More pixie dust for Bailey please.....UPDATED post #51

[Pinky166]

Well my troublesome little magic mushroom muncher is not too good....(aka Bailey, 5 month old Boxer puppy)

It started on Monday evening when she seemed a bit wobbly on her feet but I just thought she had been sleeping funny then yesterday she couldn't walk very well and kept sitting down so hubby took her to the vets but they said it could be a trapped nerve or something and to just keep an eye on her, if it got worse they would have to do x rays.

By 11pm last night she couldn't even get up hubby had to carry her out to use the garden before bed. At about 2.30am :eek: I woke to her crying. We both sat with her all night to comfort her and at 9am (opening time) went straight to the vets.

We had to wait 20 mins as we didn't have an appointment. The vet tried to examine her but everytime we tried to stand her up she collapsed so they said they were going to keep her in and X ray her spine, hips & back legs. They would also checked her blood. We came home and waited for what felt like a week until they called at 3pm to say the vet wants you to come in for a chat. :eek: The earliest appointment they had was 5.10pm.

We got there and the vet went through all of her X rays saying this legs ok, that part of the legs ok etc....then eventually we get to the last one - her hips, she put it on the light machine thingy and I pointed too it before she even said anything...basically her hip joint hasn't fully formed so the ball part that sits in the socket is not held in place it moves about. :sad2: It's basically a growth defect but they don't think the part of the socket will grow so it may result in her needing a hip replacement but we won't know for at least 6 months as they want to wait until she is a year old to see if it changes. :sad1:

In the meantime she has had an injection into the area today to reduce the inflamation (she has got to have a further three at least, one a week) she has got lots of pain killers to take, a special prescribed food for joint defects and some other tablets to help build up the joint. To be honest I was so upset I didn't take it all in but she is not allowed to play, go on walks etc for two weeks. We have to take her to use the garden on her lead - that's assuming she starts walking again soon. We are just devastated, I am so upset.

Sorry to ramble on for so long and sorry if it doesn't make sense....I am so tired!

[Mrs Hobbes]

Oh Claire I am so sorry to hear this about little Bailey, you must be physically and emotionally drained.

My thoughts are with you both and sending pixie dust for Bailey :wizard:

Keep in touch and let me know how things are when you get a chance :hug:

[The Fetherstons]

Oh Claire poor Bailey sending you all lots of pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: hope he has a better night tonight and makes a speedy recovery. Take Care:hug: Keep us informed please:flower3:

[Deedee]

Oh poor Bailey its awfull when your pets get sick because they can't tell you whats up. I hope the medication works sending :grouphug: to you both and Bailey

[CustardTart]

Awww hun, I just read your PM and I am so very sorry. :hug: :hug: :hug: TBH I had a bad feeling when I got home and saw you hadn't posted all day. Poor little Bailey - fingers (and everything crossed) she can adjust and the drugs help her deal with what must be excruciating pain... Thinking of you all and sending you shedloads of pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: ...

Lots of love Karen xxx

[LeCras]

Oh I'm so sorry, you must be so distressed right now! I hope everything works out ok with little Bailey - Milo (our five month old Beagle) sends love and kisses! :lovestruc Please keep us posted, you're in our thoughts.

Charlotte

[Graeme]

Both my last dogs had hip defects, it may not be the end of the world. :hug:
My cocker spaniel, Polly, had a similar condition to what you're describing, and never showed any ill effects after puppyhood. She just seemed to learn to live with it and was still walking and running up until the day before we lost her at 13.

My cairn terrier, Dill, was 14 when we lost her about eight months ago but when she was about nine she dislocated her hip. The crap vet I saw when I took her in, (the leg was all over the place and she was in obvious pain), told me she'd pulled a muscle but during the examination managed to put it back in - sort of.
About a day later she slipped on the kitchen lino and it popped back out again. I took her to the practice owner who xrayed her and said that it had dislocated, she put it back in and told me to bring her back if there were any problems. She explained that there is only a short window of opportunity with dislocations before the two parts of the joint begin to scar up and you can't get it back in properly. She was concerned that we'd missed that window.
Next morning we were back at the vets as she'd slipped on the stairs and done it again. The vet I saw that day said that he was going to operate and he would book me in. He said he would insert a wire through the whole joint to hold it in place. He told me the alternative was to cut the ball part of the femur off and let it form a false joint.
I wasn't happy with this and said I wanted to see the owner again. She told me that she wasn't going to do anything!! But then went on to explain that with small dogs, (Dill wasn't a small cairn - about 12kgs), there isn't a massive load on the hip joint and that if it doesnt connect properly the muscles just take the strain and manage perfectly well. She told me to keep her in the house for about four weeks I think, no walks anyway, and gave her painkillers.
After about three weeks she was driving me up the wall so I took her out. She was running about with no problems, although she did have a funny lopsided gait for the rest of her life. She went up hills, mountains and on very long walks with me after that and never showed any signs of stress.
I was beside myself when she did it and was imagining all sorts of horrible treatments.

