Buddy is extremely athletic. We throw balls and he chases them (no fetch, he prefers keep away) and we walk him all the time. Thursday night was no different except it was indoor play as our September rains have come and there was no playing outside.
All of a sudden he stopped playing. We thought he was tired. Then he laid down on the bed and pretty much didn't move until morning. He is a good sleeper and again, we thought he was just tired. He was walking around fine, did his business and went to bed. Friday morning there was a break in the rain and we were going to take him for a walk between appointments and before I went off to my volunteer gig at the animal rescue center.
He suddenly started trembling. I thought maybe he had a tummy issue as he does from time to time. He wouldn't stop trembling so I called the vet and they got us right in. We agreed to tests. The vet thought that it was likely something blood-related. She did a full checkup and said he might have a sprain but that it was more likely something going on inside as he was running a fever as well. We had to leave him at the vet and were asked to come back at 2 pm. She was going to do some lab work as well as an x-ray to be on the safe side.
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At 2pm we returned. It turns out he dislocated his hip. He must have jumped and come down at a weird angle. This is the type of injury they see when a dog is hit by a car so very very serious. We were both a bit in shock since he had been walking around our house and the vets without the slightest hint of a limp. He didn't seem to want to jump up on us, something he usually does so that was a definite indicator.
They needed to keep him overnight so they could give him anaesthesia to put the hip back in and then sedate him so hopefully, the hip would stay in. Friday night was terrible coming home empty-handed to your home when you thought you were bringing him back. I barely slept worrying about him. Keep in mind, to us Buddy is the 5th kid. We will pay for his vet care no matter how much it costs as long as he can have a good quality of life.
Anyway, we were able to pick him up at noon on Saturday. He has a little sling that makes walking almost impossible as it is meant to keep the hip firmly in the socket. We have to carry him outside for pee and poop but he does seem to hop around the yard to do that although it exhausts him. We have to keep him sedated until Monday morning when we return to the vet to see another Orthopedic vet. If the hip stays in he may or may not get his little sling off, it might be a couple of days more. If the hip doesn't stay in he will have to have surgery. He is still relatively young and extremely healthy and muscular so we are all hoping it stays in permanently. Play will be forever changed now.
Right now he is resting on the bed as I type this. One of us has to be with him at all times at least until the sling is off. We take turns. The bandaged sling went right over his hair so likely itches like crazy and is super uncomfortable for him. He keeps squirming around trying to get comfortable. It is really difficult to take a highly rambunctious dog and tell him he almost can't move for 48 hours. He knows he is injured and is depressed. Poor thing.
Anyway, it could have been much worse, it could have been a disease or even worse, we could be in a situation where we couldn't afford his care. We are at $1140 already and are expecting more charges after our visit tomorrow. Thank goodness we paid off all our debts and live below our means. Anything to take care of sweet Buddy.
Poor Buddy! I hope, he recovers real fast. Sending virtual hugs to him.
ReplyDeleteThanks! He's doing pretty good. We are going a bit cabin fever crazy but trying to spell off one another due to the nature of the 24/7 care right now. He's worth it though :)
DeleteAwww poor guy! I hope this fix works and there is nothing else needed doing. Give him extra hugs until he's better!
ReplyDeleteSo far so good and he is being super spoiled in the mean time :)
DeleteI hope you have good news about Buddy and that his hip is staying in place. What an odd thing, to be injured like that while playing. I spent that amount on my Bounce last month for dental surgery, worth every penny of course.
ReplyDeleteI just need to beef up the budget for Buddy apparently but definitely worth every penny. He has not cost us a lot the last several years so pet insurance would have cost us far more than it would have paid out until this year.
DeletePoor boy! I hope this sling takes care of the dislocation and he doesn't have to go through surgery.
ReplyDeleteIt always amazes me how stoic animals even though they are obviously in pain.
The sling remains on until Monday now, hips still in and the orthopedic vet wants to try and heal the ligaments a little before we take the sling off. Buddy's adapting though, fortunately he is very muscular and is hopping along in the yard ok but gets tired quickly
DeleteOh, so sorry to hear this. Poor Buddy. Let's hope it stays in! How stoic he was not to put up more of a fuss initially. I'm sure you are anxiously waiting for Monday. I will be thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteWe were shocked there was no indication of limping/pain. Even in the vet's office. She literally was debating whether we should do an xray. Tough little dog.
DeleteOh I am so sorry for Buddy...and you! Years ago our tiny poodle broke his back leg....and it was an adventure. When we reached $1000 in vet bills the vet said "The rest of the treatment will be free"...so nice!! Anyway for the rest of his life, if you said anything negative to him, like "Get down" or whatever, he would put on his sad face and then limp....cuz he knew we would love him up. Good luck with your Buddy!!
ReplyDeleteFollowup visits are free right now but we have to pay for each wrap/xray and shot as they have to dose him full of stuff to get him to relax for the xrays. Good news is the hip is still in. We see the vet again on Monday
DeleteHoping, hoping, hoping he doesn't need surgery. Sending hugs! Muffin, (technically our daughter's cat), has been at the vet on an IV since Friday. I'm picking her up tomorrow. Hoping she is better. We need her to stay well until at least Thanksgiving, when our daughter will be coming to visit.
ReplyDeleteSo far hip is still in so no surgery. We go back to the vet Monday. I hope Muffin perks up, such a sweet kitty.
DeleteYikes... get well soon Buddy!
ReplyDeleteWe loved our dog for over 15 years and spent a lot of money on her at the vet during those years. With vets, you get to feel your dog's pain too!
Yes, but pet insurance is equally painful and to date wouldn't have paid out more than cost per year so we are still doing pay as we go. The premiums are high, there is a deductible and the cost per "incident" is limited. To many strings attached.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about Buddy's hip. It must have been a huge surprise after only playing indoors. I know how important pet are, so paying for their care is a priority as long as they can have a quality life. Hope the new week brings good news. - Margy
ReplyDeleteThe vet was surprised based on how it happened. Poop happens, to dogs just like kids. Kids always have freak accidents (ours too) so it doesn't surprise me that it happened.
DeleteOh poor Buddy. Hope it stays in an she doesn’t have to go through more. Unbelievable how expensive this all is.
ReplyDeleteIt is but I've priced out pet insurance and it is about $700 a year with $100 deductible and relatively low limits on things. All the years previously we would have definitely paid out more in insurance than we had used so I think we are still doing pay as we go
DeleteOh no! Poor Buddy. I hope this works and he is back to normal soon.
ReplyDeleteA few months before our "normal returns" but he is on the mend thankfully
DeletePoor little man! What a worry our pets are when they're poorly.
ReplyDeleteSending Buddy (and you) lots of love and healing wishes. xxx
Thank you Vicky, unforseen but thankfully nothing worse as we were imagining far worse.
DeleteI feel for you all. I get that he is depressed and uncomfortable. It is going to be a long road to recovery. So good to hear that you are taking turns being with him. He needs one of you with him. When it comes to our fur kids, money is no object. Please keep us posted as to what happens next.
ReplyDeleteUpdate has been posted today, overall he's doing ok and hip is still in although bandages have to remain on holding the leg in the socket for five more days which all of us are pretty tired of already :)
DeleteAwwwww I feel for your Buddy. And for you, too. I know how we worry about them because they are our fur babies.
ReplyDeleteA little too late for you for we have pet insurance. I pay $64 a month for our black lab and $34 for the cat. It covers 90% once you meet the deductible. It has really helped us especially the older they get.
I've thought about it but up till now pet insurance would have been way more costly per year than just paying out of pocket. My Mom has it on her rescue hoarder kitty - that cat has dental issues and it has paid for itself over and over but we are super careful with Buddy's teeth and brush them 2x per week
DeleteAaah poor buddy. I hope he gets better soon. But wow, those vet's bills! I know I have no idea since I don't have a pet but when my colleague told me his dog's bills were on par with doctors' bills I almost fell over. Still, I agree, you pay what it takes for someone you love don't you. And I remember coming home to a "dogless" house years ago and it took me months to get used to not having my dog come dashing to the door. Hope he doesn't need surgery!
ReplyDeleteSo far so good, hips still in but bandages have to stay on for 5 more days with his leg up in the air. Tough on all of us but I am so thankful he doesn't have some disease or a worse injury. He is really the fifth child, the only thing we would stop for in a fire :)
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