holly

[Jo CIMDA]

I am so pleased that my vet is supportive. I took Jasper for his regular check up last Thursday and was very worried  when  the vet said that the red cell test result done in the clinic showed deterioration.  He said he would do full blood tests and send them to a laboratory where  more accurate results would be obtained than the test he did manually.

  I didn't expect to get the results until next week because my vet does not work Fridays or weekends however yesterday he phoned me (on his day off) to say he had been in touch with the lab and  Jasper's red cells are still within the low normal range and everything else is good.

Great news about Jasper.  It must be a relief for you Polly.

Jo

[christina]

Polly really pleased jasper doing so well!!
Thanks jo and polly .
Im really gutted today crying my eyes out.
Vet thinks holly has now broken her elbow and shes getying a general anaesthetic on monday
10% chance she wont survive
Please pray for holly she will be ok
But the bad news also is after xray if she needed a op to fix leg would cost 1000 pounds and i dont have that money im stretched to my limit as it is
If i cant borrow the money tjhey will have to amputate hollys leg on monday and if she has Iohd in the other elbow as suaoected and she only has one leg they would have to put holly down,thats if she copes re heart re anaesthetic
I am so shocked n so bereft :-(
X

[christina]

Jo
Im really struggling
I just dont know what im.going to do if i lose her or if they amputate one leg and the other elbow goes
After everything hollys been through?
Shes,only 4 this month:-(

[Catherine]

Christina, is there not an animal charity, like the PDSA in the UK, that can help out with the costs? Or how about the breed rescue or the breed committee? Would your vet not come to some arrangement so that you can pay in instalments?

[christina]

Catherine thanks ,no pdsa cant help its specialised surgery but i have managed to borrow some money as vet said with 1000 could save the leg
But was GUTTED to hear today that if its,a bad fracture it will cost 3500 pounds so i will then have to amputate,the bad leg
And then take her to a specialist vet for another operation to bolt her good,leg 800 pounds as vet thinks its Iohd elbow dysplasia
Poor baby
I hope to god the fracture isnt bad and if itsnt too bad the bad leg can be hopefully saved 1200 pounds bolt bad leg would need xray one vets then transferred other vet to operate the next day
So sweet holly going in on monday
Please,pray she survives the 2 operations / anaesthetics vet said 10% chance cos heart diseasethat she wont survive
My poor girl X

[polly]

Oh christina, I am so shocked to read the terrible news.  No wonder Holly has been in so much pain. I hope that all goes well on Monday.

[christina]

Thanks polly
Im utterly shocked and unwell over this
Feel very very upset but spent the day making the bedroom a sick room
Took my bedstead out and chair small bedside cupboard
Now bedroom has hollys bed my matress only
Light on floor
Just wardrobe n large chest of drawers she wont climb on
Vet said MUST PUT HOLLY ON LEAD IN GARDEN AS SHE WAS JUMPING ON GATE EVEN WITH FRACTURED LEG
I really need be very very very careful
So im telling her to stay on her bed and lead walk to toilet garden
Its hard as i have to close the door n she cries ,lost freedom but if the other elbow goes!!
I have a,dilemma as shes moving on to my matress cant walk on fractured leg but yelped several times in pain just now( on pain meds ) but must have hurt herself moving
So ..do i go even more extreme and take my matress out and sleep in the living room ,lock her in bedroom?
So she doesnt strain legs moving onto my matress when im out the room?
But if i do she will cry and may even jump up to open the door handle creating a bigger problem
And if she has a y fracture n needs amputation bad leg and a bolt in gold leg or bolt good leg and bolts bad leg if fracture a t fracture then for 6 weeks i have to be sooo careful she doesnt dislocate the bolts in her leg
As I wont be able to pay thousands again tk do it again
Not possible
So we have this one chance at it
If she survives 2 ops n 2 anaesthetics
If heart copes n immune mediated disease doesnt kick.in
Then i have to be soo careful
She has,a harness
But cant use if legs operated on so bought collar n lead today
Shes,upset ,glazed with opiates ,sore n miserable
How my friends did this iohd elbow dysplasia just strike with normal exercise causing a fracture like this soooo unjust after all she n.i been through
Please everybody here who can pray for holly on monday that she will survive anaesthetic n its not a y fracture ,that we can on tues operate on bad leg so no.amputation n she survives and that she doesnt then dislocate bolts at home these next 6 weeks
Problem is shes exprsssive excitable impetuousness
She jumps then feels the pain
Am i silly having my matress in room beside her??
Should i take it out after her operations so room bare apart from her bed?
But what if she jumped in night to open door to see me?
I dont know what on earth to do to protect her
All.i know is if i lose her i am going to cry for a long long time
I cant believe this horrid shit is hapening x

[Jo CIMDA]

Hi Christina

I really understand your stress about Holly and all the plans, ie., sleeping with her etc., is exactly what I would be doing BUT you must also hope for the best and be more upbeat for Holly's sake.  They can feel your emotions and you must protect her from your visible grief.

