raffikki Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 (edited) 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 Edited August 10, 2009 by raffikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Oh poor Puppy, I have just had one of mine with a dislocated toe and he has been on complete rest for nearly two weeks now but he is 3 and wuite happy to laze about the house, only an issue when I go out with the other dogs so I have been leaving one of the other 3 with him for company. Does she have to have complete crate rest? Is the leg in a cast? @ weeks doesnt sound like much rest time for a fracture, do you have any idea how she did it? I havent really got any suggestions as to how you can keep her intertained, apart from chew toys but there is only so much chewing a doggy can do!! With regards to the crates being next to each other you may just have to see how they react and take it from there. Good luck, hope she heals quickly, it will be tough on her and the rest of the family as she is young and will have lots of energy to burn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffikki Posted August 3, 2009 Author Share Posted August 3, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 No real suggestions- maybe ask the vet for a gentle sedative for the first little while? just make sure the crate is wide enough that she can lie down, on her side...and stretch her leg out fully ,if she needs to, so she can get comfortable... Best of luck to her ..happy healing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amstaffchick Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Poor little bunny..Ive given you a few tips in the email Anne so just make sure you dont crack under the pressure of two sets of big brown eyes lol Keep her crated and keep her quiet its the best way to ensure a nice quick recovery. Big hugs and kisses to Electra and Rhino xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Oh the poor baby, that pin looks nasty, will it have to stay there forever. I hope you have lots of luck in keeping her quiet, it will be tough. Let us know how she is going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Avulsion fractures aren't common in the bigger breeds, they're apparently more common in smaller breeds such as toy breeds, JRTs etc. A few years back now I sent a Stafford puppy to the USA. She was fine when she left here, went through Los Angeles and her comfort stop but arrived in Michigan on three legs. I had to jump through hoops to prove to the purchaser that I hadn't sold him a lame dog (but that's a whole "nother" story). It turns out that during her comfort stop, they put her in a run with a shiny, slippery floor and she slipped and gave herself an avulsion fracture. I know what you mean about it looking like the joint has popped. But what actually happens is that the ligaments that are attached to the bone come away and take the bone with it (kind of like a flake fracture that hoomans get on fingers). I was told that many vets misdiagnosed smaller breeds as having slipping patellas when in actual fact they have avulsion fractures which never heal properly without proper attention initially. Anyway.....many years ago now I also had a 17 week old Stafford (my first one) who shattered his front leg, right at the elbow chasing a cat down some stairs (a VERY steep flight of stairs), resulting in plating, pinning and screwing and SIX weeks of crate rest with toileting on lead ONLY. That was fun! When he was allowed to exercise again, he and I must have made an hilarious sight. Me VERY heavily pregnant and suffering badly with symphisis pubis dysfunction and sciatica and him hobbling on 3 good legs and a bad 'un. We would take VEEEEEEEEEEERY slow shuffles around the block together. We made his crate as comfy as we could for him and he went through a zillion nice meaty bones and Kongs and got to watch a lot of television. He developed quite a liking for daytime soap operas and even when off crate rest, come lunchtime, you'd find him on the couch waiting for the TV to go on so he could watch his favourite shows! If you're with her, then I wouldn't worry too much about the other dog upsetting her. But if you can't be in the room with her, I'd suggest turning on the TV or a radio and keeping her isolated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Avulsion fractures aren't common in the bigger breeds, they're apparently more common in smaller breeds such as toy breeds, JRTs etc.A few years back now I sent a Stafford puppy to the USA. She was fine when she left here, went through Los Angeles and her comfort stop but arrived in Michigan on three legs. I had to jump through hoops to prove to the purchaser that I hadn't sold him a lame dog (but that's a whole "nother" story). It turns out that during her comfort stop, they put her in a run with a shiny, slippery floor and she slipped and gave herself an avulsion fracture. I know what you mean about it looking like the joint has popped. But what actually happens is that the ligaments that are attached to the bone come away and take the bone with it (kind of like a flake fracture that hoomans get on fingers). I was told that many vets misdiagnosed smaller breeds as having slipping patellas when in actual fact they have avulsion fractures which never heal properly without proper attention initially. Anyway.....many years ago now I also had a 17 week old Stafford (my first one) who shattered his front leg, right at the elbow chasing a cat down some stairs (a VERY steep flight of stairs), resulting in plating, pinning and screwing and SIX weeks of crate rest with toileting on lead ONLY. That was fun! :D When he was allowed to exercise again, he and I must have made an hilarious sight. Me VERY heavily pregnant and suffering badly with symphisis pubis dysfunction and sciatica and him hobbling on 3 good legs and a bad 'un. We would take VEEEEEEEEEEERY slow shuffles around the block together. We made his crate as comfy as we could for him and he went through a zillion nice meaty bones and Kongs and got to watch a lot of television. He developed quite a liking for daytime soap operas and even when off crate rest, come lunchtime, you'd find him on the couch waiting for the TV to go