Guest ss556 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 My poor boy's back legs have been giving him trouble again and today he fell two times coming up the front stop (3 steps). He got cut up each time and I just noticed some bruising on his rib cage near his shoulder/front paw, which he has been limping with off and on for a week and a half. Please send some good wishes that tomorrow will be a better day. He got so worked up today, shaking like a leaf, it just breaks my heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest suzye Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Poor Alan. I'm sorry he's hurting and I hope he feels better very soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SoulsMom Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Oh Alan Sending you good thoughts for a better tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TaraCoachCougar Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Sending hugs and good thoughts from one old shaky legged senior (Coach) to another. So much heart left, but the body just can't keep up. We too have to go down about 4 stairs minimum to get out of our house. Luckily, the fenced area is now connected with the 4 steps that are covered with carpet or we would have bloody legs constantly. Hang in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EmilyAnne Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Oh poor Alan!!! He will be in my prayers. Have you thought about a sling device for him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickiesmom Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Alan Sending prayers his owies heal quickly and it was just a bad, bad day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ss556 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Sling device? I have a harness and he freaks out when he sees it. I really don't want to put that on him until it is absolutely necessary. I think that's what you mean. My back steps are carpeted and I have 4 more rugs out there for him. My kitchen has 8 throw rugs. My front steps are brick, don't know how to carpet them. My DH will have to make a ramp soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EmilyAnne Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Sling device? I have a harness and he freaks out when he sees it. I really don't want to put that on him until it is absolutely necessary. I think that's what you mean. My back steps are carpeted and I have 4 more rugs out there for him. My kitchen has 8 throw rugs. My front steps are brick, don't know how to carpet them. My DH will have to make a ramp soon. I haven't used these so I am not familiar. When my pointer stopped walking in his last days, I used a thick plush polartec scarf and used it under his belly towards back legs. He never spooked though. A ramp sounds like a good idea. I've built two wheelchair ramps. Ramps are pretty simple to build. The one for the van, I did a 2x4 framing, and made sure the one of the 2x4's would fit neatly over the lip of the doorway so it would not fall. You could do that with the steps. And then put some cheap low pile carpet over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spencers_Greyt Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Poor baby! I hope he starts feeling better soon! Big hugs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Oh, poor Alan! Yes, I think it's definitely time for DH to make a ramp for him. Remember, when he does, that the longer and shallower he can make it, the easier it will be to get Alan to use it. I'd also put some kind of strips across it at frequent intervals to give him something to find with his toes. The thing Jack hates about ramps, is when they're smooth - doesn't matter how 'grippy' they are, he likes to feel ridges or texture. It might also be worth trying to slowly get Alan used to a harness, they're really, really useful when a shaky-legged one falls and can't get up. If he doesn't like the one you have, it would be worth finding a different sort. We have one of this type, which are very padded and seem to fit the stockier grey quite well. I couldn't get it tight enough for Renie, she was a very slender girl. If you scroll down to where it says 'click here for a size chart showing most breeds of dog' and go from there to the greyhound section, you can click on '5' and '6' to see pics of greyhounds wearing them. Do you do acupuncture? Quote The plural of anecdote is not dataBrambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Alan, my friend, please feel better Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EmilyAnne Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Looed around online, this is what I was thinking of when I mentioned a sling~ http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...amp;pcatid=8082 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cully Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 :bighug Quote waiting at the bridge Connie Van Teddy & Jojo, Cobra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ss556 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) Now I understand the sling thing. No, I have a black padded harness that I ordered for someone (suffer from CRS) a while ago when he fell up the deck stairs, maybe last summer (if only my memory chip wasn't full). Alan just had acupuncture on Friday. His xrays from last spring weren't too bad and he was never officially diagnosed with LS, but I would think it's probably that. He was doing really fine up to about a week & a half ago - like a spring chicken, then boom, the snow, ice, the walk changed, the front paw limping. I'm getting nervous. As far as the ramp goes, I was going to put carpet on it - the indoor/outdoor or grass like - I thought that would be good for him. Remember - Alan is very big and weighs about 90 lbs. It's not easy. Edited February 2, 2009 by ss556 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Sending prayers that your sweet boy feels better. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Jack went the same way, one minute a spring chicken, the next his back end went and his breathing too. I would think the artificial grass might work quite well, if it's the tufty sort. Quote The plural of anecdote is not dataBrambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan41 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 We are sending prayers and healing light to Alan. I hope some warmer weather comes your way soon. Have you ever given Alan any of the Springtime products? They have made me a believer - and I am knot connected to the company in any way! Quote Linda, Mom to Fuzz, Barkley, and the felines Miss Kitty, Simon and Joseph.Waiting at The Bridge: Alex, Josh, Harley, Nikki, Beemer, Anna, Frank, Rachel, my heart & soul, Suze and the best boy ever, Dalton.<p> ....for all those hounds that are sick, hurt, lost or waiting for their forever homes. SENIORS ROCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ss556 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 We've tried that a few times - thing is Alan takes 6 pills in the a.m. plus pepcid and 8 pills in the evening and he won't check the springtime products - he needs 3 of them twice a day and I'm lucky I can get his prescription meds & supplements in him. I wish he would chew them but he won't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiona3 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Sending good wishes that Alan has a better day tomorrow. I remember how hard winters were for both Hobbes and Chooch, our Dalmatian. Both had back leg problems and the ice and snow were really tough for them. We did build a ramp for Chooch and put indoor-outdoor carpeting on it and that seemed to help a bit. In a pinch I used a soft twin size sheet cut in half length wise to use as a sling to brace their back legs. Hugs to Alan. Quote Hobbes - April 2, 1994 to April 9, 2008-----Tasha - May 23, 2000 to March 31, 2013 Fiona - Aug 29, 2001 to May 5, 2014-----Bailey - March 22, 2001 to Jan 20, 2015 Zeke - June 1, 2004 - Jan 26, 2016----Callie - July 14, 2006 to July 27, 2019 Forever in my heart: Chooch, Molly, Dylan & Lucy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vahoundlover Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I'm sorry to read this. Boss was a big boy too. We would walk him up to the steps, put our arms around his chest right behind his front legs. Pick his front legs up and place on 2nd step. Then we would slide our arms behind his ribcage and pick his backend up and place on the bottom step. As we worked his backend for him, he would hop up the remaining steps. (In the beginning we had to place his front legs, then his back legs, then his front legs, then his back legs until we made it up the stairs) He never took a spill this way and it was very easy for me to maneuver him up and down the stairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EmbersDad Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 oh alan buddy, it breaks my heart to see you hurting. i wish massapequa was closer so i could give u a hug in person. feel better soon pal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greytmonty Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I am so sorry Alan had a rough weekend. Hugs from Philly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PiagetsMom Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Sending good thoughts for a better day today for Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Checking in to see how Alan is doing this am Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ss556 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 This morning he is a little stiff but a bit better. I will see how he is later today when I get home, in the meantime, DH will go home around lunch time to take him out. Those legs! Those stupid legs! Otherwise he is so good. This is worse than his kidney disease. I believe that the snow and ice we have had, which is more than usual, is what started making his walking difficult b/c it's hard to walk on that. Keeping my fingers crossed that he's on the mend, for now. Don't want to believe that he won't get better from this setback. I can't even massage his back legs, it must bother him - they tremble when I try to touch the thigh area. My sweet old man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.