to think this dog needs to go to the effing vets?

[TheSeventhHorcrux]

PILs went out, their dog was fine in the garden, they come back an hour or two later and she's only walking on 3 legs. Back leg bent and not touching the floor, she can't extend it at all. Moans when leg is touched.

3 days later OH and I find out, I ask whether she's been to the vets. "No, she's just pulled her leg". (She's still walking on only 3 legs, appears to be in pain).

7 days later OH and I visit, she's still walking on 3 legs and falls over/collapses when she tries to crouch. Basically there is no improvement. FIL says she's fine and he's not taking her to the vets. He says if it is the same by the weekend (will be 14 days) then he'll take him the following week (maybe 16-18 days later).

OH offers to take her to the vets, FIL says "only if you're fucking paying for it."

They're pretty well off, certainly well off enough to pay a vet (dog not insured).

AIBU to think that it is cruel not to be taking the dog to the vets now?!

(we are both fuming about this btw. Have done since we found out about it 3 days later)

Have a look at the claws on the foot he is holding up. It could be that he has ripped one out or broken it, and putting any weight on it is painful for him.

I have a dog hopping around on three legs at the moment since he was injured yesterday, but he has got canine painkiller and has been checked out.

Snap with LEM. If it is the cruciate the surgery to repair it can be very expensive - I paid £1500 for a TTA a few weeks ago and that was a good rate, some referral centres will charge double that.

Naysa - that sounds about right, i think if one of my dogs were to pull up lame, i'd give it a few hours if totally unable to weight bear or a day or two if just limping as it could just be a pulled muscle or very minor injury but any longer than that warrants veterinary attention without delay.

Nasty fuckers. People like this shouldn't be allowed to keep animals.

OH says that there was a crunching around her knee when he squeezed it (though says he couldn't feel that today)

:(

He wasn't being cruel with the squeezing btw, he just squeezed in stages down her leg to see where it hurt (sounds awful when I write it down!)

Crunchy slidey knee = cruciate. It's known as the drawer test, it not being possible in a normal knee to slide the femur over the tibia like that. Poor bloody dog.

In a chronic injury there will eventually be some stabilisation from scar tissue building up.

Did the inlaws say WHY they wont get this dog to a vets? Why would you let an animal you supposedly care about suffer?

I have a feeling that they wouldn't be willing to pay £1500... God, this is so bad. I was kindof hoping we were BU. (Though I knew realistically we weren't)

I genuinely don't understand why, LEM, before this I thought they loved her.

Examined sounds better than squeezed, lol.

If she's not putting weight on it then she's in a lot of pain, mine has an elbow problem, with one surgery done and I've been offered the options of putting him to sleep or more surgery and he's always been able to put some weight on his leg - even the day after his surgery....

Just to emphasise how painful it must be if she's not using it at all.

Agree with others this sounds like cruciate. Cost us £1400 about 4 years ago. This dog will be in agony. Your in laws don't deserve to have a dog.

for gods sake report them to the RSPCA. These people are vile scum and should not let an animal suffer like this. Wicked, wicked creatures.

If it is a cruciate ligament and scar tissue builds up, it will make repair more complicated, recovery slower and consequently more expensive.

Right, well definitely making sure she gets to a vets tomorrow. PIL really not that bad, MIL is lovely but FIL holds the purse strings. Have no idea how we are going to be able to do this without causing some major upset.

our cruciate ligament op was a grand 3 years ago. sounds identical. And had an excellent recovery after a long period of rest. I think 3 months?

Can you take the dog to the vets and offer to pay the initial consutation fee (ii know you shouldn't have to do this but i would have to do something!) It might be that when there is a diagnosis then your ILs may well be galvanised into doing something.

I have known many owners not to take their dogs to the vets for fear of bad news, but this sounds like a financial thing and that is just sickening. How old is the dog?

Regardless of the diagnosis the dog needs to be re-homed.

Dog is 9.

I think we're going to have to pay the consultation fee and try and get them to pay the rest.

Failing to obtain treatment for an injured pet is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2007, which states that owners must offer prevention of and treatment for illnesses and injuries. Leaving a dog unable to weight bear is completely unacceptable.
Once they have a vet's opinion on what the problem is and the dog has adequate analgesia then they can make a decision what to do next. If the problem requires expensive surgery then euthanasia is a humane option if they really can't afford treatment. Leaving the dog in pain is not.
Tell them this and if they still don't seek treatment I'd phone the RSPCA.

Don't tell them that it could be a potentially expensive surgery, this might put them off doing anything, but maybe say that because there has been no improvement then its unlikely to sort itself out and a short course of painkillers or anti-inflammatories might be all that is needed (because this could be the case, albeit unlikely).

Oh poor dog... The absolute bastards

As bakingtins says, once the initial consultation has been had, decisions can be made on how to go on. Are they pensioners? could they use the PDSA?