Tell me it will be ok :(

[StillMedusa]

My 14m old girl was injured this week... she was off lead, playing happily with another dog and they ran at full speed, crashed and rolled.
Other dog (smaller!) bounced up.. mine screamed and sat. After a couple of minutes she ran on, happily but then, on a fast turn (she loves to run through long grass) she yelped and sat again. Took her home.. seemed ok
Next day, same thing.. fine walking but sudden yelps and sit if she turned fast.
Managed to get a vet appointment today but she was terrified..as they took her off me in the car park, and the vet was a stranger and male, which makes her nervous (we are working on that and we WERE doing well)
They couldn't fully examine her as she was too tense, but have given us painkillers and advised to keep her on a lead for short walks , and she;s going back in a week for xrays etc. They think she has torn her cruciate :( She's walking on it, but gingerly.

I feel so gutted for her..and me. She lives for her off lead long walks through the woods, hates street walks. And if it is as they think then she has an operation to face and months of recovery. She's neer been crated as she is such a chilled dog in the house.

Tell me it will be ok..and if she needs surgery, she will still love me!

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

It will absolutely be OK. Cruciate surgery is a big deal, particularly the recovery. But full recovery is totally possible - DDog had it two years ago and you honestly wouldn't know the difference now.

The recovery is tough though, not going to lie to you. You'll probably have to crate her as when they pin the joint, any kind of jumping up like onto the couch or stairs can knock it out. I think we were three months of ten minute lead walks, not a lot of fun. But better to be patient than rush and have to start all over again.

[ViperBugloss]

She will still love you

However if it is cruciate and she can still walk on it be very very very very careful. I would not be walking her at all at this stage just out for a wee and that is it. If it is a partial tear it may heal without surgery. If it is a partial tear and you make it worse by walking her you will have to have surgery. This is a long shot that it will heal but certainly something I would rest until you see the specialist.

[Littlemeadow123]

She will still love you. A dog's love is unconditional. She is not going to make a link between you and the op anyway, dogs' brains don't work like that.

[StillMedusa]

Thank you for your replies. I'm just so gutted..she is so young and it was a freak accident while playing. I have to take her out of the house to poo (she will NOT go in the garden) but will just take her close by. She keeps bringing me her toys and I'm sure she is wondering why we haven't been for a run :(
I'd rather just know for sure, and hope that if it is her cruciate we can get the op done soon as possible. As if covid hadn't messed up our year enough!!!

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

To be honest I'd be pushing for your xrays on Monday - sod waiting a week, it's either cruciate or not and either way you need to know.

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

Oh - there's a brilliant facebook group called 'Beyond the Bowl Canine Enrichment' - get yourself on there, there are loads of different activities to do with dogs on bed rest and the 'my dog is on full rest for six weeks, what can I do' question comes up every couple of weeks. Loads of tips.

[Floralnomad]

If it’s a suspected cruciate I wouldn’t be walking her at all and I would also book her back in as early as poss to have a proper examination with sedation / anaesthetic so you know what you are dealing with . Also you need to just take her in the garden for toileting because even with surgery you can’t be walking to go to toilet she may not like it but she will go when she is desperate and once she’s done it once she can do it again .

[StillMedusa]

I'm going to ring around and see if another vets can see her earlier...

[StillMedusa]

I've managed to get her in on Monday for sedated examination with an orthopaedic vet.. Much happier now e only have a day to wait. At least then I'll know and if it's bad news we can plan out the next few months!

[Floralnomad]

@StillMedusa how is your dog getting on , did you manage to get her looked at again ?

[Gingerninja4]

How did the appointment go

[StillMedusa]

It was ok. The new vet was 100% better with her and so kind. She had sedation to check her out upright then full xrays. Her cruciate appears to be ok and the vet thinks she has literally sprained her leg..one of the bigger but less vital ligaments. He showed me the xrays and while they can't rule out cruciate 100% without an mri he was confident it wasn't that.. and her hips are beautiful :D
She was to stay on carprodyl quadri anti inflammatories but unfortunately they have upset her stomach big time, and she had epic diarrhoea in the night (I've been up since 5am, showering her and bleaching the whole house.. it spread...) so they have said to stop those.. just tiny meals today and some prokolin. Her leg seems to be improving but she isn't allowed to go and play with her friends for a week or so.

She's a bit subdued today ..probably more due to being showered than the actual diarrhoea!!!!

[Floralnomad]

That sounds like good news then