Kelly_Louise Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 Yes of course you are right Malleerr. I had to do something. He just comes from a different background and thinks it's just best to put them down. But I don't think I have the right to cut short her life at 7.5 years just because she has some bad legs. My mum and granny have bad legs too, but I don't put them down do i???!!! It's just a lack of sleep and worry that have too many doubts in my head. I'm sure when i get her home and she is settled I will feel differently... I will still worry, but have less doubts. I am wondering what we will do with Chloe at night. She will be in a little pen with her kennel. She won't try to get out, but I'm afraid she might try to get up and trip and hurt herself. We all sleep upstairs. But I'm sure that all of us will take turns geting up to check on her. I hope it's enough... Funny that you mention moving your bed into the lounge with Mallee... I was actually thinking I should take a sleeping bag outside and sleep outside Chloe's kennel for the first few days myself. Oh my goodness... the things we do!!! I don't think they will give Chloe the collar. Apart from the fact that she would hate it, she has a cast on (not sure for how long) so they will not be worried about stitches. Maybe when the cast comes off she may have to have one? Actually I was really surprised to see a cast on her. Many of the pictures I have seen with dogs having this surgery do not have casts on. I think the only one I have seen with a cast is Corine's dog on her thread. But I'm glad regardless cause like everyone else that goes through orthopedic surgery with their little ones, I'm afraid she will hurt herself. I know there is no point worrying, but I do anyways!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pup's mum Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 KL - I'll be blunt - I think you are taking a huge risk by giving your girl so much access to space while she recuperates. Rent or buy a crate and crate her indoors or in the garage or laundry while the ligaments heal...take her out for toilet breaks but otherwise crate her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 Hmmmm, maybe you are right. I mentioned the pen to the surgeon and he seemed to think it's okay... but I have noticed that everyone else is crating. Where could I get a suitable crate from (probably to buy?)? I may have to rethink all my plans.... Thanks for the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malleerr Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 Hey Kelly, we had the same problem with Mallee, maybe you could try your local vets - they had one we could hire but it was too small. You can buy them from certain larger pet shops, but not sure of the price, and you prob need it in a hurray. My OH ended up making Mallee's its 4foot by 2foot just big enough for her to stand and turn around and maybe take 1-2 steps in it, you feel really bad having them in there. Maybe also check out the classified section on this website - if all else fails maybe the laundry and just partion a bit off so it smaller..... ....I suppose the good thing is if she is in a crate you can keep her inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pup's mum Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 KL - here you go - currently on ebay...some bargains....I would get a metal rather than the soft crate for this particular exercise.... http://search.ebay.com.au//search/search.d...title=dog+crate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 I have found some on an Australian website, but will also ask the surgery today if they have any I can hire until I can purchase one. My dad keeps arguing with me saying it's too cruel to keep her in there (because the nurse at the surgery told him that she had to use the leg and get up and about on it). I don't know what to do. I would prefer to have her crated as well and keep her in the sunroom. Although it would mean going to the toilet inside because there are stairs out the back. It's all so frustrating... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pup's mum Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 Do you have a laundry or garage that she could live in the crate? It may be diffiocult to get her to toilet indoors if she is house trained.... It might seem cruel to your father but you need to make it clear to him that unless the leg heals correctly she may be prone to a very long, very painful rehab (if it ever heals), potentially arthritis in the joint and ultimately it will be worse for the dog, for you and for your wallet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malleerr Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 Kelly - i presume that you are seeing a surgeon that your vet referred you to, if you are, ring your local vets or any other vets in the area and see if they can hire you one if the surgeon does not have one!! He should let you know what is required though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula- Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 It's certainly not cruel - she'll cope, and it's much better than risking her recovery with the puppy pen for Stella - we set it up in such a way that it was slightly larger than a crate - she could lay down and not bump her leg, but that was all. She did not get out at all except for short toilet breaks on lead. Stella had a huge bandage on her leg until the stitches came out - basically the same as a cast. I've heard of it being done both ways (wrapped/unwrapped). With regards to saying she should be put down ... I had numerous people advising me I should do the same, rather than 'waste' the money Stella runs around like a looney now, and she's had both knees done - the first one at 18 months (four years ago), the other one a year later. We've only just had the last operation to remove the remaining suture material from the first op. Seeing her loving life so much it's obvious that a few weeks of sitting on her butt while her leg healed were nothing in comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 Yes that's what I've been trying to tell him... however he is listening to the surgeon who says it's okay. The laundry is out. It's awkwardly positioned right smack bang in the middle of the house, also in the middle of the main walkway (and it's a very small room). And our garage is all the way down the back of the yard away from the house... it's actually further than where we are currently setting her up. Oh I will have to think about what I can do for a better solution. We have an old house that is just not a good setting for this type of thing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 How long do you generally crate for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula- Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 (edited) Stella was crated constantly for 8 weeks. Then, when X rays showed that her leg had knitted, we started with a couple of five minute wanders a day (basically we extended her on-lead toilet breaks in the back yard)... very gradually working up to longer walks, all on flat ground. Apart from those times she was crated. We eventually got to the stage where Stella could be out of the crate when we were home, but she went back in at night and during the day (didn't want to risk her running in the yard). Slowly started on hills etc, and then finally, back to free access - probably about 4 months all up? At five months we went on holiday, which included bushwalking and running at the