I hope Bailey's OK, give her a kiss from me.

Have a read of this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_dysplasia_(canine)

[Pinky166]

Thanks everyone. Been up with her as she is in so much pain, hopefully her painkillers will help in the morning.

Graeme thank you for sharing you give me hope. :hug: I will read the info tomorrow at a less ungodly hour when hopefully it will sink in! :goodvibes

[mandymouse]

:grouphug: Aww, lots of hugs and pixie dust to Bailey, and you too Claire. I hope you get some good news soon and that she makes a quick recovery

[jockey]

:grouphug: :grouphug: I hope little bailey is better soon

[natalielongstaff]

Hope she is ok soon :hug:

[jjk]

Hope Bailey is better soon :hug: :wizard: :wizard:

[Minniespal]

Poor Bailey - sending lots of :wizard: that she recovers quickly.

[Goofysmate]

Sending love and best wishes for Bailey and hope the pain killers kick in soon so that bailey can settle down a bit. the poor love must be in alot of distress.
Hugs for you both Claire & Graeme:grouphug:

[CustardTart]

Thanks everyone. Been up with her as she is in so much pain, hopefully her painkillers will help in the morning...

Hope you both managed to get some sleep, Claire - please don't forget to take care of yourself as well as Bailey!!! :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Bolanette87]

Poor little Bailey.... Hope shes better soon... :hug:

Bob xoxox

[Claire L]

Oh no poor little Bailey and poor you for all that worry :hug: Hoping she is better soon :)

Claire ;)

[tennisfan]

Hope Bailey is ok, our dog had to have part of her hip removed as it was a common problem in Westies, she was fine after it was taken out. It was never replaced. Its amazing how animals can diversify in order to survive.

[Snowy-girls]

Claire i am so sorry to read this news :hug: .I wish Bailey better real soon :wizard: +as Graeme says-it does'nt necessarily mean the worse.Take care of yourself as well Claire-you know where i am if you need a chat :hug: .x.

[saratogagirl]

Oh Claire, I am so sorry to hear your news hun, huge hugs to you and Bailey, I hope things get sorted soon xx

[Pinky166]

Thanks everyone. :grouphug:

She is still in pain but has managed to eat all her breakfast, have a big drink and most importantly she's had her pain killer.

We are still having to carry her out in to the garden which is so upsetting as it obviously hurts when we pick her up, she really yelps which is not nice for us but i'm sure Stamford thinks we are hurting her as he runs off and hides. :sad1:

Anyway she is having a little sleep now. :thumbsup2

[Graeme]

I will read the info tomorrow at a less ungodly hour when hopefully it will sink in! :goodvibes

The Wiki article mentions dogs 'bunny hopping' when they run. Polly did that from about the age of three and had no obvious signs of discomfort, or difficulties on walks. When you look for it you'll see a lot of dogs, including boxers, bunny hopping along quite happily! That will give you an idea of how common it is. :thumbsup2
Diet is important though, fat dogs have more strain on the hips.

[natalielongstaff]

Thanks everyone. :grouphug:

She is still in pain but has managed to eat all her breakfast, have a big drink and most importantly she's had her pain killer.

We are still having to carry her out in to the garden which is so upsetting as it obviously hurts when we pick her up, she really yelps which is not nice for us but i'm sure Stamford thinks we are hurting her as he runs off and hides. :sad1:

Anyway she is having a little sleep now. :thumbsup2

Aww bless her x x

[Pinky166]

The Wiki article mentions dogs 'bunny hopping' when they run. Polly did that from about the age of three and had no obvious signs of discomfort, or difficulties on walks. When you look for it you'll see a lot of dogs, including boxers, bunny hopping along quite happily! That will give you an idea of how common it is. :thumbsup2
Diet is important though, fat dogs have more strain on the hips.

Thanks Graeme. :hug:

I managed to sit down and read all the info on Wikipedia this afternoon. A lot of it confirms options our vet spoke about, it jolted my memory as I kind of hazed over with shock when she was going through it all yesterday.

