GreyPoopon

I'm so very sorry. I'm sure Jimmy had some of his best months with you. Godspeed Jimmy.

I'm so very sorry. I had so hoped that he would recover. Godspeed Sidney.

I'm so very sorry. She was lovely. She left much too soon. Godspeed Skylar.

Congratulations! I hope everything works out well so you can start to breathe again.

No aspirin. The NSAID (Metacam) was discontinued for both due to the risk of stomach bleeding from the combination of steroids and an NSAID. Cora was not given steroids but the vet wanted to have the option. Cal got steroids and stomach protection meds.

With my two, there was noticeable improvement quite quickly--a day or two. The improvements were fairly quick the first week, slower after that. Neither got worse after the initial assessment (the next morning for Cora, within a couple of hours for Cal). I hope the vet can help your boy.

Another vote for the Ruffwear Webmaster, although I agree with those who have said it does a better job with the front end than the back. It's very comfortable, and can be safely left on a non-chewer for days at a time--both Cora and Dixie wore it after their FCEs so that I could get them on their feet and move them about.

I have an area about 18 x 8 (but part is the ramp and part is patio stone/bench etc.). It is fenced with plastic 3' garden fence. The surface is wood chips--mulch breaks down and gets dirty. The main drawback of the chips is that they freeze on the coldest/wettest days. My only boy pees w/o lifting, so I don't have a target. Odor has not been an issue. Poop is picked up immediately. I used to have an area at the back of the yard that was not fenced and had a surface of pea gravel. However, the hounds did not like the pea gravel and I found it hard to train them to go there reliably. When I got sick of walking down with them, I moved the area close to the house so they have to use it.

I'm sorry. I hope it isn't OS. Just by-the-by, Betsy has an area of bone loss in one shoulder/forearm that did not progress significantly over the course of a couple of months. It was found well over a year ago and she has been about the same since.

Two of mine have had FCEs. The first was Cora. It happened in the middle of the night--she was suddenly restless and panting and would not settle. She lost the use of the right side of her body, which, in conjunction with her not-yet-healed broken leg, made her a one-legged dog. She did have deep pain response, so the vet was hopeful. Steroids were not used because she'd been on an NSAID. She eventually regained most of her mobility on the right side, but the broken leg never fully healed--it turned out to be OS. The second was Cal. She was playing in the living room, then started pacing and panting, settling only for a few seconds at a time. She lost the use of her right hind leg, which was already wobbly. Even though she'd been on an NSAID, she was given an injection of Dex, plus stomach protection meds. A couple of days later, something went very wrong with the front leg on the same side. X-rays were clear, so it must have been a sprain. More Dex was administered, plus antibiotics in case it was an infection. The FCE leg recovered more quickly than the sprain, and, in fact, is better than it was before the FCE. I half-jokingly suggested to my vet that the piece of cartilage that broke off might have been what was bothering her before; no way to know though. Just by-the-by, both diagnoses were based on observation, not MRIs. Neither went to rehab. And the change in treatment reflected what the vets had heard at the last conference they'd attended.

I'm so very sorry. He was much too young to have to leave. Needy Edie, ROW, will send him off with a special chorus. Godspeed Bacchus.

Glad the x-rays were clear. Hope her brain clears ASAP.

I'm so very sorry. She was right where she belonged; she just didn't get to stay long enough. Godspeed Tally.

I'm so very sorry. Godspeed EZ.

What a horrible awful shock and devastating loss. He was such a great boy. Godspeed Riddick.

Congratulations! She's very cute. Love her name too.

I'm so glad she's home and comfortable enough to be upside down.

I'm sorry. I've had two with OS. Cora's didn't show up on the x-rays until the only thing holding her leg together was the plate used to repair her fracture. It was too late. Tally was diagnosed when she suddenly went lame. I used pain management for her. We started with an NSAID. When the limp recurred, we added Tramadol, and gradually increased the dosage. We also monitored with x-rays to make sure the bone wasn't becoming too fragile. Eventually, she was dead lame despite the pain meds, and I let her go.

What a gorgeous boy! Congratulations!

Congratulations! Sounds like things are off to a great start, except maybe for the kitties.

This may not be relevant at all, but Jessie, not an OS amputee, has a wobbly back end and a leg that sometimes doesn't work (generally right after she's gotten up). She has been helped by Methocarbamol, which is a muscle relaxant.

I'm so very sorry. Godspeed Mimi.

Happy Gotcha Day Loca. Special greetings from your (somewhat less...interesting) half-sister Betsy. Robin.

I'm so very sorry. Billy was a lucky boy to have two concurrent families. My sympathies to you and his other Mom and Dad. Godspeed Billy.

I'm so very sorry. He was as handsome as he was special. Godspeed Silver.