Oh, Lydia, You Keep Hurting Yourself.

[queenwinniesmom]

Lydia's problems continue.....It was Jan. 22nd when she fell on the steps and scraped her legs, and we're still dealing with the aftermath. We've had regular vet visits, bandage changes, got the staples removed, etc. She's healing, the wounds are getting smaller (the stapled ones are completely healed). And she doesn't try to bite us when we change the bandages. But it seems like we take one step forward and 4 steps back. She opened up a new wound when Doug tried to help her down the steps, and over the weekend, somehow (not on the steps), scraped another place open. We have no idea how. And here is the problem---it's on the hind leg, higher up, right at the point where it gets wider, and it's hard to get a bandage to stay put. We've had a bunch of them on. The last one slipped down, but the wound looked pretty good, so we decided to watch it, and see if it did okay un-bandaged. It did for a while. This afternoon, just as I'm about to leave for work, I see that she is bleeding all over the place! I got it stopped, the vet said to come on in, and she re-bandaged it. Halfway home, it had slipped. Back we went. She re-bandaged again, this time up pretty high. I was afraid Lydia wouldn't want to walk, but she seems okay so far.

 

I'm so frustrated, and stressed, and worried that we're missing something. And worried that she'll keep doing this. She has FOUR bandages on her legs now. The poor girl looks like we're abusing her. Our vet seems pretty sure that it is because she is old, her skin is fragile, it's very dry. We're trying to decide what to put on the legs to minimize the chance of this happening all the time. I'm talking with BellaBean about leg warmers, but thinner. We need to do something that won't make her too uncomfortable, or she won't go up and down the steps. Any suggestions would really be appreciated, by me AND Lydia!

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by queenwinniesmom

[greysmom]

What about four-legged pjs? If you can have someone make them out of a lighter weight fabric, with either snaps or velcro down the inside of the legs so they are easier to get on and off? Then you could adjust the leg length and width to fit, and cover everything you need, or mostly anyway.

[queenwinniesmom]

Chris, we've thought about that, and they would work in the house, but she refuses to go down the steps in coats of any kind! And the steps are the main problem, I think. I'm not sure at this point. But if we have to take them off to get her down the steps, it kinda defeats the purpose. We may give it a try anyway.

 

Damn, I wish we had a ranch home.

[tbhounds]

What type of stairs do you have??--are they carpeted etc...?

[Hollis]

Is it at all possible to put a ramp over the stairs?

[queenwinniesmom]

I need to take a picture of our stairs! They are steep and wood. Way too steep for a ramp, and I don't think carpeting would work outside.

[Hollis]

Do the indoor/outdoor carpeting. Or the fake grass like stuff. poor peanut.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

What about putting pipe insulation on the edges of the stairs? That way if she hits the edges, she may get bruises, but no cuts.

[greysmom]

As long as the profile is short enough so she won't trip.

[Guest grey_dreams]

Sorry to hear she's keeps getting wounds. That must be so frustrating. Could you just leash walk her in your front yard, then you wouldn't have to go up and down stairs? Or could you fence in a small area in your front yard that she could use? I assume you don't have stairs to your front yard. Or could you let her use your garage as a potty area until the weather is better?

[krissn333]

You might also try giving her a spoonful of coconut oil once a day to help her skin. Ozzie's skin has been very dry and the coconut oil has helped SO much. He loves it - he will just eat it off of the spoon. I have to be careful where I keep the jar or he will steal it!

[silverfish]

Sounds as if she needs Dog Legges. They do a variety of protective sleeves for vulnerable joints - I think the original ones were made for elbow hygromas - and they're made of a tough but very resilient and padded material so they'd do the job. But even they say that hind legs are difficult. They suggest a pair of child's fleece leggings, cut and adjusted (with elastic if necessary) to fit.

Poor Lydia. This really is one of those times when you want to wrap them in bubble wrap, isn't it?

 

I wonder if you could build a ramp by building a support on the lower two steps and extending the slope beyond the actual stairs?

 

There's a blog I read called Genji's Corner. They have more than one tripod greyhound, and they've built a wonderful ramp for them - the post about it is here. I don't know what space or resources you have, but if it's possible, you could perhaps consider building one over the top of the steps?

