CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Health => Topic started by: Aimeetess on November 09, 2017, 04:24:25 PM
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Hi all!
I only joined a few days ago as a friend recommended me this group for some nice friendly advice so hello!
I have a working cocker spaniel pup, Harley, hes a chunky lad and 5 months now but at 4 months he suddenly (after a short walk) went hopping lame on his hind left leg. He couldn’t put any weight on it, was very uncomfortable and practically didn’t use it whatsoever, he couldn’t sit on it, lie on it. He had 3 different vet opinions. 2 vets thought cruciate ligament and the other said he could of slightly torn the cruciate but not fully. All vets examined him, couldn’t feel any movement in his knee but one vet he did turn as if it was painful. I was devastated, haven’t cried so much since a kid! The vets gave him some very strong (injected) painkiller to keep him calm as was on crate rest. He showed improvement a few days later (hopping but not AS lame) so they started him on metacam instead and 3 x 15 minute lead walks a day.
This was over 4 weeks ago now, we have one week left and he’s back to the vets to see how he’s doing, if he’s no better off painkillers he’ll be having a CT scan.
He is now walking on all legs, muscle feels even on both hind legs. He looks ‘sound’ but occasionally looks stiff on the ‘bad’ leg, most people say they can’t see anything wrong with him its only as I really look and know him well.
I bought him with the intention of working him when hes older but he does live inside with us, as a very spoilt doggy. He is very intelligent and even though we’ve had a huge set back, his sit/stay and heel training has come on really well (anything we can do without him running basically!)
I saw the vet in passing a week ago and she said maybe it was something more minor than the cruciate..
Has anyone got any experience with this kind of injury? If it is something like cruciate then he is insured luckily, a friend who has experience in this field said if it was the cruciate it will never fully heal even as a pup and most dogs or puppies will need a operation eventually IF this was his cruciate he damaged.
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Glad you found us Aimeetess.
The friendliest forum on the world wide interweb thing bar none 👍
How's Harley this week, still improving I trust ?
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Hi and welcome - yes, a very friendly helpful bunch on here. Sorry to hear about the problems you‘ve had with little Harvey, I hope he‘s continuing to improve. I don‘t have any experience with this but I‘ve seen it discussed quite often on here so I‘m sure someone else’ll be along soon who‘s been through it already. Keep us posted and best of luck! ;)
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Glad you found us Aimeetess.
The friendliest forum on the world wide interweb thing bar none 👍
How's Harley this week, still improving I trust ?
He still looks good this week, fingers crossed! Is that Eze? She looks different in your picture! Hi and welcome - yes, a very friendly helpful bunch on here. Sorry to hear about the problems you‘ve had with little Harvey, I hope he‘s continuing to improve. I don‘t have any experience with this but I‘ve seen it discussed quite often on here so I‘m sure someone else’ll be along soon who‘s been through it already. Keep us posted and best of luck! ;)
Thank you Bizzylizzy! Fingers crossed a few will read it and be able to give some advice or experience!
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Glad you found us Aimeetess.
The friendliest forum on the world wide interweb thing bar none 👍
How's Harley this week, still improving I trust ?
He still looks good this week, fingers crossed! Is that Eze? She looks different in your picture! Hi and welcome - yes, a very friendly helpful bunch on here. Sorry to hear about the problems you‘ve had with little Harvey, I hope he‘s continuing to improve. I don‘t have any experience with this but I‘ve seen it discussed quite often on here so I‘m sure someone else’ll be along soon who‘s been through it already. Keep us posted and best of luck! ;)
Thank you Bizzylizzy! Fingers crossed a few will read it and be able to give some advice or experience!
Good to hear the little chap continues to improve. Yep that's the little madam 😁
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Ps
Don't forget to post some Harvey pics (we like pics) 👍
And have you found the working section yet ?
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How have you been coping with the crate rest! I can't imagine a 4 month pup on crate rest. He and you must be going stir crazy.
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be aware re cruciate as many insurers are putting limits on it as no doubt its being seen far too often
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How have you been coping with the crate rest! I can't imagine a 4 month pup on crate rest. He and you must be going stir crazy.
It was painful.. I was doing lots of mind games so he was amused but there was alot of crying involved on his part. I did take him out the crate on a lead on the sofa if i was watching TV as he wanted to be with me.
We went back to the vets on Friday 5/6 weeks of crate rest and lead walking. Vet was very happy with his leg. Even muscle tone on each side and very sound. He’s now off metacam and if still sound in a week he’s allowed off lead. No vet appointments booked for a year unless it doesn’t go to plan, so hes 'signed off' officially. She thinks he’ll be ok. Fingers crossed!
Insurers agreed to pay out up to £15,000 if he needed it, thank you though!
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Good to hear he is doing well.
Can start the training soon 👍
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Both mine had cruciate ligament injuries.
Ben's was quite nasty and needed crate rest for 4 weeks then several weeks building up to full fitness again. He was fine once fully fit and continued to do agility for many years and was very very fast and agile :luv:. The only time we ever saw any reoccurrence was if we went on holiday and he was running on sand, for some reason this would cause stiffness in that back leg so we had to limit what he did on a beach. Right up to old age he remained physically fit and had no lasting problems with it.
Harry came at 8 mths to us with some damage to his cruciate ligament and his does bother him if he does too much we have to be careful. We could not risk agility with him, but for normal running on grass he is ok. Uneven surfaces if they are very bumpy like on the moors he does find tricky and will lift his leg occasionally and going down stairs at speed he will sometimes lift his leg and go down on three legs, but not sure if this is habit or because it twinges?
Glad to hear Harley is doing well looking forward to hearing how his training goes