Ran Into Fence Full Speed

[anniebellshafe]

Hello,

 

I am a new greyhound adopter, we have had Zeppelin for about a month now, after much research I decided to take him to the dog park with a friend and her dog that he is familiar with. The second I let him off the leash he ran around like a maniac and ended up running into a fence at full speed, he rolled got up and kept running (this gave me a minor heart attack, but everyone kept assuring me the fact that he got up and kept going meant he wasn't seriously injured). I finally got a hold of him and let him drink water and put him on the leash for fear that he would keep running and hurt himself. I noticed he cut himself pretty good on his chest but my friend is a vet nurse and took a look at it and it is just a flesh wound. He also wore his back pads raw (the park is mostly grass but there is a concrete walking path). He walked around gingerly on the leash and stood for a while, I got him in the car and as soon as he got home went straight to his bed and has not moved since.

 

I cleaned up the wounds and put aloe on the pads, he has also started coughing like he is trying to hack something up but nothing is coming up. I did some googling and did notice trainers saying that some dogs cough after a hard run. I am a stressed new dog mommy, and feel horrible, I'm just looking for some insight on anything I can do. My friend and husband think I'm a little crazy, but I just feel so bad for him. I know that greys can be accident prone after reading on the internet, but I don't think we will be going to the dog park again!

 

Thanks for your input,

 

A worried mama

[NeedlenoseJake]

Poor baby! I'd be a worried mess too! When we first went to dog parks, Jake would also run until his hocks were bloody and raw- even after just a few minutes. We stopped going to the dog park, but not because of that. We can't trust him around high-energy dogs, and I don't trust the other owners. We do go to the dog park late at night if and when it is empty, and he has slowly stopped tearing up his feet. We also don't let him run for as long as he wants, because I think he would run himself ragged if we let him!

[RaineysMom]

it's possible he's punctured his chest -- I would get him to your vet a.s.a.p. to be checked out immediately, but then again, I'm a total worry wart. But I would be worried Hope he's ok

[anniebellshafe]

Yes, I am a big worry wart. A punctured chest or lung was what I was worried about, my husband did rub him down and feel his ribs and chest area and he didn't cry or flinch, we do have a 24 hour vet close to us, so I'm thinking I'll keep an eye on him and rush him there if it gets worse, he hasn't coughed for a while now and is breathing normally.

[macoduck]

Are you seeing any bruising, swelling or hearing crackling sounds? With a chest impact any bruising will settle at the lowest part of the body. Any yelping when he lifts his head/neck?

[anniebellshafe]

Are you seeing any bruising, swelling or hearing crackling sounds? With a chest impact any bruising will settle at the lowest part of the body. Any yelping when he lifts his head/neck?

 

No, no bruising or swelling, and no crackling sounds. No yelping, he changed position on the bed without a sound, and let me completely lift his head for my friend to look at the wound without a problem. He has no interest in his dog food, but I did give him some chicken to see if he would eat people food (his favorite), and he perked up his ears and gobbled it right down, so I'm thinking that's a good sign. He's also been licking the pads, not sure if this will slow healing, I tried to cover them but he tore it off.

[robinw]

I would probably take him to the vet if he's not eating in the morning. Dogs can get badly hurt by running into things.

[NeylasMom]

I would probably take him to the vet if he's not eating in the morning. Dogs can get badly hurt by running into things.

Agree. Or if anything gets worse, go right away. Violet actually slipped and sort of somersaulted a few days ago and was totally fine afterward. Not the first time I've had a dog do that.

 

But with the coughing and being off food, I would be concerned and woyld probably just taken him in for peace of mind if nothing else.

[anniebellshafe]

Yes, peace of mind is what I need, I'm just hoping I can make it until tomorrow morning ( I might be more stressed than him) so I can take him to his regular vet.

[Guest peacehound]

welcome to the world of worrying about your grey! seriously, I would call my vet and describe the situation and see what they say.

[anniebellshafe]

Good news is, he just got up and walked to the door and wagged his tail when I gave him my baby voice (very gingerly, but I'm pretty sure it's due to raw pads),we let him out and he went to the bathroom. I will still take him tomorrow for an x-ray for a peace of mind, but the fact that he got up on his own to go potty makes me feel a little better.

