Had a bit of a scare with Daz this morning. We took him for a walk in the woods near here and he went after a hare. Suddenly there was the horrible howling they make when they're hurt and he came back to meet me just not looking right. He was walking slow and kept turning round to look reproachfully at his back end.
His tail was hanging limp and he was having trouble with his back legs. We were a long way from home and had over a mile of very slow walking back. Keeping him as steady as possible on the lead and not letting him jump or climb over anything. He also couldn't squat properly to poo and had trouble ****ing his leg. He only tried once then trudged sadly on.
We had to wait an hour to see the vet, during which time he began to recover. They re-shuffled some appointments to see him as soon as possible. We walked slowly up the road thinking it was better to walk slowly than to attempt a leap into the Land Rover. Walking up to the vet he was moving almost normally but still having trouble with the weight of his tail.
The vet checked him over and thinks he'll be alright. He seems to have wrenched his tail and jarred his back. She doesn't know how he did it chasing a hare, its an injury normally associated with a dog getting caught by the tail or getting it shut in the door etc so it gets a real hard pull right at the base. Its apparently very very painful and the limp hanging is because its too painful to hold up or wag.
She's given him a steroid injection to reduce the swelling and he's got an appointment for tomorrow morning to check that there is no more-serious underlying injury and that the motor functions are coming back. Fingers crossed there won't be and that he'll make a full recovery. Already this evening he roached and is beginning to wag his tail gently. So its looking good.
At first he snapped at Tess when she came near him (she can be rough and he was obviously in pain), but later he accepted a cuddle from her.
Peter how awful for you both and poor Daz, but as you say the signs are hopeful. It kinda sounds like the hare has went into somewhere small to escape and perhaps Daz has tried to follow and caught his tail - not that it really matters. Sending good vibes that Daz has a full recovery.
Poor Daz, Hope he is feeling much better! Arent they geniuses at coming up with new ways to scare us? That walk home must have been horrendous, fingers crosses all goes well.
Hi I've fixed the image so you should now all be able to see it. Sorry about that.
Daz had his vet appointment this morning and she said there is much more tone in his tail, and we are noticing he's more able to wag it, and he has been able to poo. Also apparently if there was significant muscle damage his pee would be darker and we're not noticing any particular difference so that's good. He's on a course of steroid tablets for the next few days and has another appointment at the vet next wednesday morning. Fingers crossed he's going to be alright.
I was so frightened walking back with him. I was convinced he must have damaged his spine and might have to be pts because he couldn't seem to poo or pee. I have to keep cuddling him.
Firby the rat is also at the vet's today having a small tumour removed so its all animal angst here these last two days (and I had a job interview!)
Thanks for everyone's positive thoughts, I'm sure it helps with the healing process.
How awful for you, it is terrible when something as bad as this happens. My thoughts are with you. So glad things seem to be better today and Daz seems to be on the right road to making a good recovery. Please keep us posted with his progress. Hope Firby gets on alright today to.
Poor Daz, what a rotten thing to happen. It's such a nightmare when something like this happens - you don't know how serious the injury is and dread what the vet will say.
I'm glad he's improving rapidly and will be keeping fingers n paws crossed for Wednesday. Give him a big hug and pat from us here in Dunoon.
Hi Daz had his follow-up visit to the vet this morning and has been given a clean bill of health so is officially recovered and back to running and leaping normally. It seems to have been one of those injuries that is extremely painful but actually not all that serious. A few days on anti-inflamatories has fixed him up.
Firby's operation went well but she's had some post-operative complications. She reacted badly to the anaesthetic and its caused necrotic sores on her ear and back. She'll probably lose the tip of one ear but the vet is hopeful that she will recover. The areas of dead skin on her back should recover (we hope).
Tess is booked in for speying tomorrow morning.
What with all these animals on the sick list the only day this week when we won't have been to the vet is Tuesday!
Monday: Firby- emergency check of sores on back and ear Tuesday: day off from vet visits Wednesday: Daz- final check of injured back and tail Thursday: Tess- Speying Friday: Firby- check and more treatment for necrotic sores
Then there were the visits the week before with Daz and Firby and no doubt there will be some speying follow-ups for Tess next week.
Before this I don't think we'd been to the vet for a year! I hope it is a good long while before we have to go again.
So glad to hear Daz is back to normal. When Mason's leg went a few weeks ago I was convinced he had dome some terrible damage, yet a few days on anti-inflammatories and he was bounding around like a puppy. I swear they do it to torment us! Fingers crossed with the rest of the gang. Marie
Glad to hear Daz didn't have any serious injuries and is recovering well.And poor wee firby, she shouldn't miss the tip of her ear too much hopefully. Good luck for tomorrow and Friday.
The trials and tribulations of having animals eh!!!??? It's worth it though.
Great news for Daz. Glad to hear he's back to normal. Poor wee Firby, hope the wee soul is feeling better soon. We'll be keeping fingers crossed for Tess tomorrow.
Thanks for the good wishes to Firby, she seems to be doing alright and will hopefully recover, the necrosis doesn't seem to be spreading any further.
Tess's speying has been postponed until the 2nd April. We're planning to go away at the weekend and weren't sure she'd be up to a longish journey in the back of our Landrover as its pretty bouncy and noisey. Also she'd miss out on any opportunity for a run. Hopefully she won't go into season in the next two weeks!
Great news that Daz has made a speedy recovery! It's just typical that all our pets need the vet at the same time! Hope everything goes well for Firby and that all of you enjoy your weekend away.