Some bad news

[mijan]

I'm visiting my mother in New Hampshire for the long weekend, and that means I also get to visit my dog and the two cats.  Last year, my dog, Rascal, blew out a ligament in her back right leg.  It happened when I was walking her.  I decided to let her run a little bit, so I started running, and she took off too - she loves to run alongside me - and only made it about three steps before she yelped, stopped short, and took all weight off her back leg.  She'd completely separated one of the ligaments in her knee joint.  Needed surgery.  Poor thing was in a lot of pain, but she did well with surgery, and she's finally pretty much recovered from that.  I've taken her for long walks, and then last weekend, I took her along with me for the first real "run" I've had since I I had surgery.  She did really well, and so did I.  I had missed running with her.  It was great to be able to do that again.

So, this morning, I went out to walk the dog. As usual, I walked a ways out with her while she sniffed out a "spot".  Once she was done, she looked energetic enough that I could tell she wanted to run.  Bouncing around and whatnot.  So, we started running... and within a couple of strides, the same thing happened, only with the other back leg.  

The vet isn't open today, so all we can do is make her comfortable.  She's just in obvious pain right now, and there's nothing I can really do.  With an animal, you can't explain to her why she's in pain.  I've got an ice wrap on her leg, and she's sitting quietly next to me.  It's just so upsetting, but I can't do anything.  She's reluctant to eat.  

*sigh*  I'm just posting because I'm sitting here and needed to tell someone about this.  My dog is going to need surgery again, I know it.  She's got this look on her face like she knows, too.  Anyhow, I've got to stop typing because she's nudging me to hold her paw.  I'll be around later.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/__babbes__/]

I hope everything goes okay. I've never had a pet (of the animal kind) so I can't really say much...but I wanted to say something, at least.


peace love beans rice and yogurt.

[firebird157.livejournal.com]

Oh, the poor dog. I hope she'll be okay. :(

[fiona-fawkes.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I feel for you, sweetie. That truly is awful.

[emeraldandazure.livejournal.com]

poooooooor doggie! i hope that everything is ok.

[quickpixie.livejournal.com]

*snuggles* Pets are like your kids except without all the accompanying obnoxiousness. Someone that loves and trusts you unconditionally. I cried when I first had to vaccinate by puppy. Just because he was shaking and scared. Give yours lots of kisses and cuddles from me. Poor baby.

[hoshiforever.livejournal.com]

wow! My dog just had surgery for a torn ligament yesterday! It's sooooo sad!

[tehgenius.livejournal.com]

Ack, I'm sorry. I hope it all goes well <3


xx

[loudmeggaphone.livejournal.com]

Oh honey I am so sorry. I hope she starts to feel better and the surgery goes well.

I do have one suggestion, and it is only a suggestion I am not a vet by any means, but we used to give my dog Bufferin for pain and arthritis. Maybe that could help? Our vet is the one who suggested it. Just a thought.

*big hugs, a kiss on the head and a cuddle* to you and *big hugs, a kiss on the head and a cuddle* to her. Please call if you need to talk.

[singlewoman.livejournal.com]

Poor Rascal! I hope she'll be OK. Is there any sort of emergency vet in the area you can get to? It is so hard when a pet is hurt because as you said, you can't really explain to them what is wrong. All you can do is make her comfortable and let her know that you love her. Animals are so amazingly sensitive that way, they just know.

Keep us posted on how she is doing.

[xingou.livejournal.com]

I hope Rascal is going to be ok. ::wibble:: The poor thing is just not having any luck with this thing. Give her scrathces from me.

[awaywithpixie.livejournal.com]

pouts :((

I dread that happening with both my kids, and I know exactly what you must be going through.

*hugs mijan*
*hugs rascal, the wonderdog*

[shakespearechic.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Poor Rascal! And such timing - the holiday weekend! Maybe there's an ER vet open that you could at least call and see if there's sopmething you can give her for the pain (half a tylenol, etc.)? I hope it all goes well.

[silverlily81.livejournal.com]

*hugs Rascal*

There's very little that's as upsetting as seeing an animal suffer, especially one that you love.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

We live too far out in the middle of nowhere. The nearest emergency vet is horribly far away, and they won't be able to do anything for her. She needs surgery. Painkillers will only do so much.
*sigh*

[shakespearechic.livejournal.com]

Awww, I am so sorry. I am so sorry. I'll be thinking of you all and sending her healing thoughts. *hugs*

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

poor sweetie! what is it with your family and knees anyway?

[*cuddles you both*]

[oconel]

I hope she does well with the surgery *hugs*

[augustfai.livejournal.com]

Aw D: I hope she gets better soon.

[valentina-marie.livejournal.com]

:( Awww *Hugs* I hope everything turns out ok...

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I don't know. My mother is going to need knee surgery, too. Or at least some very intensive therapy. She was a softball catcher in high school and college, and a figure skater before that. Me... I've just played every sport known to mankind, and had a guy land on my knee sideways during an Army training event. Bad luck, wear-and-tear... at least, for the two-legged people in the family. But the dog? I have no idea why. Very upsetting.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

We need to find out what the vet says. I mean, I'm only guessing she needs surgery because it's the EXACT same thing that happened last time. She seems a bit perkier this morning, but she's still not putting any weight on the leg. *sigh* My poor puppy!

[x-shabutie-x.livejournal.com]

Awww big love to teh Rascal and hope her surgery works out. They worry you to death these dogs don't they? My lil mutt had a grass seed stuck inside her ear and she was in a lot of pain. I was worried sick while Jeff took her to the vet and that was something relatively small compared to this!

Hope she's better soon, give her a scratch behind the ears for me :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Meh... I was petting her this morning... trying to make her feel better... and I discovered a tumor. About the size of a mango. I don't know what to think right now.

[ccck381.livejournal.com]

My great dane had some problems with soft tissues being bruised and couldn't go outside without a leash for about 2 weeks. It sucked because of course my parents never put her on her leash, so the bruising is probably still there, and its just not bothering her.

I feel for your puppy though :( *pets her*

[brewingtrouble.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear that. It was the anterior(or cranial) cruciate ligament? I dunno if this'll make you feel better, but it's not uncommon. We'd do ACL surgery, on average, on one dog a week at my clinic, and once a dog's had it happen to one leg, it's not unexpected for it to happen to the other one. Nobody really knows why some dogs seem more predisposed to this than others... overweight animals do tend to be more prone, but I've seen plenty of animals at good weights have it happen to both legs, too.

But at least once BOTH ligaments have been reconstructed, it shouldn't ever happen again. :) The nylon filaments they use to replace the ligament is very strong.

I'm sorry I'm not home right now because I've got a book that lists a few massage techniques in it for pre- and post-surgical use on animals who are lame in a particular joint. :( But it is really important to make sure there's good flow of blood to and fluid away from the area and to keep the joint moving in a very, very gentle and controlled manner to prevent muscle loss and (more) arthritic changes (than are otherise likely to happen). They heal SO much faster that way...

Can your dog swim, and do you have a doggie swim centre or a water treadmill anywhere in your area? A lot of dogs with knee surgeries do really well post-op with swimming or walking on a water treadmill, because they can get the exercise and keep muscle tone, without putting too much strain on the joint.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I think that's the ligament it was. And yes, the surgery they did in which they replaced it with a nylon filament was completely successful.

Rascal wasn't overweight until AFTER the first surgery, because while she was recovering, she got a bit pudgy. Not much, but a little. Before then, she was my running partner. We'd do a few miles every day, and she was fine. Then I went away for a little while. When I came back, after I got her running with me again, she slowly seemed to develop a slight limp. So, I'd run her one day, and rest her the second. She seemed to do well with that, but then one day, just SNAP. It was awful. She's a very energetic and upbeat dog (labrador retriever with the perpetual puppy personality), but she was just lying there looking miserable. Same as now.

No, I don't think there are any doggie swim centers in the area - my mother lives in New Hampshire, not an urban center.

I'd do the massage on it, but she seems very sensitive in the area. I applied an ice wrap last night, and she was very well behaved with it.

You're obviously a vet or vet tech (not sure which), so mind if I ask two questions?

One: Which painkiller can we give her? I can't remember if the vet said aspirin, tylenol (acetominephin), or advil (ibuprofin) the last time this happened.

Two: I just found a tumor on her today while petting her. Under the skin, the approximate size and shape of a woman's fist. Please tell me those are usually benign and easy to remove?

