Cocker spaniel - leg just snapped!

[SchadenfreudePersonified]

We have three spaniels - 2 cockers (6 and 4)and a springer (7)

Took them out on Thursday, she ran along the pro path and collapsed, screaming - straight t ver - turns out she has incomplete ossification of the humeral condyle (elbow has just sheared, effectively)

She's in the veterinary hospital, awaiting surgery (Tuesday - they have had to order pins and a plate for her elbow).

I'm in shock about it TBH - when we chose the breed we looked up potential health risks and this wasn't mentioned anywhere on the easily accessible sites - just on the vetinary ones where I've searched specifically for the condition - and yet it's apparently family common (1/20 cockers, springers, brittanies). She was, as you can imagine, in agony and screamed horribly - I dread anything like this happening again, the poor little soul was in so much distress.

I'm posting here as a warning to others who might have similar dogs, not to ignore any intermittent limping on a foreleg. She'd had a problem a few weeks ago, and it resolved itself in a couple of days, so we assumed it was a pulled muscle. It wasn't.

I'd also be interested to hear from anyone who has had to cope with similar in their own dog. She's 6, extremely active, and will now be very much curtailed in her activities, if what the vet says is right - she's also at risk of it happening with the other front leg. There isn't any easy way to tell, as even x-rays can't always give a complete picture due to the placing of the joint - plus many dogs can have it, and it doesn't become problematic other than a minor limp.

I want an orthopaedic dog bed for her, so any suggestions will be very welcome as there is a lot of choice out there.

She will also need to be on anti-inflammatories as she will definitely develop arthritis - has anyone experienced side-effects of these on their dog, when used long term.

I apologise if this post is odd - I just can't think, I've been up (weeping) since the very early hours, searching for dog beds, green-lipped mussel extract - all sorts of stuff - and then it occurred to me someone on here might be able to help.

I'm so worried about her. I honestly don't know if it would be kinder to let her go, but she's such a sweet little thing, and has so much joy for life we feel it wouldn't be fair not to give her a fighting chance, IFYSWIM.

Has this happened to anyone else's dog? How did you manage, especially if there were other dogs in the home?

Thanks

@SchadenfreudePersonified our guy is a 25kg lab - small for a lab, but bigger I think than a cocker? I think his is the 115 x 70 x 32 cm. It's big, but he loves it. And the beds last a few years (he's not a chewer!)

As a follow up, we took ours today. We have painkillers and are following up with a CT scan next week to see if we are dealing with IOHC in which case ours can have preventative surgery.

FawkesPup is only 7 months old, apparently this is a genetic issue with spaniels.

Fingers crossed everything is clear GuyFawkesDay.

OP hope everything goes well tomorrow

Really hope all goes well tomorrow OP. Interestingly my colleague has a Springer who this happened to, just like yours. Although it was a 3 month recovery, hers is back to normal.

Thank you all for your encouraging posts.

It's obviously something which ids much more common in spaniels than anyone might first think.

I've been on Zooplus, *Smiles8 - the bed is ut of stock, but I've asked for notification when it comes in. - I'll look round thou for something similar.

She had a wee today apparently, which was the first time in 3 days - they'd been quite worried about it. We visited her yesterday with our dog because the vet hoped that if he peed, she would pee. he did pee - often and copiously, but she didn't.

For all she's a bitch she lifts her leg like a dog, and I think she's uncomfortable trying to balance on one foreleg. I lads ay across the chairs in the vet's with her on my tummy and sang a wee-wee song to her while massaging her bladder (yes - I know, I'm soft - so sue me), but it didn't help.

Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Ironically she is the most energetic of the three and LOVES a ball game, but that is out for the future. Thanks for the update on t=your friend's springer, Polly - and all others who commented

I'll keep you updated.

My Springer has this condition, has screws in both elbows. Luckily it was spotted at fissure stage before breakage . He was lame and took him to the Vet who did an X-ray and all seemed ok. Luckily the Vet was not satisfied and did a CT scan when the fissures were spotted. We were about to go on Holiday and DH had to stay home as the Vet said he needs to operate immediately to avoid fracture. This was 3 years ago and you wouldn't know was anything wrong with him. Has recovered nicely, back to his normal crazy self. There is a great group on Facebook IOHC/HIF spaniel recovery I would highly recommend. Good luck !

Thank you Rubberduck I'm not on FB but husband is, so we'll have a look on there.

She had her surgery this morning and is currently doing well but on a drip for painkillers - we're hoping to get her home tomorrow, all things being well.

Lovely to know he's back to his normal self - does that include ball games? She's obsessed with the tennis ball! It's like crack cocaine for her.

Just sending very un MN hugs as one Cocker pawrent to another

Tuffies make really good quality beds. Our spaniels share an XL one. Just be careful choosing memory foam ones online as a lot of the time they just have a layer of memory foam on top of really cheap crumb foam.

Hope you get her home soon and she's soon on the mend.

So glad the op has been done and you can have her home soon.

(Dont worry about the ball addiction - there are loads of ball games that will feed her addiction without her having to chase it)

Well, she's home and dying to be out and about, which of course she can't!

Has to be carried outside to toilet, an kept on lead while doing what she needs to.

Her brother cocker is very happy to have her home (our springer is a bit "Oh! You're back . . .", but has given some nose kisses,).

She's currently on OUR memory foam pillows covered with a duvet in a good )border-collie sized) indoor kennel, with toilet trips every couple hours. You can see she's already fed up, even though she is medicated.

We go back to the vet on Friday to check her stitches etc.

Where will I find these ball games Polly?

I'm waiting for DD to take the others out so I can have her on my knee for cuddle. The other two are too eager to get to her and "snuffle" her at the moment - we don't want her over-excited, obviously.

Not the same, but my lab had both of his cruciate ligaments operated on at the same time - so restricted for 6-8 weeks (I think I've blocked it from my memory)! But I know after a week or so on not being allowed out he almost became resigned to never going for walks again and stopped expecting them.

Obvs once cleared to resume we did get him back walking again.

I wish I could hope for the same, Silly, but she sees the other two being taken out and howls piteously

George Barclay do lovely orthopedic dog beds with washable covers.

Oh poor you, awful shock. Same happened to our friends springer, and to both front legs within a few months of each other. However she continued in to have a very happy long active life with bionic legs. The cost of patching her up was shocking but well worth it

@SchadenfreudePersonified Definitely harder with other dogs that he can see going out.
What's the recovery timeline you've been given?

Hell's bells Harvey - I hope her other leg doesn't "go". We' literally got £2.40 change from £4,000!)

We now know the signs to be aware of, so hopefully if there is a problem we can deal with it prophylactically.

I'll look at those beds @hennao - thank you.

At lead another week of "bed rest" sunny, then up to 6 months on leash walks only, depending on progress.

Vet was very pleased with both the state of her wound and the degree of movement in her elbow last Friday. She goes back this Friday to see the orthopaedic vet to see how things are progressing -I'm hoping we can move on to short on leash walks.

*at least, not at lead

We do have a Tuffies bed, which is smashing, but it was for our great dane, so isn't really a suitable size for our living room, never mind an indoor kennel.