked a lot. Puppies adjust very quickly to a different environment. Your pup hasn't had a real taste of freedom yet so it should adjust quite quickly. I do understand your concerns about missing out on important socialising time though.

The Kong type toys are excellent - as are bones and treat balls/buster cubes etc. I keep my boy entertained with all sorts of bones and chew toys and pigs ears. We only have a few days until he can run free again and I am very glad to be at this end of the month rather than the frustration and guilt I was feeling a few weeks ago.

[Rhi*Jak*Ed]

OMG - I feel for the both of you. I found it hard to keep mine crated after desexing - not sure how I'd cope with 8 weeks of it.

Just wanting to wish you all the best :-)

Rhi & Jak

[Pei]

Ohhh the poor little thing How did she break her elbow ?

The baby pen is a gr8 idea and with lots of toys to amuse her !

I think u should deffinately get a puppy bag and carry her around to let her see other dogs and hold her so they can sniff each other etc. Take her out and about in the world to see people, dogs, traffic etc.

All the best, i look forward to reading lots about her !

Also wot location are u in ?

I am in Brisbane area.- I see you are Melbourne- I recently moved up here from Bendigo, and bought Ushi a few months after I settled in.

I have been giving her lots of cuddles and love. She hasnt really gotten into kong toys yet, but she is pretty careful with all her toys, it takes a while for her to get used to them before she will give them a good chew - I dont know why, but she never just grabs onto toys.

Toileting is a real nightmare though. Before this she was a little angel, she never had accidents. But now, I cant expect her to 'hold on' for the whole time I am at work, so she has to go in her pen, and she is insisting on using her bed- although I have put newsapaper down over all the rest of the pen. I took the bed out today and left her with a thick towel over half the pen and paper over the other. (and even more gross, as soon as I picked her up and put her on my bed for cuddles last night, she decided to pee on my bed! - she has a thing about the cushyness I think??)

What is a puppy bag?? That sounds fantastic. She was not an overly active pup to start with- as in she didnt really run about crazy. The thing thats really hard on her is not being able to follow me around. If I could carry her with me, she would be very happy.

Also (and sorry for the long post) whats the difference between a crate and a pen? Will she heel well enough just in the small pen, or should I be putting her in a crate. The vet said either, But I want to ensure she has the best recovery possible.

Sorry- forgot to answer how.... To be honest, I dont know for sure, she was in our small fenced backyard on her own, when I got home from work, she was limping. - There was someone home most of the day, she was left with nobody for a maximum of 2 hours- and they heard no yelping or anything during the day. I am guessing, after a rigourous search of the small yard which I meticulously went over and made safe (or so I thought) before bringing her home. I think, she has fallen down a very small hole, which is on the edge of where the concrete and grass meet. The hole is not very big, but its all I can think of which could cause the fracture, if she slipt on leg down the hole and knocked her elbow on the edge of the concrete as she slipped. (the hole is small, only anout 15cm deep and 20 cm across- I am kicking myslef for not filling it in know!)

Edited September 17, 2007 by Pei

[Erny]

The biggest thing I've found is that he missed out on a lot of socialisation so if you can get your pup out and carry her around then get her to lie down and watch the world go by that would be a great thing. I'm not sure how practical this is, but my time over I'd give it a go.

I'd go with Reddii's suggestion too. Once the critical period is completed there will be no getting it back. If the pup has had a really good amount of broad socialisation to all things worldly up until the injury, it won't be so bad, as that socialisation will help stand it in good stead.

A crate is more confined and would be better for being out and about. It will keep her quieter as there is less room to move around.

A pen is simply a quadroned off area where the pup can still move around but is restricted by not having access to everywhere.

Edited September 18, 2007 by Erny

[peibe]

Shar Pei need so much more socialisation than other breeds and it is something that you have to continue throughout their whole life

Make sure her socialisation includes visitors of both sexes to your home, Pei can become very territorial over their home

[PeiLuvR]

What is a puppy bag?? That sounds fantastic. She was not an overly active pup to start with- as in she didnt really run about crazy. The thing thats really hard on her is not being able to follow me around. If I could carry her with me, she would be very happy.

I purchased a cheap padded carry bag for dogs from the $2 shop or reject shop. I used the bag to put Millie in when i got her from the breeder and she travelled in it as well as slept in it for the first week or so. Because i was so paranoid putting mu pup on the ground etc etc i carried her everywhere with me until she was 16 weeks old ! I will try and scan the photos i hav of mill in her bag lol !

U can also by the fancy (Paris Hilton) type puppy bags from Big W and Pet accessory stores.

I will find a pic so u know wot i mean.