http://sick-puppies.com/dog-nursing-fractured-toe/ Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:41:51 -0500 hourly 1 http://sick-puppies.com/dog-nursing-fractured-toe/comment-page-1/#comment-13409 ?Loves her Sealy? Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:38:28 +0000 http://sick-puppies.com/dog-nursing-fractured-toe/#comment-13409 I don't understand why vets wrap the fracture in a splint because the exact same thing happened to my dog...ugh. I ended up leaving her in the crate with the cone on her head. My mom had a neighbor come check on her by the hour to allow her to relieve herself and to make sure my dog didn't irritate herself even more. We also left her with her favorite chew toys, and she really didn't chew herself. When I got home I watched her the whole time. I don’t understand why vets wrap the fracture in a splint because the exact same thing happened to my dog…ugh.
I ended up leaving her in the crate with the cone on her head. My mom had a neighbor come check on her by the hour to allow her to relieve herself and to make sure my dog didn’t irritate herself even more. We also left her with her favorite chew toys, and she really didn’t chew herself. When I got home I watched her the whole time.

]]> http://sick-puppies.com/dog-nursing-fractured-toe/comment-page-1/#comment-13408 Rosalie Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:37:49 +0000 http://sick-puppies.com/dog-nursing-fractured-toe/#comment-13408 I don't understand why other splinting options haven't been explored - lots of extra batting, perhaps a silver bandage, and some memory foam? Some of the new gel type bandages engineered for humans should work, as well. Otherwise, confine would be the best way - things to take up his attention such as large Kong toys stuffed with soaked kibble and frozen would keep him occupied while not adding any weird things to his diet that might create other problems. If you are not home, it would be a very good thing to hire a petsitter or a house sitter to attend him for at least a few days - you can inquire at your vet's office as to whom they might suggest. Sometimes their vet techs moonlight on just such jobs. You might want to look into some of the newer forms of restrictive collars - there is one called a Bite-Not that merely stiffens the neck, but sometimes they can still reach - and another that is simply an inflatable 'inner tube' tube, which may work better. Neither one fo these restrict the peripheral vision and movement quite so much as the traditional cone fo silence. Your Weim will always take cues from you - if you say he must stay quiet, then that is what shall be. This is a good time to examine your leadership role in his life, and make sure that is what you are. It will mean a lot not only in his recovery, but for the rest of his life. Staying quiet may be hard to do, but it should never be considered cruel. I don’t understand why other splinting options haven’t been explored – lots of extra batting, perhaps a silver bandage, and some memory foam? Some of the new gel type bandages engineered for humans should work, as well.
Otherwise, confine would be the best way – things to take up his attention such as large Kong toys stuffed with soaked kibble and frozen would keep him occupied while not adding any weird things to his diet that might create other problems.
If you are not home, it would be a very good thing to hire a petsitter or a house sitter to attend him for at least a few days – you can inquire at your vet’s office as to whom they might suggest. Sometimes their vet techs moonlight on just such jobs.
You might want to look into some of the newer forms of restrictive collars – there is one called a Bite-Not that merely stiffens the neck, but sometimes they can still reach – and another that is simply an inflatable ‘inner tube’ tube, which may work better. Neither one fo these restrict the peripheral vision and movement quite so much as the traditional cone fo silence.
Your Weim will always take cues from you – if you say he must stay quiet, then that is what shall be. This is a good time to examine your leadership role in his life, and make sure that is what you are. It will mean a lot not only in his recovery, but for the rest of his life. Staying quiet may be hard to do, but it should never be considered cruel.

]]>