on so he could watch his favourite shows! If you're with her, then I wouldn't worry too much about the other dog upsetting her. But if you can't be in the room with her, I'd suggest turning on the TV or a radio and keeping her isolated. Gee that must have been a tough time!! The bolded part reminded me about last weekend, My oldest dog Cooper had a dislocated toe and after the trip to the vets and xrays to see what was wrong etc He needed 2 weeks with no excersise, I decided to take him with me to Melbourne last weekend to get him out of the house but at the same time I have Plantis facitis in my foot and had also pulled a muscle in the same leg so what a sight we must have looked when We got out of the car a couple of times for pit stops, both of us limping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffikki Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 Thank you everyone for your replies :D I'm a stress head in normal situations, so this one has me really freaking out Oh the poor baby, that pin looks nasty, will it have to stay there forever. 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. We made his crate as comfy as we could for him and he went through a zillion nice meaty bones and Kongs and got to watch a lot of television. He developed quite a liking for daytime soap operas and even when off crate rest, come lunchtime, you'd find him on the couch waiting for the TV to go on so he could watch his favourite shows! If you're with her, then I wouldn't worry too much about the other dog upsetting her. But if you can't be in the room with her, I'd suggest turning on the TV or a radio and keeping her isolated. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cazstaff Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Your poor little pup and poor you, I know how aweful it is to have a sick puppy... I have almost finished 2 weeks crating for a very active 15 week old pup after abdominal surgery. After battling with him for 3 days the vet gave him a very mild sedative, just half dose that was enough to relax him and has made the time much easier for him, not to mention the rest of our house and the neighbours! His constant high pitch barking was very upsetting to hear and driving us all mad It doesn't knock him out, he's awake and quietly playing with his toys ,chewing bones ect, just in a much calmer manner compared to his usual flat out tearing around personality. He comes out for cuddles with us and his mum, story time and toilet but no running around.(my daughter has read out loud to the pups since they were born and Seth still loves to lie quietly on her for a story) If the other dogs are playing I move his crate into another room so he doesn't get hyped up watching them. I have his crate up, he can still see everything going on, just not at his level. When it was at ground level he was desperate to get out, he would put his legs out between the rails in an effort to play with his mum and the other dogs and I feared him ending up with a broken limb. Good luck, its not easy but very important for her to heal well. Caz.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlosmummy Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 ohhh raffikki the poor puppy, you must be so stressed by any chance did this happen in the morning when you let them out? if so i thought you might get a giggle out of the irony of you worrying about the cold and then something unexpected like this happening! they certainly keep you busy dont they, good luck with the recovery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffikki Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlosmummy Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 sorry, that didnt come out right i meant that we worry over all the other little things such as cold etc and then they go and do something totally unexpected that you wouldnt have even thought of happening! Glad she is home, shes a beautiful puppy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I think you should send her to me for the two weeks so she doesn't get hyped up by Rhino wanting to play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffikki Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 sorry, that didnt come out right i meant that we worry over all the other little things such as cold etc and then they go and do something totally unexpected that you wouldnt have even thought of happening! Glad she is home, shes a beautiful puppy 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 I think you should send her to me for the two weeks so she doesn't get hyped up by Rhino wanting to play ;) 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 ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 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 Oh yeah and I'll be sure not to accidentally send Chopper and Angel back to you by mistake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar (AmBull) Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I have no real advice on the topic as I am only new to the amstaff as well. Just wanted to say I feel terrible for all three of you! I am a complete stress head as well and would be freaking out much like you if that happened to Oscar. Just shows how quickly things like this can happen. Because the Amstaff can be so boisterous and full on I know I think Oscar is almost invincible, seem to forget he is only a fragile puppy. I hope that Electra has a speedy recovery and is back to her playful self in no time. In the mean time Rhino will have to just chill on his own, he and Oscar sound very alike, Oscar is borderline lazy :D, and will refuse to leave the heater for his dinner. Hope your night isn't to sleepless, keep us posted on her recovery. Sending mine and Oscars love! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffikki Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffikki Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 (edited) 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 Edited August 4, 2009 by raffikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffikki Posted August 5, 2009 Author Share Posted August 5, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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