Guest crazy4greys Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I am looking into adopting another grey. The girl I am looking at broke her leg back in August. It is completely healed. My question is should she be taking any kind of supplements due to the break? She is 2.5 yrs. old. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BauersMom Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I'd do the standard glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supps. The young ones bounce back a lot better than the older dogs from broken hocks (well, for normal breaks that is... those that are really bad will be bad regardless of age). Good luck. Quote With Buster Bloof (UCME Razorback 89B-51359) and Gingersnap Ginny (92D-59450). Missing Pepper, Berkeley, Ivy, Princess and Bauer at the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerosmom Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I second the glucosamine/chondritin (spelling?) -- I remember I had to leash walk Snickers for a good six months after her cast came off. Have they given the green light for all activity yet? She limped initially but eventually she was limp-free and could run and jump without any problem. Quote Aero: http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?d=kees+uncatchable; our bridge angel (1/04/02-8/2/07) Snickers; our bridge angel (1/04/02-2/29/08) Cricket; Kanga Roo: oops girl 5/26/07; Doctor Thunder http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?z=P_31Oj&a...&birthland= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazy4greys Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Thanks! Our group just picked her up on Saturday from the track and her leg looks fine and there is no swelling. I am not sure how long she had cast on for. She is being leashed walked at her foster home. I will get an xray of her leg so I have it to compare if needed at a later date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowjay Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I adopted Cody just before his 3rd birthday (he's 7 now) and he's been on glucosamine, shark cartlidge and MSM since I got him. He had a plate and 7 screws (silly boy took a tumble in the 1st and kept going avoiding the leadouts trying to catch him. That resulted in him shattering it into about 30 pieces. The surgeon said Humpty Dumpty was easier to put back together. He still finished 7th though!) so some of the joints are fused. It doesn't hurt and I think it really helps keep those joints mobile. Quote Cody: (11/19/2000 - 1/7/2013): [CollateralDamage #92569] Cody's DogsterPretty: (11/1/1994 - 1/27/2007): [Bee's Prettyside #43811] Pretty's DogsterPinky: (4/25/2003 - 3/17/2014): [Wagtail Resolve #19753]Click here to learn how to find your hounds racing name, pedigree and racing history! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devotion Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 One of mine broke his leg in 3 places in early August and is doing fantastic! He of course had surgery and pins and plates to hold it together. Sammy is running now and playing like normal. His walk is a tad off but you wouldn't know how bad his break was now. Good luck to you and your new one. Quote Pam with greys Avril, Dalton & Zeus & Diddy the dachshund & Miss Buzz the kitty Devotion, Jingle Bells, Rocky, Hans, Harbor, Lennon, NoLa, Scooter, Naomi and Scout at the bridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazy4greys Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I adopted Cody just before his 3rd birthday (he's 7 now) and he's been on glucosamine, shark cartlidge and MSM since I got him. He had a plate and 7 screws (silly boy took a tumble in the 1st and kept going avoiding the leadouts trying to catch him. That resulted in him shattering it into about 30 pieces. The surgeon said Humpty Dumpty was easier to put back together. He still finished 7th though!) so some of the joints are fused. It doesn't hurt and I think it really helps keep those joints mobile. Wow! What a tough guy! Do you order from the greyhound gang? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowjay Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I adopted Cody just before his 3rd birthday (he's 7 now) and he's been on glucosamine, shark cartlidge and MSM since I got him. He had a plate and 7 screws (silly boy took a tumble in the 1st and kept going avoiding the leadouts trying to catch him. That resulted in him shattering it into about 30 pieces. The surgeon said Humpty Dumpty was easier to put back together. He still finished 7th though!) so some of the joints are fused. It doesn't hurt and I think it really helps keep those joints mobile. Wow! What a tough guy! Do you order from the greyhound gang? Yep. Actually the past couple of years I've just been buying 360 day supplies from Claudia at Dewey. Quote Cody: (11/19/2000 - 1/7/2013): [CollateralDamage #92569] Cody's DogsterPretty: (11/1/1994 - 1/27/2007): [Bee's Prettyside #43811] Pretty's DogsterPinky: (4/25/2003 - 3/17/2014): [Wagtail Resolve #19753]Click here to learn how to find your hounds racing name, pedigree and racing history! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiffer Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Atlas takes Glucosamine supplements daily for his healed leg.1500mg daily per our vet's advice. He shattered his hock in his last race.. and still managed to finish Gotta love the heart these guys have! Quote Jennifer and Beamish (an unnamed Irish-born Racer) DOB: October 30, 2011 Forever and always missing my "Vowels", Icarus, Atlas, Orion, Uber, and Miss Echo, and Mojito. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LadyChester Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I have two broken leg boys ... one broke an hock and the other broke something in his knee and had tons bone fragments. Both needed surgical repairs. You'd never even know our broken hock guy had an injury, except for the telltale bony lump. The other guy has always been gimpy and now that he's approaching 10 he is getting more so. We do the glucosamine/chondroitin for everyone here. We also give MSM; one can tolerate it and the other gets runny poo. BauersMom is the expert (literally) but I believe there have been studies that sugest that giving fish oil along with the glucosamine/chondroitin make the gluc/chon more effective in some way. Is that correct, Emma? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tricolorhounds Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I have 2 that retired with broken hocks. Savannah's required several surgeries, casting from Feb to July and 5 months worth of antibiotics. Bonkers recovered with just a splint. Both have visable bumps and scars. Both have altered gaits and stances... as you can tell in this photo, he stands with his right rear leg out to the side... but both are unstoppable when it comes to running... I do not give any supplements and both dogs are doing wonderfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Christina Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I adopted Leah with a healed broken hock. She can't straighten it all the way to the floor when she is standing still, but she runs around the yard just fine, and walks with a limp sometimes. OSU assured me that it doesn't cause her any pain, and surgery to attempt to straighten it out better would probably not take care of the limp, so as long as she's OK, I'm OK with no surgery. It just makes her more speshul-er!! :wub: She has a funny shaped foot that just hangs there when standing still, but she can do stairs, couch, pouncing, bowing, scratching, etc... Oh, and I don't give her any supplements, but I probably should to avoid any future stiffness. I have had people stop me and ask, "Ohhhhh, is she OK????" Now if I could only keep her from cutting her feetsies every time she runs in the yard... it never fails, she either rips the webbing, or cuts the side of her foot. This past time, she completely tore off a toenail. Poor Wee-Wee, I have to keep her on her leash every time we go out to potty so she won't run and hurt herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Snowy8 Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 When I adopted Snowy, she was 4 & was a broken hock survivor...it did not slow her down. She doesn't stand on it, but she runs & jumps on it. She can clear a baby gate, and a kitchen table...instead of going around to the front of the couch, she jumps over the arm of it. By the way...she's 13 1/2 now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreysAndMoreGreys Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Depending on the break it's good to get them active and work with the leg. The longer they are not using it the worse it can be. The muscles will weaken the longer they are not using the leg Of course check with the vets but normally in a kennel situation it's a cast for about 6-8 weeks, then on to a soft wrap for another few weeks. After that it's nothing. Turn outs normally do not change other than they go out alone, so they learn to use the leg and they often learn that pretty quick. My Augie boy had broken his hock about 4 years ago while I was still working the kennels. Compound fracture and 8 different fractures. He has all sorts of hardware in that leg He was in a cast for 8 weeks, soft wrap for 3 and then it was no wrap at all and he was putting weight on it pretty quickly after that. As soon as he was back to the kennel he was placed on Glucosamine and Calcium. After about 4 months he was running around like nothing ever happened with an occasional limp but nothing a trained eye wouldn't see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPDoggie Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 (edited) Kingsley is like Snowy in that he does not stand on it, but uses it for everything else! We have given him glucosamine since we adopted him at age 5 about 2.5 years ago. We wondered if it actually did anything, so took him off it, and after just 4 days he was noticeably stiffer. So, he has gotten his 1/2 teaspoon at breakfast ever-since! Wanted to add, that I would not hesitate to adopt another broken-legged dog. Edited January 8, 2008 by SPDoggie Quote Amy and Tim in Beverly, MA, with Chase and Always missing Kingsley (Drama King) and Ruby (KB's Bee Bopper). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LynnM Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Supplementing won't hurt and might help in the long term. I've got one permagrey with a gimpy leg (front leg has an approximately 10 degree bow) and a foster orthopedic rehab girlie (standard right hock, you'd be hard pressed to know she ever broke it now). Louis will always have an altered gait, but he's not in any pain and has a completely normal life. He even gallops quite well, though he turns VERY wide and can't exactly stop on a dime any more. Selena, after a rough start, has healed perfectly. She is a completely normal dog in all respects except that she'd set off a metal detector Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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