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Our Little Girl is Hurt!!

By Walt Miller

We do not usually write about our own dog, even though we could easily bore you to death about her. We pamper and fuss about her as much as any proud and loving owner does. But she recently had a very bad incident that was made much better by a few very capable, concerned and caring people and we just thought we should share it with you so perhaps, if the worst happens, you will be better prepared and may be able to avoid a little of the worry that comes with an injury to your beloved dog.

In early April 2007, our little girl came wandering into the kitchen where we were preparing a snack for the grandchildren. This was unusual, we do not allow her in the kitchen and she knows to keep back out of the way and not to beg, Jeannine noticed that she would not put her left rear paw on the floor. She held it up and and hobbled around the floor looking up at Jeannine as if she would be able to fix it with a touch. Our pets are so sure of us, they seem to think we can fix any problem. Well the look on her face said she was hurting badly. Jeannine picked her up and looked her leg over, but could not see anything wrong. Still Kito definitely did not want Jeannine touching the leg. Jeannine called me in and I looked her over too, trying to find a sand burr or other problem. I finally checked to see if I could feel a break and I could not. We were at a loss, but not yet too worried, thinking she might have strained a muscle. Still we wanted to be sure so I bundled her up and off we went to the veterinarian. This happened early enough for us to take her to our regular vet. We also have two 24 hour emergency veterinary clinics in our city, which we fortunately have never had to use.

We got to the vet and Kito was acting as if her leg was even more tender. The vet was able to see her very quickly and that is when the real worrying began. The vet did not have to look very long before she knew that Kito had broken a tendon in her knee. Apparently this is fairly common and easy to diagnose. The worry and problems started when I heard our options.

One option was to let the problem heal to the degree it could on its' own, which would leave a severe loss of motion, pain and eventually arthritis that Kito would have to live with the rest of her life.

Kito is an older dog, but she is very active and still plays like a puppy several times a day. She will grab one of her toys, stuffed animals are her favorites especially if they squeak or make other noises, then she will run with it, throw it and bang it on the floor. She is very picky about what toy she wants to play with at what time too. If you try to make a substitution she will stare at you and gruff until you return the one she chose for that play session. She rotates among three or four of her favorites every week.

The vet thought Kito had probably torn her tendon by trying to jump up on the couch or possibly with her running and jumping while playing. By leaving the tendon to heal incorrectly on it's own I knew that her playing days were over and her active life would be limited.

However, the cost of an operation to fix the problem was very high and the outlook for a successful repair were not good according to the vet. Currently there is only one vet in our city that could preform the operation. There was also a vet in a nearby city that could preform the operation or we could try the Kansas State University Veterinary Clinic if we preferred. The veterinarian would have to give us a referral if we wanted to go to the university.

I was given some pain killers and an anti-inflammatory for our little girl, gathered her up and took her home. Jeannine and I talked about what to do for a long time, neither of us wanted to see her in pain and unable to use her leg the way she used to, even if she was getting older, but we could not begin to pay the fee we were quoted either. We were unable to decide and had a very bad night's sleep that night. The next day I decided to call the clinic at Kansas State University. They put me through to one of their veterinarians. She was very patient with me asked the questions she needed and told me that they have a procedure now that is very effective, almost certainly would improve Kito's condition and said she would like to see Kito to judge if she was as we described her and thus eligible for the treatment. It would involve removing the broken tendon and replacing it with a piece of surgical nylon string. I hesitantly asked what it would cost and was very surprised to hear a quote that was only one third the cost of what we had been told before. While still being expensive, Jeannine and I both believed we could manage this amount and so made the appointment. Since this was not a life threatening injury the earliest we could get in was a week later. It was a long hard week as you can imagine. We had to carry Kito outside since she could not manage steps anymore. It almost broke our hearts to see her hobble and occasionally fall trying to do her business outside. Inside we had to confine her to a crate to minimize her movements. We also had to have her on a leash whenever she was not in the crate to prevent her from running or trying to jump.

Kito loves her leash, it's her pass to the excitingly wonderful outside world. We normally walk a mile or two 4 to 5 times a week. She is very well behaved on the leash, barely needing it to keep her in a heel position although occasionally a cat, squirrel or other dog receives more attention from her than it should, we are still working on that issue. Having to wear a leash in the house was something new for her, now the leash restricted her movements instead of treating her to the fantastic world of new smells outside her home. Trying to keep her from moving around was a challenge to say the least. Even with an injured leg, she wanted to move as fast as she ever did, occasionally falling because she put too much weight on the injured leg.

Finally the day of the appointment arrived and we drove her to Manhattan, Kansas. We went into the examination room with a student, she was studying veterinary medicine of course, specializing in primates. Well we were not sure about that as Kito certainly is not a primate. We were a little concerned about her dedication to a dog instead of her specialty. How little we knew when we first met her. She was gentle with Kito and seemed knowledgeable so we relaxed a little. After the initial examination one of the staff veterinarians came in to preform the actual evaluation. The problem was as expected with one possible complication. Another tendon seemed to be out of place. It would cost a little more. Well we had gone this far and it was not that much more money so we agreed and signed the paperwork.

