Please help,
my tibetan terrier fell down one stair today and dislocated his hip.first day of my holiday and a nightmare.What am i to expect and what can i do for the best.i have just got him back from the vets,have to go back in two days,he's on rimadyl.Any advice would be great.

Your dog hasn't got HD unless the vet x rayed it & knows how to reads plates(not all vets do)dislocation & HD are separate things

Keep your dog quiet-hard I know with a TT(my friends breed them)crate/bed rest take out to toilet on lead & follow your vets advice

It will upset you more than it upsets your dog & few dogs try to use a leg that hurts

Lots of TLC & be prepared for a dog who plays on it in later life ie be told off so limps probably on wrong leg-had a BC bitch who had a shoulder dislocated & she played on it for the rest of her life(all 16 1/2 years after the incident)

Thank you for your reply.He actually fell into a shoe basket and I think that contributed to his hip coming out more than anything.How long does it normally take.At the moment we are sleeping downstairs because he is used to sleeping with us on our bed and there's no way he can do that at the moment.Once the swelling has gone down will he be safe to go up steps??

Depends on how old he is & please be guided by your vet Is the hip in plaster or supportive bandages ? My old girl's leg was a front one so could not be plastered etc but she didn't put it to the ground for about a week & then didn't put a lot of weight on it

If the Hip when in easily he will still be very sore due to the muscle damage & he will not want to put the leg down until the pain has gone. When he ok'd by the vet you might want to consider taking him swimming to build up the muscles again, it's a good way to exercise without putting pressure on the joint

When he is cleared by your vet I would allow him to attempt the steps under strict supervsion of course & did you move the box ? :D

Hi,

My dog is 7 yrs old.they haven't put any plaster or supportive bandage on it.Any ideas on how i help him go to the loo( bowels),he's managed a pee but with great difficulty and he's such a fuss pot.Vet game a real doom and gloom story,made it sound like he would have to have an op,hes never had any problems before and being his breed he threw himself about all the time.

He might take a while to heal due to his age, is he on any medication ? I give Devils Claw capsules opened & put on their dinners if they any limps or sprains It is a natural anti inflammatory

I presume he has managed to go to the toilet by now ? Dogs with three legs seem to manage once hey have got their balance You could try giving him gentle support if he needs ti

Is what operation was your vet suggesting ? Not a hip replacement I trust ?

TT's are very strong little dogs & not many vets have a lot of experience with them-well thats what my friend tells me & she's had them for 30+ years

Does you friend breed TT's.My vet mentioned cutting off the hip ball joint and letting it fuse.He's currently on rimadyl and hasn't been to the loo yet

She certainly does but not very often usually when she wants a puppy to show & she never has to advertize I thought she was on CD but can't find her affix at all :(. If I get a chance I'll give her a ring & see if she's got an e mail address

A bit drastic I think for a dislocation Rest & tlc for starters If he hasn't been used to a crate 7 is a bit old to start now especially as he's not feeling too well

Before anyone starts talking about cutting anything off I would want to see if it will heal! I would also want ex-rays done so the damage could be assessed.

Dislocated joints happen all the time in humans and after relocating are perfectly ok and the same with dogs. Manipulation will usually refit them and after a period of rest to let the joint recover all is ok. Sometimes there is a permanent weakness after a joint has come out once, but that is a bridge to be crossed if needed.

If a crate is out of the question, there are drugs which can be used as a mild sedative to give a couple of weeks quiet, I once had to use them with a Dalmatian. (After all these years I can't now tell you what it was :( old age and failing memory!)

Best wishes, John

Hi,

My dog is 7 yrs old.they haven't put any plaster or supportive bandage on it.Any ideas on how i help him go to the loo( bowels),he's managed a pee but with great difficulty and he's such a fuss pot.Vet game a real doom and gloom story,made it sound like he would have to have an op,hes never had any problems before and being his breed he threw himself about all the time.Buying a stair gate so he can't go up un supervised,and the box has gone.

Hi,

My dog is 7 yrs old.they haven't put any plaster or supportive bandage on it.Any ideas on how i help him go to the loo( bowels),he's managed a pee but with great difficulty and he's such a fuss pot.Vet gave a real doom and gloom story,made it sound like he would have to have an op,hes never had any problems before and being his breed he threw himself about all the time.Buying a stair gate so he can't go up un supervised,and the box has gone.

Different injury but when a metal plate fell on my dogs leg I caged her for 5 weeks only letting her out to go to the toilet. It may seem a long time but at first I thought she'd broke her leg and she was limping for weeks but now she's fine. Better putting up with the hassle of the dog complaining than have a big operation at the end of it.

Hope all goes ok. Good luck.
Diane

Thankyou for your advice.Putting him in a cage ( although we do have one) is not an option,he would cause himself more damage than before.Very strong little thing.