Italian greyhound - injured

[jazzi-girl]

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I have just rushed our 6 month old IG to the vets after my son who was playing with her in the front room kicking her toys about and stepped on her leg of course accidently. I don't know who was screaming the loudest, my 13 year old son, me or poor little Coco. As an owner of two Whippets for the last 6 years, I feel tearful, sick but most of all guilty I didn't see this coming and perhaps protected her a little more, at least for the first nine months. I know this is a Whippet site but just wondered if there is anyone out there who has had the same experience with their dog. At the moment we are in the dark as to the damage until she has had an ex-ray. I feel like the worst dog owner in the world and also having to keep up a brave face for my son who is upset that he was the one who stood on her leg. IG's move faster than Whippets and there is confusion in how to rear them the first nine months. Some say cage them and others say let them run and strengthen up their bones, of course with three dogs we chose the 2nd choice. I don't really know if I'm making sense at the moment but I feel extra bad because three weeks ago I noticed Coco's tail tip was bent and after again taking her to the vets they could only assume the Whippets must have caught her while chasing her, they tried to save her tail which was unsuccessful she then had to have the tip which was about an inch long amputated. My biggest fear at the moment is telling her breeder what has happened to her and she will think she has made the biggest mistake of her life selling her to us!

Anyway, I'm off to bed now the vet is ringing us early in the morning let us know her progress.

Donna.

 

[TanyaM]

It was an accident. I know you feel guilty, but it was an accident. Your son was trying to be nice and play with her, the whippets were playing with her when (possibly) her tail was caught. Keep repeating this to yourself. We always feel sick and guilty when little ones get hurt (kids and pets). It would be far worse to wrap a pup in cotton wool and not let them play with people or dogs for the first 9 months, surely?

I hope that the news from the vet is good

Tanya

 

[hanneroon]

i agree with tanya, my heart goes out to you all, but it was an unintended accident, and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. I know how your boy feels, i've tripped over the dog before and he needed stitches, accidents do happen. With tail thing it could have been absolutley anything, wagging it into something probably i'd say. I really hope that you got some good news today too. Little animals are tough things. Fingers crossed for you. Give your dog a pat, and your boy a hug from me, x

 

[banana]

Oh no - how awful..

Your poor son must be feeling terribly guilty, but its n accident and these things do happen....

((hugs)) for you all....

How are things today?

 

[Dizzyjenni]

Sadly, these things happen * big hugs*

 

[jazzi-girl]

Hello everyone, thank you for your kind messages, I think I was still a little shocked when I wrote my post on Saturday night, I could just about see what I was typing through the tears and just needed to tell someone about the horrific evening we had just experienced. Anyway she was x rayed which showed two breaks in the lower part of her leg, the vet said fortunately not near the growth platelets, if they were damaged the leg would have stopped growing, I'm assuming we would be talking amputation. We sourced a very very good Orthopaedic Surgeon to do the best possible job on her and yesterday drove her to Edenbridge, Surrey to his practice. He was fantastic, explained everything to us, showed us the titanium plate which is going to be fitted in her leg, I think his confidence surrounded the room as he does this all the time. We came away knowing she was in the best possible place, he also mentioned the nurses couldn't wait for us to leave so they could give her a cuddle. She has her op this morning and they will ring as soon as she is done to let us know how it we, hopefull she can come back later on this afternoon.

As regards the damage to her tail, I feel bad that I implicated my Whippets, it sounded like she was ducking and diving to stay alive from their constant chasing. When she first arrived into the house they would chase her and I used to spray them everytime they did this, they don't like water and this tactic seemed to work, we now only have to life the bottle from the table but this is not needed as they seemed to have learned. Anyway two days before I noticed the broken tail she had been roughly tripped and rolled by a German Shepherd over the park coupled with the fact that the vet said it wasn't a pull as the whole tail would have been affected a little more it was a clean break in her opinion.

All this still doesn't change the fact that we needed to protect her a little more and obviously now will do because of the healing of her leg. Looking forward to picking up my baby today and trying to look to the future and NO MORE ACCIDENTS!

Thank you once again for your kind messages Donna Xxx

 

[banana]

How is she now?

 

[jazzi-girl]

How is she now?

Hi there,

She is doing surprisingly well and thank you for asking. There is no limping when we take her on her controlled toilet breaks in the garden, full cage rest and cuddles in the evening. What is it with Italians, they only have one speed setting, F A S T F O R W A R D. The bandage comes off next Monday which will be two weeks after the accident. We are expecting the Vet to say full cage rest maybe for the next two weeks but definitely short lead walks for the next 12 weeks. Whatever is told to us we will hang on to every word and follow to the letter, just want her back to normal. Also I was dreading telling her breeder but she has been very supportive to me.

Thank you again for the kind messages and it has also helped to hear other peoples bad experiences with their IG's and the good out comes they have had. We just want this for Coco.

Regards Donna Xxx

 

[eingana]

This is an inherent danger with such a speedy and fragile dog, and there's no way that I would stop my children from being around the dog in case one injured the other. Maybe you will need to manage the interactions between Coco and the larger animals and children a little more carefully, but accidents happen and this is exactly the same as you feel when your child hurts themselves falling off something. You can't stop them from playing and running around without stopping them living, and what would be the point in that?

Please give Coco a nuzzle off me and then try to reassure your probably guilt ridden son that it was an accident and she won't hate him for it

 

[nina]

Sorry i have been tied up the last couple of weeks & have only just read this.

Having owned, bred & shown Italian Greyhounds for the last 25 years i can only tell you that i NEVER let my IGs run with my whippets EVER, no matter what age they are. Common sense alone, it should be obvious that the size difference is not a compatible match if they should collide which often happens whilst running.

Obviously i do not know where you purchased your IG or what advice was given but in the first 18 months of their lives you should be especially careful. As this is the stage when their bones are still growing & with their full on temperaments of haring about, exercise certainly needs to be monitored.

What i allow as a norm is:

Plenty of road walking

Free running in a confined, safe area either with their own breed to play with or another toy breed or alone but especially NOT with larger breeds ie whippets.

A nice soft crate for them to sleep in at night or to go during the day if they want a nap.

A complete no no for me is:

Being allowed off lead to run with any breed larger & heavier than themselves.

Rough play in doors with children of any age, throwing toys or general rough play as it is an accident just waiting to happen.

Being crated in a metal cage for any period of time as legs & jaws can easily be caught in the bars.

Italian Greyhounds are a TOY BREED, they are NOT a small whippet. They do not have the strength or bone of a whippet & should be treated like most toy breeds, allowed to run & play & have plenty of freedom BUT within reason.

IGs are highly intelligent & will quickly catch on to a routine, so if that means putting them on a lead while your whippets have a run & then letting them off alone afterwards to have a run they will soon get used to this. I cannot tell you over the years how many IGs i have heard of who have suffered broken legs, broken backs & broken necks having collided or been knocked over by larger breeds whilst playing & running free together.

Children should be told that sensible gentle play & petting with IGs is ok but hurling toys about & encouraging them to run & leap about wildly in doors is not acceptable. Also sitting on the floor holding the ig is much preferably than standing up holding them as if the dog leaps out of the childs arms the chances are it will suffer a fracture.

This is why Italian Greyhounds are a specialist breed & not for everyone.

I wish you luck with your little one & sincerely hope the leg mends well but once it does please please be especially careful as there will be a weakness there & another break could well result in an amputation.

 

[jazzi-girl]

Dear Nina,

Well that's me well and truly slapped and I will bow to your better judgement with 25 years experience! We can only hope that someone else on here with a puppy IG reads your expert advice and saves themselves from the heartbreak and anguish we have had. However, the damage is done and we are pretty much following most of what you have put above, with of course limited exercise at this stage, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

For the record, there was no leaping about wildly, my 13 year old son was playing tug with one of her toys she followed me out of the room because I had a dinner plate in my hand, when she ran back into the room he had his back to her and was doing football tactics with her soft ball, he didn't see her coming when she ran towards the ball, the rest is history.

Thank you for your advice.

Donna.

 

[nina]

Hi Donna

What i wrote was not meant to be a slap in the face!

It was merely sound, honest & genuine advice.

As i said not knowing what info you had been given from the original breeder, i was trying to impart the info i have ever given to any of my puppy owners.

I wasn't accusing you of letting her leap around wildly, i wasn't there, so only you know what happened, but i was pointing out in general that this kind of behaviour isn't a good idea, the same as what i said about sitting on the floor holding the IG rather than standing. Believe you me i have seen & heard all types of accidents with IGs over the years & my policy is better to be safe than sorry if you can.

When a person has lived with a breed for a number of years they obviously have certain experience & knowledge that a new owner could not possible have & i think to share that knowledge should only serve as good advice for the new owner, which is all i was hoping to do.

I hope the little one continues to heal well.

 

[jazzi-girl]

Dear Nina,

I believe I did focus on a couple of negative sentences, if I could turn the clock back to before the accident and then read your post it probably wouldn't hit home as much as it does now. Both my husband, son and myself feel really bad about whats happened and I can honestly say will probably follow your advice more than you realise.

As regards the Breeder, I feel I have to say she did say the usual things about taking care of our puppy including how to safely hold her, the whole family do all hold her with a hand across her chest just in case she leaps, quite ironic really. Another annoying thing was my son doesn't even like football and usually spends his spare time on the computer or playstation, I called him downstairs as he had been on there all day and he started playing with Coco, wished I left him where he was. That was what I meant about hindsight

Thank you for your sound, honest and genuine advice.

Donna.

 

[nina]

As you say Donna, hindsight is a wonderful thing!

I think until it's happened to you & you see how easily it can happen it's easy to be complacent (not saying you personally but people in general)

You know i listen to all these people who say that theirs run with large breeds & they never have a problem & they never crate them at night & allow them off lead in the park to play with all the local dogs & that you have to let dogs be dogs & i think to myself, it only takes one time & when it does happen because believe me it will, luck only lasts so long, will they feel the same when perhaps their beloved pet is perhaps having to have its leg/legs amputated or worst still put to sleep because they cannot be repaired???

Yes, you have to let them be dogs & run & play & have as much freedom as possible, no dog should ever have to live its life in a crate but with IGs you always have to think ahead & be one step ahead & prepared for every eventuality. My puppy owners have every single bit of information i can think of, i would rather give too much than not enough.

Dont beat yourself up about the accident, it can happen to the best of us & the main thing in all this is that you are obviously a sensible caring owner who got the little one to the vet asap & are following their instructions now & hopefully with a good mend it will all have a good ending.

None of my post was meant to come across as negative, i am direct & sometimes can appear perhaps a bit unkind in my posts but its honestly not meant that way, i just say it how it is. If i can be of any help in the future please dont hesitate to give me a shout.

PS. Forgot to mention if you get a chance, order online some Comfrey (knitbone) & start the little one on it, its a wonderful natural remedy to aid the repair & healing of bones.

 

[jazzi-girl]

Dear Nina,

Comfrey (knitbone) ordered, should arrive any day now, any extra help to aid her already remarkable recovery is appreciated.

Many Thanks Donna.

 

[banana]

How is she now?

Picture????

 

[nina]

How is she now?