Please Help!!!! Leg Injury and Crate Rest

[chaos270]

Sorry this is sooo long.

Ok Lacey has somehow badly injured her right hind leg.  She won't walk on it an when she does it's very gingerly.  We took her to the vet for xrays, lyme test, and for our vet to examine the joint.  Well she doesn't have Lyme disease and the xrays were inconclusive.  Our vet did say she could feel a bit of instability in the side to side direction of her knee meaning she could have torn the two side ligaments which is rare but possible.  She hopes it may be just a bad sprain that crate rest and Rimadyl will help her get over. 

The problem is that we've had her in her crate for the day but crate rest is seeming to make it worse and there's the fact she is a very intelligent high energy dog with nothing to really occupy her.  Any suggestions for entertaining her that isn't fattening like peanut butter kongs as she is the type that looks at food and gains weight?  Also any suggestions on nonsurgical treatment of tendon/ligament injuries as we don't have the money for surgery if it comes to that?  I appreciate any help you guys can give us.

[kathryn]

I know this dilemma really well. I had to do the same thing when Kaila had a partial ACL tear.  This is what I did so I hope it helps.  First, I separated Kaila and Cinder.  They weren't allowed out in the yard together and they were kept separated in the house most of the time.  They will play all day and night if given the chance.  Kaila and Cinder are crated while I am at work so the only time I had to keep a close eye on her was when I was at home.  I got some of the smoked bones from Petsmart and gave those to her.  They will keep her occupied for a couple of hours.  She got occassional short-distance, slow walks around the neighborhood.  I also gated her into any room that I was in so that she didn't have access to the rest of the house.  You might try putting her regular food in a puzzle feeder.  That might keep her busy for a little while.  The only other thing I did was drink a lot of margaritas to help take the edge off.    Hope that helps or gives you some ideas.

Kat

[seaherons]

There is a Canine Conservative Management Yahoo Group which may be helpful.  There are many resources in the files and links sections regarding canine rehab.

[DakotaMom]

When I have to stuff a kong for my crew I stuff it with small pieces of fruit that has been stirred into yogurt and then frozen. It is healthy and keeps them cool.

[chaos270]

  The only other thing I did was drink a lot of margaritas to help take the edge off.    Hope that helps or gives you some ideas.

Kat

Hehehehe   Margaritas   Hehehehehehe

haha that would not quite be legal....maybe give Lacey the Margarita?  Thanks everyone for the advice.  We've been keeping them separated as Kali has no concept of how big she is and kept running Lacey over.  I'm soooooo glad our dogs are crate trained.  We set it up last night.  Kali tried to get in it and was mad that we threw her out and put Lacey in instead of her  .  I got to come home to this and I have to leave again in a few days so it will be my family taking care of her.  Back to Uconn I go for another 4 weeks of tutoring/babysitting.

[sc.trojans]

There is a Canine Conservative Management Yahoo Group which may be helpful.  There are many resources in the files and links sections regarding canine rehab.

I recommend you go immediately to an orthpedic specialist - a vet cannot diagnose this and rule out some things or at least try to get a highly likely diagnosis.  A cruciate tear is very different than a sprain, or torn muscle for instance. 

The group above would be a good idea as well as OrthoDogs on Yahoo Groups.  Both groups have good information in their Files sections....ma ny many on these two groups can tell you how things go as well and give all the tricks to the trade - exercises, games, stimulation exercises etc.

This is the downside of BigPaws - bad orthos and it is a rough ride.  Good luck

[chaos270]

I figured I'd update but this is info from my mom.  Crate rest has been going very good... she's been taking it extrememly well and is finally walking mostly on all four legs and only not using the leg on rocky surfaces.  So our vet is saying a few more weeks of crate rest and to start weaning her off the Rimadyl.  So we're keeping fingers crossed that this will be all she needs.

[Mom2Sadie]

Oh no! Poor Lacey! I hope she's ok and crate rest does the trick. Our Golden Bailey had TPLO surgery a year ago to fix a torn ACL, but I think my vet gave us some pamphlets on all the options including non-surgical ones. I'll try to dig them up if I can find them. I'm pretty sure swimming was in there as the preferred form of exercise. Does Lacey swim? Give the poor baby hugs from us!

[chaos270]

Lacey hates water so swimming is kind of out.  She got rolled over by waves a few times as a puppy and to this day hates to even get her feet wet .  She is such a turkey.