Chewy has an ACL injury

**madhen** · 02-13-2010, 01:57 PM

Just thought I'd post in case anyone has any advice or suggestions.

I found him laying down a few weeks ago, and when I called him, he didn't want to come. He reluctantly got up, and that is when I noticed he was holding his back leg up off the ground. I took him to the vet, and they say it is an ACL injury.

A little about Chewy. He is 10 years old and was overweight. (We are working on it, and he has lost 5 pounds already.) He has had severe hip dysplasia (both hips) since he was a 6-mth-old puppy, and I can only assume that he has arthritis now as well. Both his back legs are not in great shape, and now that he has injured the right back leg, the left back leg is getting worse because he is putting all his weight on it.

He has been on bedrest for about three weeks now. He is going in every two weeks for a re-check. The hope is that he will recover without surgery, but I am required to keep him as immobile as possible (not terribly hard with Chewy the Couch Potato).

He is really depressed, because he went from a life of being able to wander around 10 acres with his best friend (Riley) and his annoying little step brother (Crash) to being confined in a little room 24 hours a day, with just a little pen to go out and go potty in.

I got on-line, and I want to give props to ASPCA. Not only did they have some very excellent information on their website about providing mental stimulation and otherwise enriching your dog's life, but when I sent them an email thanking them for their information, I got an email back from a pet behaviourist who gave me even MORE ideas for keeping Chewy from going stir-crazy while he is in the SHU.

He is now getting both his daily meals in food toys, so he has to work a bit to get them out. I am just using the Kong and a Twist-and-Treat, so he can lay there and just lick and chew to get his food.

I am spending a little time with him every day. (Unfortunately, because of how my house is laid out, I can't have him up on the main floor with me because he'd have to navigate stairs.) I am brushing him (which he hates) and "wrestling" with him (gently and just moving his jaws/head)(which he loves). Based on the email from ASPCA, I am also going to start trying to do some easy clicker training with him (i.e, teaching him to touch objects with his nose, cover his face with his paws, etc).

We probably have a MINIMUM of another month in isolation before I will even know if we can avoid surgery, so any suggestions as to how you would keep a bored dog happy without walks or physically stimulating play would be appreciated by both me and Chewy.

**mauimagic** · 02-13-2010, 02:24 PM

No suggestions from me - just lots of love for you both.

**lisaflex** · 02-13-2010, 03:42 PM

hope he gets better

this post did get a chuckle from me though...i first thought of chewy on the chelsea leately show!!! you know the short little guy?

**craftypam** · 02-13-2010, 03:49 PM

YOU are such a good pet MOM

**Debbie-cat** · 02-13-2010, 08:33 PM

Can't think of any ideas other than what you are already doing. Poor thing! One thing our cat will do is sit in front of the laptop and DH will go to YouTube and find clips of cats doing funny things. That cat will sit in front of the laptop for hours watching it! Give him a hug for me, you are such a great Mom to him. ((hugs))

**Palooka** · 02-13-2010, 08:47 PM

Poor Chewy. ): I hope he feels better soon.

No advice but you do a great job with your companion animals.

I've heard great things about clicker training.

**frugalwarrior2** · 02-13-2010, 09:00 PM

Well, first let me say sorry to hear it. I love all mine so much and loathe it when their hurt so I can relate.
I was wondering if he's on a joint compound. We use glucosamine and chondroitin for my overweight dog w/ arthritis. Last year she went on Rimadyl but I think we will do both as this winter is getting to her.
Also if he is isolated he might get lonesome which of course slow healing. Is there anyway a tv show w/ animals can play part of the day. Maybew a timed tape or something. And I assume he has a bed or blanket to lay on. So the cold won't creep. ( I have no idea how cold it is inside there).

**madhen** · 02-13-2010, 09:23 PM

Thanks, fw2. I appreciate the brainstorm.

He is in the finches' room, so it never drops below 65F or so, and he is a Chow, so he actually prefers things a little cooler. No t.v. down there, but he does have access to his potty area, which is a pen that shares a common chain-link fence with my other two dogs, so they can visit. (He does not have access to this in the evening, just during the day.) I am on satellite, so no t.v. service down there because no cable to an outlet and also they charge per unit. I might try a radio or some such thing, on a timer, just to see if that does anything for him, but I doubt he'll respond much to just the audio stimulation. He has the finches and parakeets to give him plenty of that!

He does have a bed (actually, two), both cushy enough to give his joints a rest but not so cushy that he is going to slip or have trouble getting up on them. I had JUST moved the futon into the dogs' room, and he LOVED that, so I am trying to find a futon mattress through FreeCycle. Until then, he has a big quilted king-size comforter, doubled over twice on itself. He sleeps there at night, but he spends most of his daylight hours hanging outside in his pen on the pine shavings. (He is big into just hanging out and watching the world pass by.)

He has been on glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM and fish oil supplements for some time now (since approx six months or more prior to the injury), and I still slip them into his food every day.

I will continue to give those to him the rest of his life, and he MIGHT be on Rimadyl or some other arthritis med now, because even without the injury, I think he may be uncomfortable.

I did let him out for about an hour today while I was outside. He walked a few feet from the house to a grassy spot, then laid down and took a long nap in the sun. When I'm home, I may let him out there more often, as it isn't any more steps for him than going to the potty area, and he seems to like the change in scenery.

He is not an aggressive chewer, and he doesn't like rawhide bones. He will only half-heartedly work on the Kong (although he likes the Twist and Treat if I don't close it up too much). He won't play with toys unless you are there playing with him. He does like the dehydrated chicken strips, so maybe I'll try making him some of those, just to give him something to chew on for a while when he is down there by himself.