[greysmom]

You can use baby or toddler socks on his feet. Cover them with Bag Balm or another good moisturizer, then put the baby socks on. You can vet wrap them in place if he takes them off.

 

Check between his front legs, and up in his armpits for bruising. Keep an ear out for changes in his breathing. If the impact was up high enough, he might have bruised his trachea or larynx. Dog's hearts are also towrds the front of their barrels, so I would be worried about that, too!

[juliemac]

My boy ran full-force into my sliding glass door on Sunday night. Vet confirmed to watch for eating, pooping, bruising, and ensure he moves in all normal directions. However, he kept doing a body shake and head-shake (like he had ringing in ears or was trying to fix an out-of-whack neck), so we managed to get into the chiropractor today. We just got back -- he had squished things in his neck and back and was causing some neurological issues on his left side, but an adjustment fixed the problem. He'll get another in 2 weeks to ensure that the first one held.

 

Hope all is good for your hound!

[cleptogrey]

Your vet should be able to a cess the sitation with a standard physical and listening to his lungs and help with the pads. My male was kamakazi and crashed into fencing and a cement table in my yard.he also ripped stop pads off and totally skinned his hock. Yup,they scare the begeezers out of you.

[anniebellshafe]

Thank you all so much! Makes me feel better and not so horrible. The stop pads is what he tore too, I love the baby socks idea, I was googling dog shoes and wondering how I would get them delivered so soon, baby socks make so much more sense! I will definitely take him in tomorrow to make sure everything is okay internally. He's currently lounging on his bed and has finally left the pads alone, he did tear one when we first got him and he limped a little but it healed very quickly, so I'm hoping for the same.

[Houndtime]

It's over and done, but, I really don't like to take greys to dog parks, unless it is an all grey event. My vet used to say that a dog park is an accident waiting to happen. I have heard so many horror stories. Also, people don't pay attention to what their dog is doing, or they bring dogs with sickness and diseases. I know some will jump on this and say they take their dogs all the time; I have only taken my dogs very early or in the afternoon when most people are working.

 

I am glad that your boy seems better tonight. I will keep him in good thoughts that he is even better in the morning.

[3greytjoys]

The second I let him off the leash he ran around like a maniac and ended up running into a fence at full speed, he rolled got up and kept running (this gave me a minor heart attack, but everyone kept assuring me the fact that he got up and kept going meant he wasn't seriously injured). I finally got a hold of him and let him drink water and put him on the leash for fear that he would keep running and hurt himself. I noticed he cut himself pretty good on his chest...

 

I cleaned up the wounds and put aloe on the pads, he has also started coughing like he is trying to hack something up but nothing is coming up.

 

No matter how Zeppelin appears to be acting, please do take him to a vet for a full examination asap. Internal injuries, internal bleeding, etc. are not always obvious. Coughing would be a big red flag (laryngeal or lung damage, etc.). Greyhounds running up to 45 mph into a fence can cause serious harm or worse. Greyhounds have unique medical concerns unlike other dog breeds.

Also, his paw pads may need professional veterinary care + wrapping to prevent infection.

 

Aloe is toxic to dogs. Please don't let him lick/ingest aloe.

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/aloe-vera/

 

Racing Greyhounds are highly competitive. If their legs function after a fall, they're likely to continue running to finish a race even if they shouldn't. (Greyhounds would run themselves to death if given the opportunity.)

 

Since pet life is an entirely new world for newly retired racing Greyhounds, whenever taking him to a new fenced enclosure, try walking the fence-line with him so he's a little more aware of boundaries.

I'm not a fan of all breed dog parks either. Best case scenario is if your local adoption group provides Greyhound breed only play dates where all hounds are safely muzzled. (Greyhounds have thin skin that rips open more easily than other breeds, etc.)

 

Paw pads can take a long time to heal.

Therapaw boots fit unique Greyhound paws well. http://www.therapaw.com/thera-pawboots.aspx

 

Wishing Zeppelin a speedy recovery.

