Our border terrier puppy (5 months) has just fractured his back leg in two places. He had surgery yesterday to have a plate and screws in as the fracture was pretty bad but he's coming home tonight (yipee!). The vet has said that he needs crate rest for 4 weeks. He's a very very active puppy and is always doing something around the house so I'm quite worried that this will bore him although I appreciate he needs this crate rest in order to heal properly. He's great in his crate fortunately so it's not a problem him being in there. But, does anyone have any ideas on how to keep him entertained whilst in the crate? Obviously I have things like a kong which I'll stuff with frozen meat paste, nylabone, raw hide bones etc but they won't last 4 weeks!

Thanks!

So sorry :(
Poor felllow, is he 100% crate or allowed short trips out to toilet?
I have no knowledge on this at all so simply interested. Do hope somebody can offer you some advise, but maybe whilst he is on pain relief he may be more relaxed about having to be confined.

Karen

Sorry yes I should have put that. He's allowed to go out to the toilet 3-4 times (though in reality it'll be a lot more than that as he goes to the toilet an awful lot normally!) and then a couple of times for cuddles but not very long.

yes we're hoping that's the case but he's actually (very surprisingly) not on pain relief for very long. He's got a patch on his tail that will last two days that delivers fast pain relief but after that it's just antibiotics.

Will let you know how he gets on!

Poor puppy - how did he do that?

I don't have experience of extended crate rest but I know if it were me I'd be buying puppy pens and panels to create safe enclosed spaces so that he doesn't feel too isolated.  The advantage over a puppy pen over a crate is that you can drop a hand in for comfort, or to hold a chew toy etc.  My dogs have their permanent crates in the utility room but I'd add something extra in the hall (next to the computer) and in the living room (for TV watching).

Croft Freedom Puppy Pens are excellent, new or secondhand, and some whelping pens might do the job equally well.  Have a look a Savic crates too as the smaller ones have a top opening which might be handy.  Just make sure whatever option you use to add a rubber mat to prevent slipping.

I'd probably also change most of his meals to a method of feeding that's more interesting, and longer lasting than a bowl.  Freezing is good, Kongs are great but you can get creative with different bowl shapes too or used lidded boxes that he needs to open first.  Just make sure to supervise and remove anything he starts to damage - you might just need to experiment :)  Hope he's ok soon

Had a pup whose left ulna was cut in half.

Came home with a patch like yours & had to be caged, but it lasted a lot longer than six weeks. Initially he was crated & we moved it around the house with us. The vet said he should stay there for six weeks (even longer) but the specialist said 'no', so we partitioned half the kitchen with a board & he was contained (it was there for about four months). It also meant in a open planned house that he was in the midst of everything going on, in the evenings he was carried through so he could join us & his cousin, not easy but managed. OH built a small pen for him in the garden.

Whether it's due to the breed, but as long as we were with him or near by he was alright, continued seeing his friends at the gate, took him out with us in the car even to the beach again carrying him & he had lots of visitors.

Having another dog didn't make thing any easier but for him there was always company. Wish you all the best, take it slowly don't let him over do things. It's not easy & time consuming. Used a towel as a sling under his stomach to assist with walking initialy & to reduce weight on the other legs.

Just brought his outdoor pen and put it in the living room and put his crate in it with some water. Our main problem right bow is him crying because of the head collar cone. He absolutely hates it and is screaming. We called the vets and told them this but they said under no circumstances were we to remove it. It's staying on for 10 days!

We were getting him out of his car crate and a car went past and spooked him and he pushed himself out of the car and jumped onto the driveway and broke his leg.

Has anyone any ideas for helping him with the cone? We're going to order him something called a softcone which apparently is more comfortable.

> We're going to order him something called a softcone

Same dog now seven years on had an eye op before Xmas, came home with a cone & being low to the ground couldn't walk unless looking up. Tried a softcone -it was black- & it terrified him he just stood shaking, as it was he could still get to his eye by rubbing it inside the cone. So gave up, he had never scratched wounds before I just made sure he was with someone 24/7 so if he thought about it he was distracted. If you are prepared to be with him I'd take it off but remember you will have to watch him, I even slept along side so when he moved I woke up.

i hate those cones, i feel for some dogs it inhibits the healing process as it makes them so depressed :(

I agree with Lacy, i never use them anymore i just get matchsticks for my eyes, as i said i feel with my dogs it actually made the healing longer as it depressed my girl as soon as i took it off her it only took a few hours and she was much more settled.

Also, the cones are not infalable anyway, my moms RR always found a way through them.

I'm not sure if this appropriate ( as they are not reccomended for some breeds) but I use a comfy collar when I need to stop mine reaching a wound. I'm sorry but I'm also rubbish at posting links so you will have to google them. Basically they are like an air pillow doughnut that is threaded through the normal collar and it should stop them reaching the wound. My girls ( following spey) used them as pillows to rest their chins on. I find the cones very diosorientating, poor dogs have enough to put up with when feeling rough.

Hope you manage to sort something and a speedy recovery to the little one.

Thank you - that's the soft cones that we were looking at.

Upon Googling there is something called bitter apple spray that you apparently spray on the place that they're not supposed to chew/lick and then pyut some on his mouth so he gets the taste and then take the head collar off. The idea being that he'll hate the taste as it's disgusting and then not lick/chew his leg - is this cruel and mean? Obviously I know as a human I wouldn't want someone spraying something on my face which is why I'm unsure!

He's such a brave little pup but he's just not the puppy we're used to. I know he'll go back to his normal self soon but it's just heart braking!

Have sent you a private message.

There are "no chew" bandages. They are cohesive and have a bitter taste. My vet always uses those on puppies.

I use the comfy collar too, the dogs don't mind it at all and actually seem to enjoy leaning their head on it :-)  They can still reach their feet though but they're great for anything else.

Almost 5 yrs ago my golden puppy broke her femur at 11 and 1/2 weeks of age  She had to given severe crate rest after the first op which ws to plate and screw the break this was for 6 weeks then back to specialist vet for x rays not healed enough so more crates rest for 2 weeks  then 2nd op to remove plate and screws more crate rest  for  7 wee I  never used the cone  on her  as  I plugged ina a DAP  difuser quite near to her crate also had the spray to  go on her bedding  For  boredom relieif gave her fresh bones   hard chews such as cow hooves   She is fine now with hip score 6-6