I do not know if any amount would have been too much after we were assured that the prognosis was very good. Of course no guarantees, but the odds were that she would be almost as good as new. How do you say no? Still we have children to help and grandchildren as well as all the other usual expenses. We signed the paperwork and gave them a 50% deposit. Then watched as Amy, the student, took our little girl away. Kito has not spent the night away from us or one of our children in her entire life. I know that was hard on her. It sure was on us. The look on Kito's face as a stranger carried her away was almost enough to make us run after her and take her back, or at least stay with her till it was over, unfortunately neither was a viable alternative.

The surgery was scheduled for the next day. It was another sleepless night for Jeannine and I. The day of the surgery was not any better. At about noon, Jeannine called me at work and said that Amy had phoned and said Kito was to go into surgery late in the afternoon. We waited till that evening to hear that she was alright. We became more and more nervous as the day wore on. Finally about 6 pm we received another call from Amy saying that the surgery had gone just as planned. That was a relief and there was more good news the possible problem with the second tendon had been caused by the break of the first one. When the broken tendon was replaced that tendon returned to and maintained its correct position thus it did not require further surgery. She was in recovery and resting well.

That night close to 8:30 we received another call. Kito was awake and doing well. She did not seem to want to eat, was there anything special that might entice her? We recommended wet dog food as she seldom receives it and considers it quite a treat when she does. Amy said she would try that. The hours this dedicated student was available to call us was impressive to say the least. From early morning to late evening Amy seemed to be caring for our pup. Kito might not have been a primate but she seemed to be receiving almost as much attention as she would have from us. Jeannine remembered at this point to tell Amy that Kito would probably expect a treat after her potty walks. This is a habit we have started with all of our dogs during house breaking, if they go out and do their duty, they get a small training sized treat. Amy said “so that's why she was staring at me after I took her out? I thought she might not be done yet.” and laughed. She scolded Jeannine for not telling her about that ritual when we were in the receiving consultation since she would have observed the ritual if she had known of it.

First impressions and concerns can be so worrying and yet so needless. I have talked with friends since Kito was taken to Kansas State and all have smiled remembering the care their pets received at this great institution. We continued to receive daily calls on Kito's condition until we went down two days later to pick her up again. The bill was back to the original quote since the second tendon did not require work. Amy came in and talked to us about what Kito would need when we took her home. The toughest part is that she will have to remain in her crate or on a leash for two months. No walks, on the leash only for her potty breaks or if we are holding her in case she should decide to make a break for it, which she does from time to time, she thinks she is totally well.

We found out about her care during this exit consultation as well. Kito never again went out to potty without receiving a small treat when she was done. When she was waking from the anesthetic she began whining, being confused, hurt and frightened. Amy went to her and held her until she was awake and comfortable. She checked her repeatedly throughout the day, took her out, held her and cared for her almost as if she were her own. When she would not eat after the operation, even the wet food did not help, Amy finally hand fed her. Once fed she was able to take her pain medicines. She apparently liked being hand fed as Amy had to hand feed her after that, as we did when we first brought her home. When Amy retrieved Kito from her recovery cage and handed her to Jeannine she sat back and watched very closely. She said she always enjoyed seeing the dogs with their people, how they acted. She said that even though the dogs liked her it was not the same and she liked seeing the joy the dog and the people showed when reunited. Jeannine finally cried a little when she had her dog back, she had not prior to that, though I know she was worried. But if you ask her, I am sure it was actually one of her allergies causing her eyes to water. Amy works between 15 and 17 hours a day at the clinic and even with all those hours finds the time to be as caring and reassuring to our pets as anyone could expect and much more. Amy specializes in primates, but she cares for all animals. Thank you Amy for all you did for Kito and for us.

Kito is doing well now. The two months are slowly passing. She thinks she is healed and is ready to return to her normal routine now. Of course that has been true since the end of the first week after surgery. Her leg has not shown the slightest sign of infection, her range of motion is excellent. I have since looked into the possibility of health insurance for Kito, but at her age it is very expensive, still I might get it if we ever get another dog. I really have been lucky that none of my other dogs have ever had such a severe injury. I really do not want to be put in the position again of having to decide whether or not we can afford to give our dog medical attention if it is needed.

For those of you who truly love your dogs, cats or other pets you know what we went through during this time. The worry, questioning and pain when we were afraid we could not afford to have it fixed, then the worry during surgery and now the long difficult recovery period. I am so glad we are able to help her recover, the alternative would have been so much worse. She will be able to walk and jump again, if not quite as well as before. We are getting her some steps to get up on the couch, she likes to look out the window from there. We are truly lucky. If you ever have anything like this happen and have the means and chance do not hesitate to get a referral to the Kansas State University Veterinary Clinic. They are not only experts in your pets health, they are experts at caring for them. They are also pet lovers and they share that love with their patients.

If it should ever happen that you are in need of aid for you pet, beyond the scope of the average veterinarian, you may want to check the teaching colleges near you. If they are like Kansas State University they could well be your best hope for the recovery of you friend and pet.

Walt & Jeannine Miller are lifetime dog owners. They own and operate WWW.FurPersonDogBeds.Com where you may purchase many different styles of beds for your pet.

Kito sleeps on an orthopedic bed while in her crate and a heated bolster bed when it is colder.

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