Had a minor setback after boarding Abbey while we traveled on a previously planned trip to CO. Upon picking her up and traveling home after a 5 day stay, we noticed a small amount of blood running down her leg from where her stitches had been and she wasn't putting any weight on her leg.
Our trip had been planned over the two week timetable for removing Abbie's stitches so we had them pulled at 12 days and boarded her. Our hopes were to come back to a very well rested and improved dog...what we got was all worries.
We got home pretty late so we bandaged up Abbie's leg and fought her to control the bleeding.It wasn't much so it didn't take long. The next day, we monitored her leg to see if it improved and it actually looked worse. By midnight, we were convinced it was reinjured so we made an appointment for the next day to see the surgeon.
The Doc gave her a thorough exam and found no new damage. He did however, find the tissue was swollen and she was retaining fluid around the site. We had to start her back on the rimadyl and some antibiotics, and keep doing the same things we had been.
2 more weeks untilthe next appointment...
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The TPLO Surgery
The TPLO Surgery took place only 4 days after the injury.Dr. Stepnick said Abbie looked great when he opened her up and couldn't find much evidence of arthritis setting in yet. A very good thing.
The Procedure took about 2 1/2 hours, 1 hour longer than normal. Our biggest worry was the Anesthesia, but she took it well. We got the phone call about 5-6 hours after the surgery that she was recovering well and we would likely be able to get her in the morning.
The next morning, the Dr. on duty called an said everything was going well, except she wasn't eating. They wanted to watch her throughout the day and we could pick her up later on. We figured it was because she had never been alone like that before and just needed to be home.We found out later we were right.
We picked up Abbie around 1700 and headed home, before getting there though,we had to stop and get her a recovery ice cream.
The Procedure took about 2 1/2 hours, 1 hour longer than normal. Our biggest worry was the Anesthesia, but she took it well. We got the phone call about 5-6 hours after the surgery that she was recovering well and we would likely be able to get her in the morning.
The next morning, the Dr. on duty called an said everything was going well, except she wasn't eating. They wanted to watch her throughout the day and we could pick her up later on. We figured it was because she had never been alone like that before and just needed to be home.We found out later we were right.
We picked up Abbie around 1700 and headed home, before getting there though,we had to stop and get her a recovery ice cream.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Injury
At home, Abbie has a converted Horse corral into a "dog corral". All four of the dogs get daily trips to it for exercise and play time. The corral is about 1 acre big and on a fairly steep hill. The dogs like to run up & down, chasing thrown objects and basketballs.
Abbie is the least active of our dogs. When I say least active, I don't mean inactive. Abbie prefers to lay around and wait for the play time to come to her instead of chasing the others all over the yard.
This particular day, Abbie was about 3/4 of the way down the hill and running back up. Connor was off to her left and running back up faster. Abbie eyed him and made a quick turn towards him mid stride. After catching up to Connor, I had decided play time was over and called all 4 up the hill. About 30 seconds or so had elapsed since I saw Abbie running. When she hit the top of the hill, she was limping pretty bad. Thinking it was another one of our dogs many limps post playing, I helped her inside and waited for it to heal itself.
The injury must have occurred when Abbie turned. Looking back now and after having researched what her injury actually is, I feel confident that is when she injured it. Typically a ruptured Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) is very similar to an ACL injury to people and it happens just like a soccer injury.
After waiting all night without change, we considered taking Abbie into the vet for an evaluation. Still unsure of what it may be, we thought she was limping similar to Shasta when she crushed her foot . We decided against the next day checkup and waited once more.
After two days of manipulation and still no sign of where she's hurt, we decided to take her in. Are we glad we did. Thinking we were bad parents for not getting in sooner, it turned out we got her in much quicker than most. The Doctor on the first visit said she was 95% sure it was the CCL, but needed confirmation from the specialist. The Surgeon we met with two days later laid it all out for us:
TPLO was the surgery we chose. This was a very aggressive surgery, but had the best chance at a full recovery. Dr. Stepnick told us basically, we have a 50/50 chance this happens again to her other leg within a year of surgery. The surgery would consist of shaving the bone down to a flat surface, then screwing a metal plate to the bone to hold the ligament in place. It would be 2 weeks until the first checkup and stitches removed. 4-8 more weeks until she would be able to start rehabbing, and 6 months until she might be back to normal...A long time with 3 other very active dogs.
Abbie is the least active of our dogs. When I say least active, I don't mean inactive. Abbie prefers to lay around and wait for the play time to come to her instead of chasing the others all over the yard.
This particular day, Abbie was about 3/4 of the way down the hill and running back up. Connor was off to her left and running back up faster. Abbie eyed him and made a quick turn towards him mid stride. After catching up to Connor, I had decided play time was over and called all 4 up the hill. About 30 seconds or so had elapsed since I saw Abbie running. When she hit the top of the hill, she was limping pretty bad. Thinking it was another one of our dogs many limps post playing, I helped her inside and waited for it to heal itself.
The injury must have occurred when Abbie turned. Looking back now and after having researched what her injury actually is, I feel confident that is when she injured it. Typically a ruptured Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) is very similar to an ACL injury to people and it happens just like a soccer injury.
After waiting all night without change, we considered taking Abbie into the vet for an evaluation. Still unsure of what it may be, we thought she was limping similar to Shasta when she crushed her foot . We decided against the next day checkup and waited once more.