beach, and Stella came too I'm sure each orthopaedic specialist has their own recovery instructions, but I would think they's be fairly similar? Edited December 8, 2005 by paula_canberra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malleerr Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 (edited) Kel - Mallee has to be in the crate for 6-8 weeks but she has two sets of bones that need to heal. Telephone your surgeon if you are really concerned about what to do with her, maybe she could stay in hospital longer while you sort something out.......I don't think the surgeon would let you / or want you to do anything with Chloe that would damage what he has just tried to repair.!!!. Edited December 8, 2005 by malleerr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fido666 Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 Hi KL, I think the only one I have seen with a cast is Corine's dog on her thread. Duncan never had a cast. If the the one you saw on him was blue then that was just the banadaging they put on him after he first broke his leg. It looks like a cast but is just a form of splint, I believe it's called a Robert Jones Dressing. They couldn't put a cast on him as he was a a baby and his bones were still growing. If it was the one he had on after the CCWO (pink/skin coloured) then that was just a stabilising bandage to support the leg and protect the stitches, it came off about 10 days post op. I relied on the surgeon's advice when deciding not to crate but Duncan did not have his Meniscus removed. We kept him confined to our bedroom as it's the only small room we had with secure footing. We used his sleeping crate to block off part of the room so he was confined to a very small area. Try not to fret too much, it does get better . Cheers, Corine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 (edited) . Edited May 7, 2009 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malleerr Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 Hi Kelly_Louise, just wondernig if you have Chloe home yet, and how you are going, i thought you were picking her up last night. Hope all went well, please let me know Antoinette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted December 9, 2005 Author Share Posted December 9, 2005 Hello all! Just thought I should drop in for an update. Chloe is going very well. I have to admit that after she got home and was just so ecstatic to be there it did take her a while to settle down. She cried almost non stop for a while. I can't believe how well she is settling and getting used to her new confined life. She doesn't like it, but accepts it. Even when she needs to go to the toilet, she patiently stands and waits for the collar to go on, then walks (slowly - she has been told so many times), goes to the toilet on cue, and then actually leads US back into her little confinement area, waits for the lead to come off, then goes and lies back in the kennel. It has taken a bit of discipline (that my mum yells at me for) but I told her that it had to be done until Chloe could learn that this is going to be her life for a while. We cut the pen down in size and now she has her kennel, and then a small mat outside the kennel in case it gets too hot in there. That's it. At nite the kennel has the door closed. She didn't like that either, but is getting used to it. This morning the swelling has gone right down and it's returning to normal colour. They didn't leave the bandage/cast on for her to come home. She was putting weight on it almost straight away - but I suppose when your other leg is bung too it doesn't really give you too many other options. She is getting up and down with relative ease. She is still a bit wobbly sometimes though. But she seems to be really good on it. Now she is starting to be a bit more confident though - so the worry never stops. I went to give her the medicine this morning and she was standing on the mat outside her kennel with her old bunny toy in her mouth. Poor thing. Stocking up on new bones today so that will keep her quiet for a while. I gave her one of those bones that should take ages to eat... but she demolished it in seconds Thankfully my mum and dad have started to listen to me and not argue as much. We still have the occasional clash, but I remind them that 2 solid weeks of researching gave me a bit more of an edge!!! My surgeon and the veterinary staff are not really so strict with their requirements - just that she does not run or jump - which with her other leg being bung is not a great chance anyway - but still a worry regardless and something I am taking seriously. I have called them a thousand times with silly questions, but they are always happy to help. Hopefully if this surgery goes okay and she has the other leg done, I will not be as obsessively worried. Even if I'm doing something and am busy, I feel the need to stop at regular 5 or 10 minute intervals to see that she is doing okay... even though someone is sitting with her. Yesterday was my bf's birthday so I left her in mum and dads capable hands. In a 4 hour period I called twice... and seeing that I wouldn't take anyone's word for it, I had to leave the man on his birthday and come home to see for myself. She was soundly asleep in her kennel, but I still had to see that she was okay. So after only 2 broken hours sleep on Thursday night (dad slept outside with her - he's a good boy!!) I was absolutely wrecked yesterday and was asleep before I could take my boyfriend out for dinner. Luckily he is a big animal lover too, and fully understood and let me sleep and didn't complain at all. After 2 weeks of no sleep and worry, I could have slept all day today, but was again up at the crack of dawn to take her to the toilet and open the door of her kennel. I now know what new mothers go through!!! Well anyways, I'm going back to monitoring and company duties. Thanks for the thoughts guys and I will give more updates and hopefully post a pic soon of the girl with the new leg!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted December 10, 2005 Author Share Posted December 10, 2005 Thanks for your concern Antoinette... how is Mallee doing, especially coping with his boredom? I can't imagine going through all of this with a young and active dog... I'd have a heart attack from worry!!! Hope you are both doing well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fido666 Posted December 10, 2005 Share Posted December 10, 2005 Glad to hear Chloe is coping with her confinement . Do try and get some rest though, you won't be much company for her if you're tired and cranky. Cheers, Corine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted December 10, 2005 Author Share Posted December 10, 2005 Thanks Corine, I sure have had some rest today. It's just a matter of letting go of my worry and thoughts that no one else can look after her a little bit. It's given me enough confidence that I can have a nap without waking at every little sound thinking "Is that Chloe? Has she hurt herself? Maybe she has and no one's told me?" etc etc etc I can only thank goodness that Chloe has lost some of her stubbornness and is willing to listen to me most of the time now - she really seems to understand that she is not well and has to be careful. She came back a most obedient dog (although she doesn't always listen to "stay"). I know the coming weeks will be a challenge though as she starts to feel better and comfortable on her leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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