One thing that I didn't know is you can buy pressure reducing beds, so I think we will invest in one of these for her. Anything to help reduce the pain.

[Ware Bears]

Just read this ~ sending Bailey and you :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[Snowy-girls]

Hows Bailey today Claire-i hope she's a little better.x.

[Pinky166]

Hows Bailey today Claire-i hope she's a little better.x.

Thanks for asking Michelle. :hug:

She had a good nights sleep....I actually think I kept her awake as I was tossing and turning on the sofa! :lmao: Hubby was upstairs in bed as he is really poorly. :sick:

I was sitting on the sofa this morning opening my secret exchange gift and she stood up and walked (or should I say hobbled) about 4 foot to come and sniff it! :rolleyes: We were so shocked but it was lovely to see. :goodvibes Although she didn't eat her lunch, which is unusual for her.

Since then she has hobbled out to the garden twice :thumbsup2 we are still carrying her all the other times though as she must not over do it as it could make it worse. I ended up ordering her a special mattress/bed thing today that will redcude the stress on her joints when she lays down (kind of like memory foam beds) it cost £110! :eek: but it will be worth every penny if it helps to ease her pain. :hug:

[mandymouse]

:hug: I'm so pleased that Bailey is making a little progress today Claire though sorry to hear that hubby is poorly

[Snowy-girls]

Thanks for asking Michelle. :hug:

She had a good nights sleep....I actually think I kept her awake as I was tossing and turning on the sofa! :lmao: Hubby was upstairs in bed as he is really poorly. :sick:

I was sitting on the sofa this morning opening my secret exchange gift and she stood up and walked (or should I say hobbled) about 4 foot to come and sniff it! :rolleyes: We were so shocked but it was lovely to see. :goodvibes Although she didn't eat her lunch, which is unusual for her.

Since then she has hobbled out to the garden twice :thumbsup2 we are still carrying her all the other times though as she must not over do it as it could make it worse. I ended up ordering her a special mattress/bed thing today that will redcude the stress on her joints when she lays down (kind of like memory foam beds) it cost £110! :eek: but it will be worth every penny if it helps to ease her pain. :hug:

Very happy to hear Bailey was a little better yesterday-any progress today?.Hope she's enjoying her new mattress.
Sorry to hear about Lee-he must be coming out in sympathy for Bailey or is he playing his man-flu card again(seriously-hope he's ok).x.

[Pinky166]

Very happy to hear Bailey was a little better yesterday-any progress today?.Hope she's enjoying her new mattress.
Sorry to hear about Lee-he must be coming out in sympathy for Bailey or is he playing his man-flu card again(seriously-hope he's ok).x.

Bailey is pretty much the same today, although she has been hobbling about a bit more but she is very wary and careful - especially as Stamford keeps getting excited and trying to play with her! :scared1: Her new bed isn't here yet. Hopefully it will turn up early next week.

Lee is full of a cold but he has been really good as I haven't been feeling great either so he has been helping. :hug:

[saratogagirl]

bless her, I hope the bed helps reduce her pain

[natalielongstaff]

how is the hydro-therapy research going ?

[thelittlemermaid83]

Oh hun, poor Bailey I hope she gets better soon :hug:

[Pinky166]

how is the hydro-therapy research going ?

LOL - well I found a local-ish one but am going to see what the vet says on Wednesday. It was suggested to us by our dog trainer as it can help with hip dysplasia - especially in young dogs.

Don't know how much it costs yet though - don't think I want to either! ;)

[natalielongstaff]

LOL - well I found a local-ish one but am going to see what the vet says on Wednesday. It was suggested to us by our dog trainer as it can help with hip dysplasia - especially in young dogs.

Don't know how much it costs yet though - don't think I want to either! ;)

it use to be very expensive in my day !

Hip Dysplasia is awful and could easily be prevented :sad2: give bailey a hug from me x x

[Pinky166]

it use to be very expensive in my day !

Hip Dysplasia is awful and could easily be prevented :sad2: give bailey a hug from me x x


Did you used to be a vet or something?

It always worries me when the website doesn't display prices! :rolleyes:

I'll save the hug for a bit later.....she just grumbled at me, her pain killer hasn't kicked in yet!

[natalielongstaff]

Did you used to be a vet or something?


