What a great looking group! :)

He's so tiny! I'm thrilled to see him doing well, and meeting other members.

R
 

How did you manage to keep your puppy calm during the healing process? My little boy yorkie pup (Riley) fell off his puppy stairs and in doing so fractured his left rear tibia right by the growth plate. Surgery was done by an Ortho. Spcst. later that week, and now we are in recovery process. No cast, sutures come out Friday and then in 2 weeks we go back for x-rays and removal of pins. he has been kept either in his crate, or a puppy pen or in a lap but he is just chomping at the bit to go play. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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Originally Posted by LucyKat (Post 3062000) How did you manage to keep your puppy calm during the healing process? My little boy yorkie pup (Riley) fell off his puppy stairs and in doing so fractured his left rear tibia right by the growth plate. Surgery was done by an Ortho. Spcst. later that week, and now we are in recovery process. No cast, sutures come out Friday and then in 2 weeks we go back for x-rays and removal of pins. he has been kept either in his crate, or a puppy pen or in a lap but he is just chomping at the bit to go play. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

It's really hard!! Especially when they are a puppy. My girl is in her 3rd week of recovering from a right rear tibia/fibula fracture. She's only 15 weeks old too, so she's very much a playful active puppy. She also had surgery done by an Ortho Specialist. She also doesn't have a cast - just an IM pin and external fixtures with pins.

I first had her confined to a baby playpen, but it was so small. I felt bad, because she seemed so depressed and confined, so I moved her to her Super Puppy X-Pen. She runs around like crazy with her toys and jumps around at times, but I watch her carefully and try to put a stop to it after a few minutes. It's not that big, but large enough for a wee-pad, her bed and food. I don't think a little bit of exercise in a confined small, very safe area, with nothing to jump on or up to is that bad or can really hurt her (at least I hope not!). I do feel like sometimes maybe I'm not being strict enough or that I'm letting her move around too much, but there's really nothing I can do unless I crate her for hours on hours. And then you risk them not being active and possibly becoming constipated from not moving around a bit. There really is nothing you can do unless you confine them to a very very small area like a crate or baby playpen. My girl jumps up on her soft bed (about 2 inches off the ground at most), and runs around and plays with her toys in the Xpen. I let her out on my lap on the ground, but she goes nuts and runs all over my chest and up to my face and tries jumping off me, so her being out of her X-Pen doesn't last too long. I let her out for a little attention and that's all. As long as you make sure they aren't jumping up or down off anything and aren't running or slipping on the floors and are confined to a relatively small area I think the recovery should go fine. I thought about taking her toys away from her in the Super X Pen,so she wouldn't be chewing and jumping all over them, but I kind of like having the toys out, since she plays a bit and then gets really tired and knocks herself out for a few hours.

my yorkie manu fell out of the bed a couple weeks ago am so happy nothing happen to him.
I WISH YOU THE BEST!

I WAS THINKING THAT IT WILL BE A GOOD IDEA GETTING PET INSURANCE, SINCE THERE SO SMALL AND ANY ACCIDENT CAN HAPPEN!

Sounds like we have about the same set up. I keep him in a crate at night and a puppy pen (go-go pen) during the day. Before his accident I would extend the pen out so that his crate could fit inside it and that's where he would stay during the day, while I was at work or whenever no one was home. His sister, Coco, has the same set up. Now, I keep his crate in my bedroom at night and the puppy pen in the family room; I've configured the pen to a smaller size so it has just enough room for his bed, some toys, & a food bowl. He was totally out of control the day before yesterday and both my husband and I were pulling our hair out trying to keep him from jumping in his pen. He wouldn't sit still on our laps and was just so, so restless and he wanted to go out and run with Coco so badly... the weather has been beautiful here the past few days and the animals are loving it. What did the Ortho tell you about your little girls recovery time? Sounds like your babies injury was a bit more severe than mine, however my doc is still going to sedate Riley in two weeks, take another series of x-rays to make sure the leg has healed and then he will make two very tiny incisions and remove the pins from his leg. What will your doc. do when your little one is healed?:aimeeyork

