Tuesday, February 25, 2014

On the PUP List

For a month now Teach has been on the PUP (physically unable to perform) List.  There about two weeks ago we thought that the rest and one week of rimadyl was going to be good.  But as luck would have it it was just a fluke.  What I had originally thought was his leg/knee area was actually his foot.  


I had been so focused on his knee and leg I hadn't paid attention to his foot.  But two weeks ago I looked down at his foot and was shocked at how much bigger it looked than his other.  The inside part of his left hind foot (the toe area) had a huge knot on it and if I touched it he did flinch.  So back to strict crate rest he went with 15 minutes of ice several times a day (when he would allow it).  This was two weeks ago.


Last week Teach looked like he was walking better after our rest so I decided it would be okay to go to Rally training Wednesday night (we have a trial this Friday).  Well after training (in which I made him down most of the time except for our one run-through of the course) he could barely walk on it.  That was when I decided we were dealing with something more and made him a vet appointment for Saturday.


When the vet first looked at it he really thought it was broken so decided x-rays would be good to see what we were dealing with.  Even if it was broken the location would make it really difficult to splint.  So it would just be crate rest and low level of activities.  The vet tech came and got Teach took him back to get the x-ray.  We were lucky that the location of the x-ray didn't require them to sedate him for it.  They took pictures of his foot and his lower leg.  I just knew we would see a hairline fracture of his toe bone.  But I was wrong (and so was the vet).  His bones look fantastic.  The only thing the vet came up with was he has dislocated it or pulled/strained a tendon/ligament in that area and its stayed inflamed.  We now have a 10 day cycle of rimadyl with instructions to go back if after the 10 days he isn't healed.  


The Friday show doesn't look promising, but there will be more shows.  Not the end of the world.  Last night after having the medicine since Saturday evening the swelling does look a lot less.  Keeping him quiet now on this medicine is a challenge.  He feels good so wants to be his hyper, silly self!!


14 comments:

  1. Oh Teach, get better fast!

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  2. Hope he is back to his old self soon! it's no fun when an energetic collie is forced to rest!

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  3. It's so hard to have a lame dog. They just don't understand the need for inactivity! Hope Teach is all better this go round!

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  4. Thanks for the update. I know how disappointing it can be to miss a show (plus the lost $!!) Keep getting better, Teach!

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  5. Whew, I'm glad he is feeling better, but I know what you are going through. Trying to keep Sampson quiet trying to avoid ACL surgery has been challenging to say the least!

    Here's hoping Teach is well on the way to being 100%~

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  6. We went through a broken toe in winter with Blueberry and it is NOT fun! I'm glad it's not broken, but that sounds awfully painful! Poor guy!

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  7. Of all the things for dogs to injure I just have never really thought of toes.

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  8. Good luck with Sampson! I sure hope you can get it healed without surgery. That is what I want ... no surgery!! Its just so hard on them.

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  9. Thanks! If Teach would qualify at this show (if we could go) he would have gotten his Rally Excellent title.

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  10. They really don't understand. Would be great if you could reason with a dog.

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  11. I think its as hard on us as it is on him keeping him quiet. Especially on the medicine ... he feels better now so really doesn't understand. Was one reason I put it off. I know the last time we were on this he started feeling better and did to much.

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  12. Oh boy - good luck with keeping an active dog down. Our Sally had two ACL surgeries and she was bounding around with a cast on her leg! Hope you feel better soon Teach!

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  13. Aw sounds like Teach has been through alot. Get well soon my friend!

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