I was a vet nurse for 10yrs before i left to have the kids, i loved the job but the hours are not family friendly ;)

[Pinky166]

I was a vet nurse for 10yrs before i left to have the kids, i loved the job but the hours are not family friendly ;)

I always wanted to work in a vets or a zoo but never did. Maybe one day. :goodvibes

[natalielongstaff]

I always wanted to work in a vets or a zoo but never did. Maybe one day. :goodvibes

when i told the careers officer they suggested i tried factory work !!!

[Minniespal]

Hope Bailey is a little better today:hug:

[The Fetherstons]

Hows bailey today Claire, hope shes getting better:grouphug:

[Pinky166]

Thanks everyone, she is kind of the same really.

Her brain wants to be running around the garden but she can't. :guilty: Although she did try :eek: she went to run after Stamford but only got a few steps and stopped - she really hurt herself and is now resting.

I have no idea how we can stop her keep getting up and walking about?? We have her shut in the lounge on her bed so she is with us and we collected lots of sticks for her to sit and chew! :sad2: My lounge looks like a bomb site! :sad2: But she still gets up and wanders about. :headache:

[natalielongstaff]

would she go in a dog cage or would that upset her too much ?

[Pinky166]

would she go in a dog cage or would that upset her too much ?

She has a cage Nat. She sleeps in it every night and goes in it when we go out - actually she really likes it and often goes in it during the day for a sleep but I don't really want her to be shut away all day and night for the next two weeks.

[Mrs Hobbes]

Poor Bailey, it sounds like you are doing every thing you can for her Claire. I hope the vet has some good news for you all this week :hug:

[natalielongstaff]

She has a cage Nat. She sleeps in it every night and goes in it when we go out - actually she really likes it and often goes in it during the day for a sleep but I don't really want her to be shut away all day and night for the next two weeks.

Hmm i see your point ! it might be necessary though if she won't slow down :guilty:

[Pinky166]

Hmm i see your point ! it might be necessary though if she won't slow down :guilty:

Yeah I was thinking that as a last resort type thing!

It's funny as a few minutes after I posted about her cage earlier she went and got in Stamfords one and has been asleep in it ever since! :rolleyes:

Typical - she spends most of her time in his and him in hers! :confused3

[natalielongstaff]

i would take her into the garden on her lead as well ( you are probably doing that tho )

[Pinky166]

i would take her into the garden on her lead as well ( you are probably doing that tho )

Yeah we are. :thumbsup2

[Snowy-girls]

From what i have read you are doing everything you possibly can for her :hug: .Poor Bailey give her a fuss from me.x.

[Pinky166]

Just a little update. We took Bailey back to the vets this morning for her weekly injection, they vet was very pleased with her progress and said that we can take her for a 5 minute slow walk once a day (we will be able to increase it each week hopefully).

I would like to also thank you all for your kind comments and for the many PM's I have received. I have appreciated them all so much. :grouphug:

[natalielongstaff]

Just a little update. We took Bailey back to the vets this morning for her weekly injection, they vet was very pleased with her progress and said that we can take her for a 5 minute slow walk once a day (we will be able to increase it each week hopefully).

I would like to also thank you all for your kind comments and for the many PM's I have received. I have appreciated them all so much. :grouphug:

Thats good news :thumbsup2

[mandymouse]

Just a little update. We took Bailey back to the vets this morning for her weekly injection, they vet was very pleased with her progress and said that we can take her for a 5 minute slow walk once a day (we will be able to increase it each week hopefully).

I would like to also thank you all for your kind comments and for the many PM's I have received. I have appreciated them all so much. :grouphug:

:hug: Aww, that's good news

[Bolanette87]

Glad to hear little Bailey is making some good progress!

Bob xoxoxox

[The Fetherstons]

Ahh thats great news Claire:hug: :thumbsup2

[Minniespal]

Brillant news Claire, really pleased Bailey is improving:hug:

[thelittlemermaid83]

So glad to hear Bailey is improving hun :hug:

[Goofysmate]

Great news that Bailey is making good progress and hope it continues:thumbsup2

[poppie123]

Fantastic news :hug:

[PoppyAnna]

What great news - you must be pleased :hug:

[Claire L]

Great news about the good progress Bailey is making :dog:

Claire ;)

[jjk]

thats great news, so pleased for you and Bailey Claire:goodvibes

[Mrs Hobbes]

:hug: So pleased to hear your good news Claire :goodvibes

[Snowy-girls]

That is great news Claire-i am VERY happy to hear that.I bet you feel slightly better now :hug: .x.

[saratogagirl]

great news, I am so pleased for you and Bailey xx