Ash got her bandage off a week ago last Friday, she wasn't over happy about it, she'd been walking on the bandaged leg quite happily, and when the bandage came off she just picked it up and carried it. Any time it got flexed by accident, she yelped.
I got onto the vet about it, and he couldn't think of anything that could be causing her to be sore except the prolene implant in her hock. He suggested surgery to remove it. It wasn't supposed to be removed, and I was very reluctant to go for more surgery. Over the next 3 days she started to use it a little bit, I gave her a treat for every step using it! Got her up to about 8 steps in a row. Then on the morning of the vet appointment, disaster. She slipped turning a corner on her morning trip out for a pee.

She went down splat, with her good leg out behind her and the bad one somewhere under her. She just cried and cried, leaned against me and shook. I felt so bad for her. Not screaming, but ow ow ow ow sort of thing.

Thank god we had the vet appt anyway!

She didn't put it on the ground again all morning, and when we got to the vet, still wasn't using it.

Got in to see the vet and asked her to go up and down the corridor, and lo and behold, she walked! about 20 steps! up the corridor and back down again.
It was like she knew if she didn't use that leg she was in for more surgery.

So thankfully it was decided not to go and mess up her hock again, but give it a couple more weeks and see.

She now has more painkillers, antibiotics in case of infection being the cause of the pain, and an anti inflamatory.
She is much improved today, walking on it quite a bit :-) that makes me a happy camper. :-)

...ooohhh, poor Ash......thank goodness things are looking up !

oh poor girl what a horrible thing to have to go through. I hope that everything that the vet has given you works and makes her feel a lot better.

Poor Ashley it is as if she knows that she has to put some effort into it!! It sounds as if it is going to take some time. It must be very frustrating for her not to be able to run and play.

awww poor Ash
How frustrating for her ...time heals most things so fingers crossed, I reckon it made you feel so sick when she went down , nothing worse than our dogs being in pain ... pats for Ash and Hugs for you

yes what Karen said, it makes my heart break when raz has a limp from a sprained ankle or whatever...i just feel so bad, i cant even imagine how you must have felt.
I hope she is feeling better with the painkillers doing their job, she is a brave girl

I agree... to go through all that, she is a truly brave girl.

Time, effort and a lot of tlc and hopefully she'll start getting back to her old self.

It is painful seeing them in pain. A dog crying/screaming is a spine tingling sound that makes me want to cry.

I tell you, when she fell, then scrambled up she just came over and leaned on me, and I sat on the step and cried with her. There was nothing I could do but sympathise. :-(

She is much better today, they are good painkillers. :-) she is using her leg lots today. she even tried to chase the sheep, fortunately she was in the little yard, and only ran 3 metres. And didn't hurt herself. She's feeling much better!

I have permission to take her for five minute walks, at very slow speed so she uses her leg again. :-)
When all the sores on her leg are finally healed completely, i can start swimming her to build up muscle. Her leg is so pathetic and wasted, you can see the bones, and feel one of her lymph nodes!
hopefully it will be ok, given time and use...

You're right Jackie, she finds it awfully frustrating, she wants to go and chase birds, and poke about in the bushes looking for rabbits, i don't dare let her get in there, in case she catches her leg and hurts herself.
I can't even let her play with Dice, and she does want to.

I had a young red cattle dog with a plated lege and it was so frustrating for her as she wanted to be out playing with her friends and couldn't was locked in a crate, I used to let her sleep on my bed with my hand on her so that I knew when she wanted to get up and that she didn't sneak off for a midnight play with the other dogs.

I'm glad Ashley is finally on the mend. Time and TLC (which I know she has and will get heaps of)

It's such a horrible thing to see them in pain. So glad that Ashley has started to use the leg. I hope her sores heal quickly and she gets some muscle tone on soon. Fingers crossed for you Ashley and Penny. Have you used a towel under her tummy to help support her when she walks?

When my toy poodle broke his front leg I used gently push him so that he stood more balanced rather than leaning to one side. Lots of short walks up gentle hills to make him use the leg and massage (I felt so cruel sometimes making him do stuff). The vet was concerned that he would just decide that he wouldn't use it as being so little he had great balance. Over time we got there although he did stand a bit funny and with his elbow out when he relaxed. He was 8 when he broke it.

How is the progress going Penny? I don't like seeing animals in pain, but they do put up with a lot don't they? I am sure with your commitment that Ashley's leg will heal well.

Thanks for asking, the sores are healing up nicely, not long and I will be able to swim her. :-)she has been walking up to 50 yards or so using it on every step, which is really good, and not limping badly either, when she does use it, but only at a very slow speed. Any faster than a slow walk and she picks it up. (That's ok, need to start out slow anyway.)or she REALLY wants to go fast, and pulls hard on the lead, and uses it then! otherwise she'd fall over :-p

She is getting a greater degree of flexion going now, she is squatting lower to pee. She only had 90 deg bend earlier, now it is more like 70 deg.

She has learned that "foot" means put your foot down and use it!
:-)

That's good to hear Penny!!

that is great news

Great to hear, it's great to see positive signs after so much trauma. She is such a sweety and deserves a comfortable painfree rehab.

Glad to hear that the progress is going well. Before you know it she will be chasing those rabbits again.

Ashley now has permission to do swimming for rehab! :-) she thinks this is a great idea! I got wet pants the last time I took her out - there were some waves... I think I prefer swimming her in the river, I can stay on the bank and keep her on a long lead :-)either way, she's happy.

She's allowed to go for short walks slowly, which is a bit boring, but at least she can get some sniffs in.

Great awesome progress, she will be so happy to be out and about with you.

Good to hear Penny! Is she putting weight on the leg more often now?

Yes, she's using it all the time when just walking around, not particularly lame either. If she wants to turn tightly round a corner, or go faster she picks it up.
I did see her use it at a trot a couple of times today, only 3 or 4 steps, but it's a start :-)

Great to hear Ashley is getting better and better every day. See, all your hard work and TLC paid off.

That's such good news that she's using the leg so often.