Be thankful :) your little one is ok - they are so fragile. I actually do have Pet Insurance through PetFirst but I am not sure if Riley's surgery will be covered or not as the accident happend the day after I had enrolled for insurance. I have had insurance on Coco for over a year now and should have gotten insurance on Riley earlier and I am kicking myself for not doing so... it would have saved me a great deal of money. The turn around time for claim processing and receiving a check in the mail is about 3 weeks, but they pay for up to $250 of routine care annually along with accident and illness being covered at around 90% I believe with a $50 deductable per incident or claim. Example: Routine care (shots, etc...)=$250 - $50 ded = $200 and then they will cover 90% of $ 200. I haven't really had to file any claims except for Coco's shot's so I am not sure how this one will play out or if they will cover it at all...I have the premium plan so for Coco it was $40 a month but with Riley added on it will now be $60 a month for the two dogs together - still worth it if you look at how much you and I forked out for surgery on our dogs. Riley's surgery was $1,200 at the Ortho Spcst. and the vet visit to our normal vet complete with x-rays to diagnose was $280 so right now we are at about $1500 on our little guys injury... uggg... but you have to fix it, you can't let them go in pain and/or be disabled - that would just be horrible. These little dogs give such unconditional love and companionship they become like your child and you do whatever you gotta do to make them right.

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Originally Posted by LucyKat (Post 3063093) Sounds like we have about the same set up. I keep him in a crate at night and a puppy pen (go-go pen) during the day. Before his accident I would extend the pen out so that his crate could fit inside it and that's where he would stay during the day, while I was at work or whenever no one was home. His sister, Coco, has the same set up. Now, I keep his crate in my bedroom at night and the puppy pen in the family room; I've configured the pen to a smaller size so it has just enough room for his bed, some toys, & a food bowl. He was totally out of control the day before yesterday and both my husband and I were pulling our hair out trying to keep him from jumping in his pen. He wouldn't sit still on our laps and was just so, so restless and he wanted to go out and run with Coco so badly... the weather has been beautiful here the past few days and the animals are loving it. What did the Ortho tell you about your little girls recovery time? Sounds like your babies injury was a bit more severe than mine, however my doc is still going to sedate Riley in two weeks, take another series of x-rays to make sure the leg has healed and then he will make two very tiny incisions and remove the pins from his leg. What will your doc. do when your little one is healed?

At night seems to be when Shylo is the most relaxed. During the day she can be a little nut and it scares me to think that she's being too active running around in the pen. She is so fast and a little jumper. I can't catch her and I ran track and played soccer all through college and after too and my fiance is a professional athlete and can't catch her either when she let's loose. Go figure. :p My friends call her Leaping Lanny (no idea, but I guess he was some old time professional wrestler that use to leap all around the ring)! :D

The go-go pens are about the same size as the pen I have - I believe. I wish I could make her pen a bit smaller and remove one of the gates, but I believe the pen I have doesn't let you even if you try screwing the gates out. My fiance and I have tried (even though it says it can be adjusted to fit may shapes and sizes), but had no luck. The pen isn't huge (6 interlocking panels (30" long x 26" high) that enclose up to 18.5 square feet), but I think I'd be happier if I could just take out one more gate. Oh well.:thumbdown

Yes, if they are too confined they get totally restless! Shlyo did when I had her in the doggy/baby playpen. She was jumping up trying to get out all the time and seemed so depressed, so I moved her to the X Pen. I'm going to be a mean momma and remove some of her toys later to see if she's any calmer and not as playful. The only thing is that when they get no exercise they can get really constipated. This happened to Shylo and was awful. Sorry to be gross, but she had poop hanging out of her butt-hole and was trying so hard to get it out one morning. I ran to the store and got her some mineral oil and canned pumpkin and she was fine after, but it's not fun to watch them like that.

The Ortho told us that recovery would be 4 to 6 weeks and to keep her confined indoors. No rough play or jumping up or down onto sofas, and chairs...She is going back in to see the Ortho on the 9th of April (4 weeks) for X-rays to see how the fracture is healing and they may at that time remove some or all of the pins. I was wondering if Shylo was going to have to be sedated for the pins to be removed. I wasn't informed about that. Will have to check! I know in humans they sometimes do and sometimes don't with similar injuries. I know someone who wasn't sedated and had basically the same injury as Shylo and he said it was awful not being sedated when they removed the pins! She will be at the Ortho all day on the 9th, so maybe they do sedate them if they remove the pins.