The the moment your vet is speculating, and warning you of the worse case scenario - which is the right thing to do, but until you have had an xray you don't know for sure that Holly has a broken leg. So try to stay positive.  If her leg is broken,  and it occurred sometime ago when she started limping, then it has probably started to repair itself and it might be that when it is fully repaired the pain will subside and she may be able to live a good life without pain even if she is left with a limp.  Please try to be positive at this stage because you don't know the extent of the problem and it may not be as bad as you fear.

By Monday evening you will know the score and you will do your best for Holly.  I am very hopeful things won't be as bad as you fear and Holly will be OK.

I will be thinking of you both on Monday.

Take a deep breath Christine.

Jo

[christina]

Thanks jo
Ylu are right i have to try keep my sadness away from holly and be as upbeat for her as i can.
I am trying to do this so i can look after her n give her all the love she really needs,at the moment.
The last few weeks since holly started limping vets couldnt feel much when palpating leg but suspected iohc.
Since last friday when she yelped it happened and now vet said elbow doesnt feel good at all
Vet said due to fact that she didnt suffer trauma ,her age too they are treating it as iohc now.
Vet thinks there was possibly hairline fracture when limping and on friday last week it went full blown
So she,will need an operation on the leg no matter what now
But yes,i dont know till tommorow whether its a bad fracture requiring amputation as i dont have 3500 or a easier atraumatic fracture i can afford to fix.
Feel sad she will have tl go thru at the very least 2 anaesthetics n one or two operations thats a given now:-(
Thanks for your thoughts tomorrow jo
Cn h x

[Jo CIMDA]

Please update us when you can Christine.  I am hopeful it is not as bad as you fear.

Fingers crossed.

Jo

[christina]

With iohc which 14% springers have it wont neccesarily show up on xray whether good leg has it but vet said if we have to amputate bad leg will be best put bolt good leg as it could go just with normal exercice
Bilateral iohd( both elbows afected) is common.
The fact that theres a fracture bad leg through normal exercise means it has to be operated on and protected as even if managed to heal likelihood is would keep happening again n again just with normal exercise so if its too expensive to do a bad fracture she will def be amputated tommorow.
It cant be left as the weakness will always be there:-(
Poor baby
My hopes are ..not a bad fracture able to operate on it and if able put bolt good leg
Though i dont know if this poasible in same operation.
Shall see tomorrow
And 90% vet think holly will survive ops
Vet said dog no heart problem 98% survive
Holly 90% chance survive so i guess good odds considering her heart
Phew,scarey though x

[christina]

Thanks j
I will do.
Yes im.hoping and praying too and besides hollys a wee fighter too! X

[Penel CIMDA moderator]

Thinking of you Christina and hoping that tomorrow brings good news for you.

Homeopathic symphytum is definitely worth adding to whatever else you are doing.  It works to help heal broken bones.  One of my dogs has a broken vertebrae in her neck (it's a long story) she has symphytum every day at the moment, three times a day.  We also have mattress on the floor, all the sofas have the seat cushions on the floor, she wears a harness all the time and is on lead in the garden - and has been for three months now.... it's very stressful but we must get through it x

[christina]

Thanks penel
So sorry your dog going through this and you too.
Its very stressful !
Glad youre getting through it!
Found out today bedroom door opens a bit at times so jamming with paper doing same with living room door
May even tie something to my clotheshorse and tie to door from outside so holly cant open door when im not in bedroom with her
Though today she jumped up on the window ledge with front paw
Argh
Heard a noise
Would i be better closing the blinds when she comes from hospital
I will def try get that homeopathy if at all able to
Thanks
I know a homeopathic vet by phone reasonable prices
X

[christina]

Hi everyone
Will talk more tommorow as shattered but great news ..holly survived anaesthetic and didnt lose her leg
She,has a fractured elbow and iohd
And has to get 3 more anaesthetics ,2 this week,a cat scan and an operation on her bad leg
And follow,uop scan n anaesthetic :-(
Absolutely delighted shes home tonight though shes sad
But still has her leg!
Sad re all the anaesthetics n other things but hey shes a goddam little fighter and im proud of her :-) x