Edited December 30, 2015 by 3greytjoys

[MaryJane]

No to cause undue alarm but, he may have a broken neck or fractures in his back so ... should have x-rays.

 

Hope that he is OK.

[GeorgeofNE]

Yikes!

 

You have reason to worry. I know of two greyhounds who died running into fences.

 

The coughing would worry me. That's not normal.

 

And FYI, greyhounds are not accident prone. The issue is that their skin is like tissue paper compared to "regular" dogs. So even a playful nip at a dog park can turn into a trip to the emergency vet for staples.

[cleptogrey]

as to dog booties i find that regular adult socks are even more effective since they can be hiked up above the pastern joint and taped, then folded over and taped again. mine pull baby socks off, go know. when felix was young- running into fences, etc i purchased accident insurance until he got his wits together and figured out how to run and stop. i figured if marlene dietrich could insure her legs, i could insure felix's. his couple of staples and nicks and bruises never met the deductible. hopefully your pup's latest adventure is as benign as felix's dents and bruises.

Edited December 30, 2015 by cleptogrey

[kudzu]

Hope he's doing well this morning. Wouldn't fault you for taking him to the vet this morning, especially if he's worse, but try not to worry or feel a vet visit is required. Don't be surprised if he is moving slower than usual today & tomorrow when he gets up from napping. These things often cause more stiffness the next day. However, I would take him to the vet if he's still coughing, has swelling or significant bruising or seems off more than just a bit of stiffness when he first gets up. Otherwise, you are probably OK taking a wait & see approach.

 

That is said by someone who is a major worry wart & rather quick to cart a dog off to the e-vet. BF has a longstanding joke that I'd take a dog to the vet for yawning too much. I always remind him that I might do just that since yawning can be a sign of stress caused by pain. This is one of the main reasons I got pet insurance. At least the vets can't fault me for waiting too long.

[anniebellshafe]

He is doing a little better, more animated this morning and he did "roach" all night in his sleep so that also made me feel better, but still no interest in food, although he did eat a dental chew last night, starting to wonder if he knows I feel bad so he's holding out for the good stuff! He also hasn't coughed at all since last night around 7:00 eastern time but I do have pet insurance and have an appointment with the vet in about an hour so I can have a peace of mind, or at least know what's going on!

 

 

 

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

[NeylasMom]

Glad he seems to be doing better. Torn paw pads can be really uncomfortable so hopefully his lack of appetite is just from that, but I'm glad you're getting him checked out to be safe. He's probably fine, but better safe than sorry as long as it's not a financial hardship.

 

Let us know how it goes!

[anniebellshafe]

Zeppelin is fine! The vet checked everything out, his flesh wound is already scabbed over, and she gave me some anti-inflammatory/pain meds, medicine to clean his pads after he goes outside to go to the bathroom, and amoxicillin just to be on the safe side. She also gave him an injection of anti-inflmmatory/pain meds for today. She said he's probably not eating because he's in pain (just as some humans do), but to try feeding him so boiled rice and chicken.

 

Thank you all for your advice and well wishes, it made me feel better! Luckily we do have a fenced in backyard that he likes to run in (just nowhere near as big as a dog park), once he is better I will stick to the backyard and do some research on greyhound only events in the area!

[racindog]

Great news!!!

Greys are tough sometimes. One thing about their zoomies...it is a balancing act sometimes if they ever injure themselves and need restricted activity. If you totally do the perfect thing and keep them totally restricted then as soon as they are deemed well enough to be on their own again they may go bonkers with such an explosion of energy it can re-injure them. Of course if you don't restrict their activity at all then they'll injure themselves worse. So all you are left with is a "judicious" interpretation of restricted activity which allows them enough that they won't explode when given freedom again but not enough to injure themselves. Of course this has absolutely nothing to do with with what Zeppelin just went through but I mention it for future reference should the need arise since he sounds like the type of guy this would apply to. It really applies to totally healthy houndies to. If they can run at 60-75% regularly then they are not usually as likely to explode and hurt themselves by running 110% suddenly. Oh well. You gotta love a greyhound!