Interesting is the word!
We have been under the radar coping with these two. Three weeks ago both got some kind of tummy bug. Awful experience with projectile liquids from "both ends."
We were concerned that this was taking too long to clear up so we made an appointment with our vet. About 45 minutes before leaving I took them for a walk. Walking these two is our little version of a comedy act. While reaching down to collect "a sample" both leashes got wrapped around a pole. In the process I stepped back and stood on little Mbali's foot! Never even noticed she had darted backwards.
She screamed but then seemed ok. She limped home for about the first block but then walked on all four legs the rest of the way. Once home she hopped up on the favorite chair. While I was putting Shaun in the car (both were going to the vet) I heard Mbali scream loudly from inside. I rushed in and she was standing on three legs next to the chair. She must have jumped down and something was definitely causing her pain. Luckily I had a vet appointment in 20 minutes.
The vet felt her paw and decided to take an x-ray. Sure enough Mbali had two hairline fractures in the two center bones just above her foot. The two outer bones were fine though. They gave her some laser therapy and then wrapped her entire rear leg in a splint. I felt simply terrible having caused all this. The two main joints in her leg were wrapped so they could not bend. To my guilt ridden eyes the cast looked HUGE.
Once she was back in the house Mbali seemed very unhappy; trying to settle with the cast etc. But by the next day she was moving, walking, eating as before. Both dogs were also given meds for their tummy issues. Thankfully that all cleared up in a couple of days. I made boiled chicken, boiled potatoes, pumpkin, cottage cheese, etc. The big hit were the little jars of baby food we mixed in.
The issue with Mbali then became keeping her "calm". But she decided to run, jump off furniture and wrestle with Shaun like nothing ever happened.
We went in next week. Her cast had slipped a little so Mbali's toes were sticking out more than the vet liked. They rewrapped the cast and were told maybe three weeks more. After another week I became concerned about the cast again so back to the vet we went. She asked me for all the details about Mbali's activity etc. The vet then decided "lets do the x-ray a week early!" She came back with the film and she said she could not see ANY fracture anymore. Her age, the thin clean nature of the fractures, the laser therapy and these homeopathic bone healing pills seemed to do the trick. The big factor is the fractures were the two center bones and not the two outer bones. The outer bones act like a natural splint. The big positive news was that Mbali was sent home with her cast unchanged and she would only have to have it on for one more week just to be sure. Three weeks total it seems.
Her cast comes of this Tuesday! Hopefully all will be fine. The vet seemed sort of surprised at how quickly Mbali has healed. We cant wait!
