Another horrible freak accident!

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

I'm so upset, I had to cry on my CEDA friends shoulders. I hope this

off topic is OK.

On Sunday my toy poodle (pet, not my service dog Hannah) Raffi, who

is 7 inches at the shoulders and 5lbs, suddenly jumped from my Dad's

lap, off a chair and onto the floor. His leash attatched to him

caught on the chair and threw him off balance causing Raffi to land

in a bad way and severely fracturing his ulna and radius. I have

never heard a dog scream so loud or for so long. I was terrified he

had broken his back judging by the screaming. His leg was quite

deformed at the break. We called our vet and got to the clinic

within 40 minutes of his accident. The vet gave him morphine and

then did x-rays that showed his awful fracture. The vet worked for

over an hour trying to set the break and taking two more sets of x-

rays, but its a bad one and unfortunately he wasn't able to get it

aligned up that well. Further more, small dogs have a compromised

blood supply in this area and frequently don't heal well at all with

immobilization, or even when a surgical pin is put in place.

Although the vet is trying to be optimistic, I fear we may have to

head to the clinic in Guelph (if we can get enough money together to

afford it) to have a plate or external fixator put in. For now he's

in a rigid splint/soft cast and is only allowed to move to pee and

then its back onto a lap or his crate. We're all very worried about

this dear little dog. I hope to goodness he will heal in the splint

but recent veterinary journal articles on exactly his situation

(fracture of the radius and ulna in toy breed dog) point to upwards

of an 80% chance of the break not healing despite immobilization or a

surgical pin, although the results were better when they used a plate

or external fixator. Both of which I don't think our town vet knows

how to do. At the very, very worst amputation would be the final

deal, but I don't think we'll have to go that far.

Sorry for prattling on. I'm just so sick with fear and worry about

my little one. He got to come home with us that night (vet thought

he'd do better with his people!) and has pain medication. The

anesthetic was really hard on him and it was heartbraeking to hear

him cry all evening. He did manage a good sleep (with his crate in

my bed) and has eaten a bit of food, water, and peed. He hates his

cast, but can't complain about his nursing care ;-) Our family looks

like we've all been in a gigantic car accident with my back brace,

cane, knee braces, Dad's gout in his feet, and now this big red cast

on Raffi's front leg. Oh yes, and to make life yet more fun Dad and

I both have the flu and my morning nausea has returned with a

vengance leaving me wretching over the sink and feeling faint for 10-

15 mins at a time.

Thanks for letting me vent this.

(((HUGS))))

:'-C

-Rhea