My friend who is a physical therapist said not to worry to much and that he thinks she is healing fine and having no setbacks by the way she's acting and using her leg. She is using her leg absolutely fine, but my friend is only a sports physical therapist not a vet, so I take what he says with a grain of salt.

Pet Insurance is a great idea and I actually just got it for my girl Shylo. It can be more expensive than human surgery since usually the costs are due upfront. For us the initial surgery cost was $2,500 then the follow-up/removal and additional x-rays will be about another $500 -$1,000. The pet insurance and care credit are great for helping those that need it and can't afford the costs upfront. I recommend that those with small fragile ones look into getting it.

Well, I am sorry to hear you are going through all this but I am glad I am not alone :)

I believe they will sedate Shylo as they usually do just to take the xrays and then once they read the xrays they will go in and remove the pins or at least that is what will happen with Riley in a few weeks. Your babies injury is more severe than mine so I am not sure what they will do after they xray.

Riley is also walking on his injured leg too... I am just praying that he doesn't re-injure it and also that my insurance pays for it. With this particular breed being so small and somewhat fragile it's probably a good idea to have insurance on them. I am not counting on the insurance paying, but it sure would be nice if they did LOL!:aimeeyork:aimeeyork

Gracie broke her leg and growth plate at 4 months old. She has pins in her leg and they are still there. Our ortho surgeon recommends leaving them in to avoid another surgery unless the pins bother the dog. They don't bother Gracie at all and she has made a full recovery. Her surgery was a year and a half ago.

I had to keep her in a play pen during recovery because it was impossible to keep her from running and jumping. I would take her out only when I could supervise her at 100%. She had her leg splinted for about 8 weeks and quickly learned to to run with her leg straight out behind her. I'm sure all will go as well for you as it did for us just keep him as quiet as possible during his recovery so he heals properly.

pretty much everything i would have said has been already...
if the vet is referring you to a surgeon then thats whats needed.
in a few years one of my dogs is going to have to get his front leg amputated because his previous owners broke it in two places and didn't get him the care he needed (hes now 4 and has bad arthritis)...
vet fees are very high, but our babies are always worth it- you could probably find a way to pay it off monthly - that what my vet would rather have happen then see a dog suffer or be given away...

i hope all goes well!
love n kisses to him from me n my babies!!

Were the pins that were left in your dog internal or the external ones that are fixed to an external fixture? My girl has an intra-medullary(IM) pin and an external skeletal fixator (ESF) with the pins too. They will leave in the IM pin but take out the ESF and those pins.

Her pins were internal. They don't bother her at all and she never favors that leg. I tried to attach a picture of her with her cast, but am having problems with the picture uploading.

Surgery for Fractured Leg at Growth Plate
 

When I was researching Riley's injury (after my vet took x-rays, but before I saw the Ortho. Surgeon) I read where some vets will leave the pins in and others feel that they should come out due to problems later on down the road, and from my intepretation of this I guess whoever performs your surgery either feels one way or the other. I imagine the pins could be left in Riley but my vet doesn't like to do that for the reasons I stated above... whether they stay in or are removed is of no matter to me as long as my little guy comes out of this with no lingering issues and has full function & mobility of that leg. Truely, I can't wait until the stiches come out tomorrow so I can give him a bath! :thumbup:I can't stand either of my dogs dirty and they get at least 2 baths a week - so this "no bathing until the stitches come out - 14 days later..." is killing me!

My husband has been off all week and has been attaching Riley's leash to the wagon that he pulls around the yard as he is putting mulch down or weeding. This seems to be helping Riley not be so depressed and crazy :pabout being confined and he only gets to walk in a very small area when he is outside.

Definitely look into the pet care credit card! Good luck with your lil pup, and I hope if he has surgery it goes well and he has a quick recovery.

Thanks for the input. He had surgery 2 weeks ago and is due to have his sutures removed tomorrow, then we have another 2-4 weeks of limited activity, etc... I have pet insurance so hopefully this will help out for future injuries.
:)Thanks!
Kathleen