**frugalwarrior2** · 02-13-2010, 09:34 PM

Sounds like you don't need my advice and got it covered just fine. The bird thing is better than tv. Maybe a ride in the car if he won't go crazy. Ironically the dog I was talking about is chow too. Our next step is Cortizone but it costs. I got college and teen food bills so I am stalling. I don't want her to suffer and it will be terribly hard on my DD if I have any other decisions to make. It's just that she can hardly get around now too. She is a rescue and at least 12 years.

**madhen** · 02-13-2010, 10:03 PM

I am always open to advice, fw2, because there is always a chance you will think of something I hadn't thought of yet. I like the idea of the t.v, but I'm just not sure how to do it. Maybe I can look into one of those cheaper little DVD players.

Do you use human-grade glucosamine/chondroitin? It is a LOT cheaper than the dog stuff, and my vet told me it is the same stuff. I get mine (and my fish oil) at Sam's Club (or rather, from a friend of mine who goes to Sam's Club).

Having to make financial choices of one member of the family over the others sucks, doesn't it? You obviously have to think of your kids first, but it must be hard to not be able to give your dog the help she needs. I am totally sympathetic. I would LOVE to get Chewy an underwater treadmill, which is wonderful for animals with joint injuries/trauma, but I looked into the cost, and the ECONOMY model was $12,000. For that, I could have both his hips replaced! But he has been a member of my family his whole life, really, and I feel like I owe him the best I can afford at this stage in his life, just as I'll owe him a peaceful and painless end to his life when THAT time comes.

Does the cortisone have to be administered continually to be effective? Or can you just take her in occasionally, if you feel like she's having an especially bad patch? I may ask about that next week, when I take him for his re-check. I think getting the extra weight off is the biggest thing I have to accomplish. He was 94 pounds when he went in!!

Now he is 89.6 lbs, but we have a few more to go. I heard that every extra pound on a dog is equivalent to five pounds on a human, so that much more stress on the dog's joints to carry that extra weight.

**frugalwarrior2** · 02-13-2010, 10:24 PM

I checked the cortizone out awhile back but I remember it to be once a month. Shots. I remember it as $60. but that was at least 2 years ago.
The vet says human is ok. I let them set the dosage by weight. We use Osteo Bi-Flex (glucosamine Chondroitin MSM w/ joint shield. It runs about $29. ish a bottle of 110ct). We were giving her 1 a day then 2. Then we switched to 1 Rimadyl a day and 1 Osteoflex. Currently it's 2 Rimadyl ($75. for 1 month!!!!). Next we try 2 rimadyl and an Osteo if the vet ok's it. I hope the Cortizone could replace the whole mess. Our vet is just around the corner so I could take her. (yeah something else to do!!) I just wish she was a nicer dog. It would be easier to convince Hubby. I really can't blame him we all get tired of her pushy,barky tude. He would take her in but I am a softy and I think DD has enough stress currently.

**NikoSan999** · 02-13-2010, 10:27 PM

Long time ago back in Ohio hubby had a german shepard with bad hips. Vet put her on Cortisone. On Prissy they lasted a decent while. Eventually he had to have her put down after they quit working. He carried her around for a long time and it just got to bad. Used to lay in the dog house with her.

Cortisone is hard on the kidneys. Animal or human. I've had seven myself. On the other hand they work. If they don't have to be given often it might be a solution for a couple years or so. You won't know until you try them how long it will last or if it will. One shot would not hurt him. I'd give it a shot if the vet goes along with it.

You could put a cheapy DVD player in his room especially while you're home recuping. Get a few animal movies. Could Riley come in for a little while every day or is that to much stimulation?

Can you physically maybe lay with him on the futon cuddling or petting for awhile? You might not be to comfortable right now I know.

Wish I could think of something. I'd talk to the Vet about the steroids.

**madhen** · 02-13-2010, 11:05 PM

I am giving him "Carprofen," which is the generic for Rimadyl. You might check, fw2, to see if that is what you are using, or if your vet can get it. My vet says she specifically uses Carprofen because it is a lot cheaper. Chewy has been on Rimadyl and now this stuff, and I don't see any difference. Both can be hard on their kidneys, so he'll need regular blood tests.

Nikosan999, I do put Riley in there sometimes with Chewy, but not for long periods of time. I don't trust Riley to not try to figure out some way to eat my finches, and he is kind of the proverbial bull in a china shop. I am thinking I might set up crates in the dog room and have Chewy sleep in his crate, but with the other dogs, then just iso him during the day. Right now, if I put him with the other two without supervision, Crash just pesters him too much, and Chewy will try to walk away from it.

I try to spend time with him, but it means walking up and down a flight of stairs, so right now, I pretty much just stay a while longer if I am going there anyway to feed him or let him out/in. I could probably stay longer than I do. Seems I'm always thinking of something else I need to be doing. Maybe I'll hunt up my old bed rest pillow and see if that helps. I could sit and we could watch a DVD on my computer, or maybe I can just read a bit in his company. If I can find a futon mattress for him, that would help. I could even lay down there and take a nap with him.

**frugalwarrior2** · 02-13-2010, 11:28 PM

We get the blood test. We usually combine it w/ the HW test to save. I wanted to mention too that I can usually catch a BOGO on the osteo or glucosamine/chondroitin and they have coupons. If you use NatureMade products you can go online and type in your bottle numbers and "earn" a larger coupon. It can be any Nature Made product. Gotta catch a break whenever you can. KWIM. I ws trying to help you and I think you just saved me. I have never been offered Carprophen. Thanks.