My 5-1/2 month old Cairn puppy, Abby, broke her leg on Friday. She rolled off the sofa and landed wrong. It fractured one of the two growth plates on the top of her tibia (just below her elbow.) Today I picked her up from the orthopedist surgeon. She has a pin in her leg to keep the growth plate in place, which he hopes will regenerate and continue to grow. If it does not it will mean that one part of her tibia will be slightly longer than the other. He said that she has only a few millimeters left of growth in the bone anyway and if this does not work it is not a tragedy, she will be fine.

The problem is keeping her still. I am going out of my mind and I have only had her home for four hours. I have her in a crate now and the vet said it would be okay to keep her in a small pen. I cannot stop her from jumping up on her hind legs though in the pen and it scares the heck out of me. I put her in my office with me, which is darn close to pen sized, and she stands on her hind legs and wants to be picked up. She is to have four fifteen -minute walks a day, most of which she spends spinning around trying to get at the tape on her leg. She has one of the big plastic collars on so she cannot reach it, but it does not stop her from trying.

I have had older dogs - one who had hip surgery and the other surgery for torn ligaments on her knee -- they were virtually immobile for days and did not want move much for weeks. Puppies are something else all together. I do not want her to undo all the good of surgery.

I guess I am just worried and whining! This sure is tough on my nerves.

Stacey

I have had several pups break legs over the years, and all through the tiniest of mishaps. I would suggest you get a cage with a roof that doesn't allow her to stand on her hind legs. You just need to be tolerant and patient and at least ypuppy bones mend very quickly so its not a drawn out encarceration like in an adult dog.

Thanks Sam. She is in a cage at the moment in which she cannot stand fully, anything significantly lower and I would have to buy a rabbit trap and stick her in it. When I was in the vets there was a leaflet for a convalescent home for animals - it is beginnning to sound like a mighty good idea!

This morning there is a bit of blood I did not notice yesterday on her wrappings. I expect movement has pulled the stitches somewhat, either that or the top of her plastic collar hitting against it. She can *almost* reach, but the next collar size is too big. As long as she does not move the internal pin, I will be happy. Even with frayed nerves.

At least it's good to know there are others that have gone through it. My sister had a Cairn that did the same thing years ago, but the doc at that time put a hard cast on the leg. It seems like a better idea to me, but I expect there is a very good reason why Abby does not have one.

Stacey

I've had 2 1 12 week old who was pushed off the bed by my older dog and an 8 week old puppy who got pushed out of the way by his mother when we had visitors to see the pups! Both recovered really well and quite quickly. I find puppies tend to bounce back very well.
Bec

Thanks Bec. It's good to hear that they recovered well, I hope the same for Abby. Youth is definitely on her side.

Stacey

stacey, they recover so quickly that you will soon wonder what the fuss was about! I had a border pup jam his leg between the front seats of the landy & snap it at 10 weeks old. It was pinned & in 2 days I was off on holiday to Norfolk with him in a cage!!!! My plan for idyllic walks on deserted beaches thwarted but I put him in a rucksack & carried him for the 1st few days & by the end of the fortnight I had given up, taken off the Jones bandage & he was hopping along with the hounds on the beach!! Your pup will be fine & you will forget it all very soon.

Ouch! I am immensely cheered though in how quickly puppies mend. I can understand very well how you gave up on the extended rest for your Border. I am really looking foward to being able to take Abby out again for our long morning walks. I shall try to steal myself to her misery at begin confined, however, and follow the doc's orders. My husband is much more the softee, so I expect in a couple of weeks she will have a bit more freedom.

Stacey