Out for our Saturday morning walk and she took off after squirrels. She disappeared off the path and then I heard her squealing. When I got to her she was standing with her front right paw literally swinging in the breeze. I had to carry her home - about half a mile and then got her to the vet who confirmed that both bones in the lower leg were broken in a compound fracture. I hadn't noticed the break in the skin until I was putting her in the car.
The vet phoned this afternoon to say that they had put her together with external support. He indicated that she will be pretty much off her feet for at least three weeks and then at least another three before she gets all the hardware taken off if everything goes to plan. He thinks I should be able to pick her up on Monday evening.
I'm looking for advice about coping with a dog that is this poorly. My wife is already looking after our two year old and six week old daughters while I'm at work so obviously she is concerned about how much attention Florrie is going to require.
Oh you poor things. No advice I am afraid but a whole load of sympathy. Being a mum of 2 young children myself I know how hard it can be with people demanding your attention left right and centre this latest worry must be very hard on you all.
Legion's new Mum (Skinnydugs) will probably be the best one to give you some advice as she sounds as though she has been through similar with him. Plus her dogs all seem in fantastic condition.
So sorry to hear that, I also have no advise to give, only sympathy. We have 2 greyhounds & a few weeks ago one of ours busrt his back toe while chasing the other one the vet told us that only time would heal it & of course antibiotics, I to have a four year old & it is hard to look after an injured dog but I am sure you will get lots of support & good will messages that will hopefully keep you all going!!!
Hi Douglas, sorry to hear about Florrie, don't worry, she's still young and I'm sure she'll bounce back quicker than you imagine. It's certainly been an injury ridden few months, we've had to cope with a nuumber of broken legs and a fair share of amputations.
I'll get Esther to post something later, she's recently been fostering Legion who had a really bad leg break. For what it's worth I fostered JJ about 10 months ago, a very young pup with a bad leg break, to be honest the only problem we had was keeping the poor wee soul from tearing around the garden with his cast on, we had to resort to an indoor kennel to keep him quiet and immobile as much as possible, if you need a loan of one let me know!
Anyways look out for some words of wisdom from Esther later on!
Hi Douglas, sorry to hear about Florrie. Legion is just recovering from a broken kneecap. It was a really serious injury and he had to be kept quiet. Florrie will be fine. She will heal quickly and have to be kept quiet as their pain threshold is a lot higher than ours. An indoor kennel would be a good idea. It would give your wife peace of mind during the day knowing she cant run about. Im getting one of the indoor kennels back on Monday teatime. If you would like to borrow it for a few weeks give me a call
Thanks to everyone for your sympathy. We'll find out tomorrow when Florrie is getting home. Thanks for the offer of the crate. I've managed to secure the area under the stairs where she normally sleeps. It's amazing what you can do with a sheet of plywood and a bit of garden trellis.
One thing I would like some help with is what to use for bedding. This has been perplexing us for a while now. We have now gone through several cheap duvet plus cover sets. She's quite happy for a few weeks then you come down one morning and there is a massive hole in the cover. Not a "chewed" hole but an "eaten" hole - no sign of it at all. We can only assume! Then before we've had a chance to get a new one she pulls the stuffing out of the duvet and trails it all over the house. So has anybody got any suggestions for what to use. This is especially relevant as Florrie will be spending a lot of time in her bed over the next few weeks.
The filling is similar to duvet, but the outside is a bit tougher. Whether Florrie will be able to eat it is another matter.The filling was a bit thin, so I've added a single duvet.
Poor wee Florrie! Just wanted to say that I hope she gets better very soon. Pearly ripped a dew claw out recently and was on restricted exercise for a few days, which was bad enough, never mind a few weeks! Here's hoping Florrie knits together nice and quick.
As for beds, if you're able to get yourself to East Fortune market on a Sunday there are some fab stalls with all sorts of doggie beds to choose from. Pearly's fave is a large cushion thing (wqhich she loves, despite her slightly miserable face in this piccie!!), with a zip-off outer cover that washes well. The cover is made of woolly-fleece stuff and so is very soft and comfortable. Though we did have to pop another duvet inside, to make it really squidgy and puffy. Cost is £12.99.
Hope Florrie is feeling a lot more comfortable and that she hasn't demolished any more beds. Poor thing - it must have been agony and it will be frustrating for both of you to keep her quiet over the next few weeks until she heals. But almost before you know it, she'll be up and running again. Hope you manage to find your Florrie-proof bed soon!