Inky Injured

It never rains but pours after loosing Bullitt earlier in the year

My whippet (Inky) has dislocated his shoulder this weekend!! How common is this and what sort of success rate can I hope for. The vet has tried to coax it back in under ansethetic as he had to have xrays cause we thought he may have broken his leg but without sucess she is waiting for a specialist surgeon now. Im thinking positive as we only lost our other whippy Bullitt a few months ago and I will be gutted if I loose his half brother too. Inky has come round and is having pain treatment and the vet says he is comfortable. PM me with advise please and after treatment and care

Update today

Inky had surgery today and so far they have been able to save his leg although the next few weeks will be touch and go. The vet has told us the injury was very extensive and the joint capsule was very badly damaged adn had extensive repair ...work. His bone had to be cut and his muscles diverted. He is staying in unitl tomorrow and then will need complete cage rest for a weeks then a hobble to walk in until he can get some strength back. He has a 60% chance it will work so cross you fingers all and lets hope his strength and courage pull him through.

Any advice any one who ahs had the same fate

omg how awful for you and him, they are amazingly resilient and everything crossed here for a good result :luck:

Inky is home and cage rest for a week looking very miserable and sore

How awful for you! Hope Inky makes a good recovery - take it slow and be patient. fingers crossed for him. :luck:

be prepared for long slow recuperation; don't let Inky overdo things

You say the vet isn't sure the shoulder will heal. Is the worst scenario amputation? I know a whippet cross who had a front leg amputated and she gets around very well.

I had a look on the internet at hobbles and other orthopedic supports for dogs

will Inky's recuperation regime resemble the one outlined here: http://www.woundwear.com/pdf/Clinical%20Pr...%202008%202.pdf

by the way, I'd like to know of any UK or Ireland suppliers of orthopedic supports. Perhaps you could ask the vet who is treating Inky. I think my dog who severed ligaments in his front paw may have done better longterm if he'd had a carpal support to wear after his splint came off, amd perhaps it would still be advisable for him to wear a support (though I don't know if it would be worth the expense as he is "functional" as the vet says). And generally speaking it is useful information to have in case of future need. Thanks.

best wishes to Inky; I'm sure he will soon be tired of resting and then of being hobbled, but it's for his own good

Not sure if that is the plan as seeing vet again Friday for hobble to be fitted and all the information.

Yes if op not a success amputation is the only other option as the dislocation was so bad.

I will keep you all posted.

He is looking much better in himself and moaning like mad about being in cage but we are very strict with him. Although he did wangle an ice cream today through the bars LOL

I 've just been readingyour post with interest and enormous sympathy, poor you and poor Inky. I have a gorgeous racing whippet, who dislocated his shoulder last year. we think the joint was damaged after a bad bump during racing, though apart from bruisingnothing else showed up. it was a week or 2 after that he went to get upout of bed and cried out with his foot raised. I stroked his leg to feel for injury, and felt the shoulder sticking out forwards, with gentle pressure, I felt the joint click back. Strictly, the injury is called a luxating /sub-luxating shoulder and sometimes it was dislocating several times a day which I have to pop back. My vet.. a specialist racing injury vet, has treated him conservatively with muscle radiol, cartrophen and synoquin. I have rung and spoken to 2 greyhound specialists and have wondered if surgery would be an option for Zephyr. They didnt want to undertake it, and reading your post I can see what a difficult op it must have been.

I must admit I have wondered if I might have made the wrong decision in not going for the surgical option, but it sounds as if my vet's caution was well founded. I dont think Zephyr's injury was as devastating as Inky, but it does seem a long time . He will not race again and at the moment he has been confined to lead walking for a year. He went 2 months and 3 weeks without it coming out and just 3 days befoe he was to be allowed off the lead again, it popped out again so back to square one again. At least he is not in pain and is fairly resigned too his lead walks... at least he CANwalk.

I am so sorry for poor Inky, and do so hope he makes a good recovery and you get the very best treatment and advice for him. I was getting so depressed about my beautiful boy but I realise now how lucky he is.I do wish you both all the best and the best outcome possible, you will be in my thoughts.

please let me know how he recovers..my very best wishes and healing thoughts to dear Inky

I 've just been readingyour post with interest and enormous sympathy, poor you and poor Inky. I have a gorgeous racing whippet, who dislocated his shoulder last year. we think the joint was damaged after a bad bump during racing, though apart from bruisingnothing else showed up. it was a week or 2 after that he went to get upout of bed and cried out with his foot raised. I stroked his leg to feel for injury, and felt the shoulder sticking out forwards, with gentle pressure, I felt the joint click back. Strictly, the injury is called a luxating /sub-luxating shoulder and sometimes it was dislocating several times a day which I have to pop back. My vet.. a specialist racing injury vet, has treated him conservatively with muscle radiol, cartrophen and synoquin. I have rung and spoken to 2 greyhound specialists and have wondered if surgery would be an option for Zephyr. They didnt want to undertake it, and reading your post I can see what a difficult op it must have been.

I must admit I have wondered if I might have made the wrong decision in not going for the surgical option, but it sounds as if my vet's caution was well founded. I dont think Zephyr's injury was as devastating as Inky, but it does seem a long time . He will not race again and at the moment he has been confined to lead walking for a year. He went 2 months and 3 weeks without it coming out and just 3 days befoe he was to be allowed off the lead again, it popped out again so back to square one again. At least he is not in pain and is fairly resigned too his lead walks... at least he CANwalk.

I am so sorry for poor Inky, and do so hope he makes a good recovery and you get the very best treatment and advice for him. I was getting so depressed about my beautiful boy but I realise now how lucky he is.I do wish you both all the best and the best outcome possible, you will be in my thoughts.

please let me know how he recovers..my very best wishes and healing thoughts to dear Inky

Inky has come home yesterday with his hobble it is made by Dogsleggs and they supply the UK vets from the USA. As far as my vet knows you can only get them through a vets.

He had a procedure last week similar to the Campbell operation as the dislocation was on the outside not the inside. He will be in the hobble for 4 weeks then have a check up. He seems OK with it at the moment.

He has made brilliant progress and already putting his foot to the ground. The vet says he couldnt be more pleased but we are not out of the woods yet. I dont know if any of you are on Face Book but I am unde Spike Collier and Im on the Whippet apprecaition page of FB or where I have posted photos for those following Inkys progress. We ahve ben warned it can take up to a year for a full recovery and there is a lot of work for us and him to put in. Fingers crossed we can get there.

Thanks for all your good wishes advice and support.

Inky has been to vets today for monthly check up on his dislocated shoulder. All going well 2 more months in the hobble and lead walking increasing time weekly. The vet is very pleased with progresss and so is Inky came home had some egg fried rice and curled up in his basket after an aromotherapy massage. What a life.

glad to hear he's improving :thumbsup: