Willow's Leg Update

[Evie]

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Hi Guys,

As some of you know I recently took on a wee 6 month old rescue whippet x with a broken leg.

She was off at the vets today for an xray to hopefully remove the splint she has been wearing. Unfortunately the leg had not healed at all and was out of alignment so the only option is to remove the leg.

I know she will be grand and dogs do fine on just three legs. I just ask that you all send her some positive vibes for the op tomorrow and for a speedy recovery.

Thanks.

 

[Trish]

poor willow hope things go well and that she recovers quickly then she can put this whole episode behind her

[SIZE=14pt] :luck: willow :luck: [/SIZE]

 

[Evie]

The vet nurse just rang back. She said that another of their vets has had a look at the xrays and feels that they could possibly try to rebreak the leg and mend it witht he use of external fixators. She would need to wear these for about 8-9 weeks.

Part of wants to try and save the leg, but a bigger part of me feels this:

What if she goes through all that and the leg doesn't heal properly? Perhaps it would be better to just amputate now and let her heal and get on with things.

The vet discussed it with me and said he would dicuss it with his colleges further and will call me before they do anything tomorrow.

I'm so confused now, don't know what is for the best of the dog!

 

[nicky12]

aww evie hope all goes well tomorrow :huggles: for you and that gorguse dog :huggles: :luck: :luck:

 

[midlanderkeith]

Hi Guys,
As some of you know I recently took on a wee 6 month old rescue whippet x with a broken leg.

She was off at the vets today for an xray to hopefully remove the splint she has been wearing.  Unfortunately the leg had not healed at all and was out of alignment so the only option is to remove the leg.

I know she will be grand and dogs do fine on just three legs.  I just ask that you all send her some positive vibes for the op tomorrow and for a speedy recovery.

Thanks.

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Shame that is, but ive seen quite a few dogs with 3 legs doing just fine, but what would the consequences be leaving the leg on, just asking thats all

keith :thumbsup:

 

[Rae]

I'd try to save the leg.

We faced a similar situation last year, it took 5 months for our lurcher's leg to repair and amputation was a option but I'm so pleased we persevered with it. She had 3 ops but she still has 4 legs.

:luck:

 

[Liz Third]

Good luck to your little rescue, I am sure she will cope fine on 3 legs.

 

[rach125]

good luck with it all. everything will work out well in the end

 

[Rae]

Another thought (a costly one though (w00t) ) Before you make any final decisions take Willow to see an Ortho specialist to see what her chances are?

I know she would learn to adapt as she is so young but every time I see Leia running and having fun I'm so grateful that we stuck with it.

 

[doris]

OMG!! You poor thing, that must be such a shock for you to hear!

Lucky for me, I have no experience on this so can't offer advice or even an educated opinion, but I do really feel for you - what a decision to have to make

Good luck with whatever you decide :luck:

 

[Janimal]

Good luck with your decision. :luck: :luck:

Heres some extra hugs for Willow :huggles: :huggles: and best of luck :luck:

 

[~Helen~]

My instinct would be to definitely try everything to keep the leg, and then at least you know that if all else fails you did what you could to keep her whole.

Yes, I've seen dogs getting around really well on 3 legs and its amazing how well they adapt - but they're so much better with 4

:luck: little Willow. What a terrible start in life. So lucky she's with people who love her now and who want the best for her :huggles:

 

[kris]

poor little willow. good luck with whatever you decide. :luck: :luck: :luck: id try to save her leg as then youve at last tried everything and sometimes dogs surprise us.if you need any help with the vets bills let us know.id donate to help willow and im sure theres a few others on here that would. :thumbsup:

 

[dessie]

Well, for what it is worth, I would ask for a referral to an orthopaedic specialist and I would do ANYTHING rather than have a dog's leg amputated, that would be my worst nightmare.

My own Vet is an orthopaedic specialist and she has always told me that nothing, skeletal-wise, is beyond repair unless the spinal cord is damaged. However, I would not let any Vet, unless they are a specialist, start trying to re-break bones and fixate them again.

 

[Rae]

poor little willow. good luck with whatever you decide. :luck:   :luck:   :luck: id try to save her leg as then youve at last tried everything and sometimes dogs surprise us.if you need any help with the vets bills let us know.id donate to help willow and im sure theres a few others on here that would. :thumbsup:

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Yes I'd donate too. We were very lucky in that Leia's insurance covered all 3 of her ops which totalled almost £4000. (w00t) :sweating:

http://www.k9community.co.uk/forums/index....pic=11135&st=30

you might find it interesting to read this thread.

We were very close to having to make the decision to amputate Leia's leg but we were given another 2 weeks by the Vet and miraculosly it healed very well (too well her wrist joint fused). She is 'lame' although you would never think it to see her running and lure coursing. It has slowed her up considerably, (although still faster than the whippets) but she has still got the same stamina and can be active all day.

 

[Evie]

When I got her from the vet's I had understood her injoury to have been a grass stick fracture and that it should not lead to further complications. But having talked to the vet today the story is a little different.

A person had seen Willow wandering the streets a few days with an injured leg. She brought her in and kept her tied up in her garage for about a week before giving her to the vets.

They then had to operate and rebreak the bone to line it up properly. They then splinted it to keep it in place (why did they not put it in a cast?). Cleary the splint didn't work well cos the bone has healed very little and is misaligned.

What is now suggested it is rebreaking th bone again, leaving a little space and using external fixators. (ie metal that is attached by pins to the bone that sort of form a cage around the outside of the leg to stop it moving.) She would have this for approx 8-9 weeks. She runs the risk of infections and this may not work. They may still have to amputate if it doesn't.

Sh ehas been throguh alot in her short life. I don't kknow if it is fair to put her through more. Part of me wants to remove the limb so we can get through the recovery stage quicker and she can get on with her life. I know how unhappy she has been with the leg in bandage, how bad is it going to be with the external fixators? And what are the chances of it being worth it all in the end? Will it lead to more complications having to have the bone rebroke twice?

One vet says he thinks amputation is best, the other thinks this might work. I'm hoping a third (the most experianced vet) can shed some more light on the subject for me tomorrow.

I just want the suffering to be over asap for my baby!

Thank you for all your help and support. I'm amazed at how helpful and welcoming you all have been since I joined here. It's a comfort. My head is spinning thinking of what is for the best interests of Willow!

 

[Rae]

Yes I can understand that you would want to get on with a good recovery. As I said, Leia was bandaged up for 5 months and she was miserable and at times very bad tempered and snappy with the other dogs, but I'm so pleased we took the longer option and gave her every chance. Another few weeks now will be worth it for the rest of her life on 4 legs IMHO.

My own vets were useless really and she would not be on 4 legs now if we hadnt have gone to an Ortho specialist. Ask them to refer you before you make any decisions.

:luck: for today.

 

[Joanna]

I would certainly ask for a referral to an Orthopaedic specialist.

Vets are a bit like GPs, they have a little bit of knowledge about a lot of conditions. If you had a broken leg, you wouldn't expect you GP to operate on it, you would expect them to refer you to an expert in that area. I think it will be well worth it in the long run to get all of the pros and cons from an experienced orthopaedic practitioner, and that way, you can make an informed decision which will be the right one for Willow.

We tend to humanise our dogs in this society, and in cases like this, you really need to detach from the emotional aspects (very hard to do), and consider a more instinctive view as little Willow would have. Whatever you decide to do, it is worth thinking that Willow can't process thoughts and will not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This is true for both of your options, fixator or amputation. It will be a difficult period where she will be bored and down, but that too applies to both choices. She will suffer discomfort and confusion..........Again both choices, her mobility will be reduced, possibly more so for a few weeks with the fixator.

Risks, secondary infection.............both, anaesthesia reaction, both, cost, the repair will be more expensive.

Now long term, all being well, you could have a four legged dog who is young enough to bounce back in a short time if you repair, and you could have a well adjusted 3 legged dog if you don't.

This is why you need to see a specialist and get the BEST advice you can to help you with what is a very hard decision to make.

I wish you every luck, and all the best for Willow.

 

[Evie]

Having spoken to the vet more indepth today we have decided to try saving the leg. She is in surgery as I type.

Send heer some positive vibes please!!

 

[Juley]

Positive thoughts for Willow on there way and a BIG hug to you for giving her a chance. :luck: :huggles: