It all started two weeks ago...I had taken Bruce to the small dog area at the dog park when a couple of well intentioned folks let their dog who arguably did not belong in that area despite the fact that he was a puppy (a 4 month old German Shepard). Well Bruce quickly figured out he was more agile than the clummsy big guy and tried to get him to play chase...Before I could catch him/get him to obey the shepard had pounced (playfully) toward him and knocked him into a hole. He then would not bare weight on his back left leg, I thought it was broken and rushed him to an emergency clinic...There he began to bare weight on the leg and limp only slightly, so the attending vet diagnosed soft tissue damage and gave some antiinflamatories. After a couple days he seemed to be acting very strange and still limping a bit so I took him to our vet who could find something wrong. They found nothing, but I knew something was seriously wrong Bruce's whole temperment/attitude had changed...He was not his usual happy go lucky outgoing self. So I found an ortopedic surgery specialist and took him in. First he examined him and found it was actually his back that was hurt...This was bad enough as he now has to be confined for 20 hours a day in order to rest it and prevent further injury. The reason for the limp however was that the inflamed disc in his back made prounounced a luxating patella which requires surgery...I am heartbroken...Tommorow is Bruce's 1st Birthday and we were going to have a party but now it will be just he and I as he has to stay in an Xpen...This is going to be his second major surgery to correct birth deffects and I am scared. Please if anyone has any experience with this tell me what to expect? If there is anything I can do to keep him entertained and happy when he is out of commission? How bad it really was? I am scared out of my mind and I really almost can't handle it, Bruce is truely everything to me!!!