Edited February 13, 2014 by silverfish

[queenwinniesmom]

Thanks for your suggestions! I'm afraid that, short of peeing and pooping in the house---which she'd be glad to do---there is no way to avoid steps. We live on the second and third floor of our big old Victorian house. We'd have to ask our first floor tenant to move out, and we've thought about that, but unfortunately, we need the money. I could take her down about 15 inside steps to the entry hall (we'd have to carpet or put a runner on them first) to the front porch, then down 4 more steps to leash walk in our tiny front yard. It could be an option, but really not that much better. I have to laugh when I think about building a ramp. It would be like trying to walk down a big playground slide.

 

I'm going to get some coconut oil tomorrow. And researching Dog Legges now.

 

ETA Can't find anything when I Google Dog Legges.

Edited February 13, 2014 by queenwinniesmom

[silverfish]

Sorry, it's Dog Leggs (no 'e').

[queenwinniesmom]

Thank-you!

[FiveRoooooers]

I was just thinking about Lydia yesterday. Can you try using a harness on her while going up and down the steps? The indoor/outdoor carpet / carpet grass suggestion is very good, or a heavy-grade sandpaper would give her some traction. Are any of her wounds small enough that you can close them with crazy glue? The stuff works, and there is surgical grade available if you aren't comfortable with the other. I use it *a lot* around here (non-surgical).

 

Hugs for Lydia.

[greytpups]

Nancy, can you just put some towels down on the steps to help with the slipperiness, assuming that's the problem.

[tbhounds]

Nancy--do you think Lydia would wear a harness?? I have a ruff wear harness that I would be glad to lend to you.

http://www.ruffwear.com/dog_harnesses

[greysmom]

I was going to suggest a Ruff Wear Harness too. At some point, she's going to have tyo get used to wearing something, and she can wear the Ruff Wear 24/7 with no problems. Dude wore it all the time for several months after his amp.

[winnie]

Agh. These teenage girls who don't act their age. Our 13 y/o Darcy goes flying up and down stairs. Scares the bejesus out of me. I like the harness idea. We used a harness to help Faye Oops with stairs when she has osteo.

[Guest IrskasMom]

Nancy , I have the same Problem . Down from the Deck ( Backdoor ) are 12 Steps . I bought Carpet Stair Treads in Ollies . Glued them on all the way down . It has saved my Mortys Life, honestly . I keep them Ice free at all times and if I have to go out every Hour on the Hour during the Night . Before he goes out , I tell him every time " Careful " . How much it helps , I don't know. He fell down once .

 

Wanted to add , maybe Baby Tights ( cut the legs of and use as Legwarmer ) and with a Safety Pin attach to Coat.. Maybe it would safe the Bandages or the Scrapes .

[Batmom]

For inside steps, you can get carpet treads pretty cheaply at Home Depot / Lowe's most times. Easy to put on with carpet glue (my preference) or staples.

 

I would also go for the harness. I know she doesn't like those things, but maybe harness + peanutbutter or braunschweiger would help change her mind?

[a_daerr]

And here is the problem---it's on the hind leg, higher up, right at the point where it gets wider, and it's hard to get a bandage to stay put.

 

I hear you. Truman had an injury in the same spot, and it was IMPOSSIBLE to keep bandaged. We went back to the vet and had it surgically glued. I just left it uncovered after that. Poor Lydia... I can't wait for this winter garbage to end!

[4My2Greys]

Do you think something like this might protect the Lydia's legs from the stair edges, which is what I'm guessing she's scraping her legs against when she falls.

 

http://www.rbstairtreads.com/rubber-stair-treads/rubber-stair-treads-633-outdoor-recycled-tire.html

 

Not sure if this would help or make things worse, but it might being worth looking into them. If they don't pose any dangers with regard to snow or ice then they might be a benefit for not only Lydia, but the rest of the crew also.

 

Please give Lydia a kiss from me and a gentle nuzzle from Nadir.

[robinw]

Poor Lydia! Have you tried EMT gel for her cut? The harness also sounds like a good suggestion.