[nyx-of-darkness.livejournal.com]

I am sry. :( *hugs the dog* *hug 2 u 2*

[lunalovegoddess.livejournal.com]

*hugs you*
*slips Rascal some doggie treats*
Poor dog. I hope that you are successful in trying to get treatment for her, and that the tumor turns out to be benign. Is there an emergency animal hospital nearby? (since I'm unsure which part of NH you are in...)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

This isn't a life-threatening thing, so bringing her to an emergency pet hospital, which is at least 45 minutes away, will only get her some pain meds. She's eating, and moving around, and still wagging her tail and barking. We want to bring her to the vet clinic where she went last time, because it was very good, and they know her and she knows them. It will be open tomorrow. We'll take her.

:(

[myashke.livejournal.com]

Awww, poor darlin'! I'm sending positive vibes her way. Keep us updated.
xoxo

[brewingtrouble.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm a vet nurse IRL...

Obviously human painkillers are not recommended, in general, for animals. I do have to say that. That being said, however, the LESS potentially harmful (by a great deal) of the two is the aspirin. A 60-80 lb dog can have 1 tablet of regular aspirin twice a day, or else 1/2 tablet three times a day. Use a buffered aspirin as dogs are rather prone to stomach upset from this medication.

Do NOT use aspirin if your pet is on any sort of ongoing steroid (ie cortisone/prednisolone) therapy; the two drugs do not interact well. Let your vet know she's been on aspirin, though, so that they can tell you when to discontinue it relative to the surgery date, as her blood clotting will be compromised. They won't want her to bleed out during surgery.

Any other OTC painkillers for humans are flatly toxic to dogs and cats (aspirin being toxic to cats as well, so there's NOTHING you can give them) and will cause liver or kidney failure. A dog's or cat's liver is not as efficient as ours, and they cannot metabolise these chemicals.

Re the tumour... honestly, it depends. But Labs are VERY prone to Lipomas (as in, you almost never see an older Lab without one!), which are a benign fatty growth that don't need to be removed unless their location causes problems or it becomes an aesthetic concern for you. If the lump is nice and squishy like it's just fat, and moves like it's under the skin layer, then it probably is a lipoma. If it's firm or feels attached to the underlying tissue... definitely have the vet look at it. Might want to ask the vet about it, if she's going in for surgery anyway, as they can either remove it or do a needle aspirate on it while she's out.

Keep an eye on it, though, in any case, as I've also see lipoSARCOMAS, and those ARE nasty.

[brewingtrouble.livejournal.com]

(sorry, forgot this part!) ease of removal depends on what it is. Lipomas are VERY easy to remove. Actual cancers may be difficult depending on the type of cancer and what anatomical structures may be involved. But a normal old lipoma, for an experienced vet, probably only takes 5-10 minutes from initial cut to stitching up. It still takes 7-10 days until the stitches can come out, like with any other surgery site, but yeah. Those are the lumps we LIKE removing because they're easy like nothing. :)

[brewingtrouble.livejournal.com]

*headdesk* I'll get myself sorted here sooner or later...

The aspirin tablets of which I speak for the purpose of dosing your pet, are 5 grain (325mg) tablets of PURE BUFFERED ASPIRIN (no acetaminophen, paracetamol, naproxen sodium, ibuprofen, nothing). So if the tablets are 500 mg tablets, or something like that, then you can't use the whole tablet, you'll have to cut them up.

Math isn't my strongest point, but 325 mg is 2/3 of a 500 mg tablet, not 3/4, and that's hard to do. Frankly I'd rather tell you to under-dose her a little than overdose her. Pain is manageable and can be endured, but a failed liver is not.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it did feel like just a fatty pad beneath her skin, and it definitely moves around with pressure. My mother is going to ask the vet about it anyway, seeing as she's going, and it's always good to be on the safe side.

She seems to be in less pain now than the first day. She's eating well, back to normal with that, and when I took her for her walk, which was intended to be a short "do your business and turn around", she wanted to drag ME on a walk. Not hard, but enough to indicate that she actually wanted to stay outside and do doggy things. I'm about 99.9% sure that she'll still need to have that ligament fixed, but in the meantime, at least she doesn't seem utterly miserable. Just a little more clingy than usual. And naturally, we're pampering her. She's got her humans very well trained.

[brewingtrouble.livejournal.com]

hehe smart puppy. ;)

[terresta.livejournal.com]

Hope your dog is doing well - any updates? Is she gonna be ok?

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Puppy is doing fine. She's definitely walking with a pronounced limp, but the surgery went well, and we expect good progress. :)
Thanks for asking!