After two days of manipulation and still no sign of where she's hurt, we decided to take her in. Are we glad we did. Thinking we were bad parents for not getting in sooner, it turned out we got her in much quicker than most. The Doctor on the first visit said she was 95% sure it was the CCL, but needed confirmation from the specialist. The Surgeon we met with two days later laid it all out for us:
TPLO was the surgery we chose. This was a very aggressive surgery, but had the best chance at a full recovery. Dr. Stepnick told us basically, we have a 50/50 chance this happens again to her other leg within a year of surgery. The surgery would consist of shaving the bone down to a flat surface, then screwing a metal plate to the bone to hold the ligament in place. It would be 2 weeks until the first checkup and stitches removed. 4-8 more weeks until she would be able to start rehabbing, and 6 months until she might be back to normal...A long time with 3 other very active dogs.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Begining...Copey, Shasta, "3",& "7"
As Copey was approaching 6 years old, a trusty companion to Jim was starting to show the first signs of aging. A slower step, running shorter distances, and putting on weight. A Doberman/Shepard mix, he was always lean, even at 70 lbs. He needed a friend though, as he had been alone for over a year now. A stay as a puppy, Jim found him abused. His tail had been chopped with a hatchet around two months and he escaped not long later. A bone still protruding from the end, it needed to be recropped. A mean streak he had from an early age, but it was conquered with love over the years.
In front of walmart in Yreka CA, a local rescue was trying to find homes for it's dogs. Jim & Cortleigh stopped by and saw the cuttest little puppy, maybe 3 months old, happy as could be. She was friendly... and beautiful... a rotweiler/Hound mix. The lady working the rescue said someone had thrown her out the window while still driving down I-5. Fortunately for them, she was saved just in time. While still shopping inside, the descision was made, she would be theirs. Cortleigh and Jim would adopt her at once, only problem was, someone beat them to the punch. Fortunately for them, it was a friend. After taking her home and talking with her husband, a phone call was made and the dog became theirs. The Ellis's had a new member of the family...Shasta
About a year later, a descision was made. Jim wanted puppies and Cortleigh wanted them too, but didn't want to wait too long. Shasta and Copey were given one chance for kids. Copey was near 7 and needed to get fixed, Shasta was a female and bleed all over the house...Once was all it took. At 10 months old, Shasta would be a mother....8 kids to be precise.
Abbie was born on January 8th, 2004, as the third in the line of a litter of eight. The first six were all girls and the last two boys. Initially, all the pups were given a number and documented in detail the markings on their bodies. Abbie would be called "3" & her brother Connor "7". As the puppies aged, the descision on which one to keep became nearer, but not easier...They wanted to keep all. Family's were lined up and homes were ready.
"7" got sick early on and worry was there. A sick dog was not going home with someone, only to break their heart, so the descision became easier. Jim had (not so) secretly wanted a boy, so "7" it was...Connor became his name. But Cortleigh was still torn. One pup in particular picked her from day one..."3" only had eyes for her. As puppies started to go home, somehow everyone came under the impression that "3"was taken or unvailable. Down to 2 girls left, a nice family came by..."3" or "6" were the choices to be had. Up until this point, keeping two pups wasn't really an option because that would mean four...and then the family decided on "3".
Instantly, "3" turned and ran to Cortleigh, hiding behind her feet. The family had to leave for an hour, but would be back for a dog. As they left, Jim saw Cortleigh break down in tears. The reality set in...this was her dog...or she was this dogs' master. After a seconds thought, the descision was made. "3" would be theirs and the other family would get "6". Four dogs no worry, for the happiness she would bring. At 6 weeks old, "3" became Abbie and the love had set in. Never before had a dog touched so deeply. Cortleigh had her first child.
In front of walmart in Yreka CA, a local rescue was trying to find homes for it's dogs. Jim & Cortleigh stopped by and saw the cuttest little puppy, maybe 3 months old, happy as could be. She was friendly... and beautiful... a rotweiler/Hound mix. The lady working the rescue said someone had thrown her out the window while still driving down I-5. Fortunately for them, she was saved just in time. While still shopping inside, the descision was made, she would be theirs. Cortleigh and Jim would adopt her at once, only problem was, someone beat them to the punch. Fortunately for them, it was a friend. After taking her home and talking with her husband, a phone call was made and the dog became theirs. The Ellis's had a new member of the family...Shasta
About a year later, a descision was made. Jim wanted puppies and Cortleigh wanted them too, but didn't want to wait too long. Shasta and Copey were given one chance for kids. Copey was near 7 and needed to get fixed, Shasta was a female and bleed all over the house...Once was all it took. At 10 months old, Shasta would be a mother....8 kids to be precise.
Abbie was born on January 8th, 2004, as the third in the line of a litter of eight. The first six were all girls and the last two boys. Initially, all the pups were given a number and documented in detail the markings on their bodies. Abbie would be called "3" & her brother Connor "7". As the puppies aged, the descision on which one to keep became nearer, but not easier...They wanted to keep all. Family's were lined up and homes were ready.
"7" got sick early on and worry was there. A sick dog was not going home with someone, only to break their heart, so the descision became easier. Jim had (not so) secretly wanted a boy, so "7" it was...Connor became his name. But Cortleigh was still torn. One pup in particular picked her from day one..."3" only had eyes for her. As puppies started to go home, somehow everyone came under the impression that "3"was taken or unvailable. Down to 2 girls left, a nice family came by..."3" or "6" were the choices to be had. Up until this point, keeping two pups wasn't really an option because that would mean four...and then the family decided on "3".
Instantly, "3" turned and ran to Cortleigh, hiding behind her feet. The family had to leave for an hour, but would be back for a dog. As they left, Jim saw Cortleigh break down in tears. The reality set in...this was her dog...or she was this dogs' master. After a seconds thought, the descision was made. "3" would be theirs and the other family would get "6". Four dogs no worry, for the happiness she would bring. At 6 weeks old, "3" became Abbie and the love had set in. Never before had a dog touched so deeply. Cortleigh had her first child.
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