Poor Jake...

mikea

mikea

Touchdown! Greaser!
Gone West
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I took Jake for a ride yesterday morning and he hurt himself again jumping into the car. This time he got caught between the seats and had to struggle to get himself up before I could get to him and help.

As before he was in a little pain but it got worse. He was trying to not walk on his right rear leg. He has howled constantly.

I gave him aspirin and some other stuff, but he got to the point where he was crawling and he hasn't moved in 12 hours. He slept alone instead of following me to the bedroom. That's how I know it's bad.

He has gotten some sleep and quieted down, but he hasn't gone out. I'm not sure how much longer he can last without going.

I've called the vet and I will insist they take a look at him but I'm not sure I can carry him. Even if I had the wheel thing for his backside, he need to go down stairs to get to the back yard so that isn't going to work.

I don't need to lose another dog. :sad: Ironically, this always happens when I make an effort to treat the dog. We had gone to the pet store where I bought some expensive premium chow to try.

I'm going to force him to use the ramp to get into the car from now on.
 
Sorry to hear that Mike. Hope he's feeling better soon! He's a good doggie!
 
Thanks for the offer Scott! When it got be time to go to the vet Jake got excited and bravely got up for the first time and limped outside. He used the ramp to get into and out of the car...AFTER he walked across the street to get near his old house and did his business.

Jake's gonna be OK.

He tore a ligament in his leg. It can be repaired with expensive surgery but that's not in the cards unless his Godfather wants to pay for it - and I may not even tell him. He should heal OK but he may have a limp.

We got some extra NSAID medicine so I can help when he hurts as he expects me to. There's no worse feeling than having a dog yelping begging you to fix him when you've done about all you all.

He's not getting near the car without using the ramp any more.
 
So glad to hear that he's going to be ok, Mike...
 
Tom-D said:
How much to fix Jake?
Click to expand...

I hesitate to answer....but... $3000-$4000 and with it being through the Emergency Vet Hospital I've dealt with before, it will be more.

He's a bunch better now. The vet said he may always have a limp. He is limping but he can walk. He's not as happy a puppy as he was, but I'm sure that he'll heal some more.

I had decided long ago that I'd not be one to drop $10,000 on iffy surgery for my dog or cat like some would while there are a million dogs looking for homes. It would kill me but I'd recover with the self-assurance that the dog had as a good a life as I could provide.

I was fearing yesterday that I'd be told he had a broken pelvis or something as bad and I would be saying goodbye.

I've been thinking that I've recovered enough from losing Bubba that I may bring Jake a brother fairly soon. He's not used to being an only child. I may sign on to be a foster home.
 
So he has a limp, so what? Is he going to lose his job over it or something? As long as he's not in pain he'll be fine. Maybe you can file for disability for him....
 
Henning said:
So he has a limp, so what? Is he going to lose his job over it or something? As long as he's not in pain he'll be fine. Maybe you can file for disability for him....
Click to expand...

He's not old enough for Social Security. That's what's sad. AFAIK, he's only 6 years old.

I took Jake for a quick ride this morning. He made three tries and misses at jumping up into the car before I could grab him and walk him up the ramp. :hairraise:

But he can't help getting the ol' happy puppy back.
 
How much does doggie health insurance run these days?
 
We pay between $300 and $450 per dog per year for two 50# mutts. Depends on the age of the dog. The younger the dog the less expensive. It does not pay for any preventative stuff or meds, but we did have one emergency and it paid for 65% of that. We'd be money ahead if we saved it instead of paid for the insurance, but we like the peace of mind it offers.
 
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wsuffa said:
How much does doggie health insurance run these days?
Click to expand...

The good plans won't cover older dogs as routine. You have to ask for a quote.
If I even needed it it was Pancho with her chronic respiratory problems. I'm sure they'd never cover her.
 
Glad I didn't have to pass that test.
mikea said:
I took Jake for a quick ride this morning. He made three tries and misses at jumping up into the car before I could grab him and walk him up the ramp. :hairraise:

But he can't help getting the ol' happy puppy back.
Click to expand...
 
mikea said:
I hesitate to answer....but... $3000-$4000 and with it being through the Emergency Vet Hospital I've dealt with before, it will be more.

He's a bunch better now. The vet said he may always have a limp. He is limping but he can walk. He's not as happy a puppy as he was, but I'm sure that he'll heal some more.

I had decided long ago that I'd not be one to drop $10,000 on iffy surgery for my dog or cat like some would while there are a million dogs looking for homes. It would kill me but I'd recover with the self-assurance that the dog had as a good a life as I could provide.

I was fearing yesterday that I'd be told he had a broken pelvis or something as bad and I would be saying goodbye.

I've been thinking that I've recovered enough from losing Bubba that I may bring Jake a brother fairly soon. He's not used to being an only child. I may sign on to be a foster home.
Click to expand...



Surgery for a torn cruciate ligament should cost $1500 - $2000. Emergency hospitals are always more expensive. Otherwise, let him rest without stress or much movement for one to three months, and he will probably be okay. Rest is the key here, don't let him jump or run. Don't let him jump!
I've had a dog with this too. Good luck!
 
mikea said:
I

I've been thinking that I've recovered enough from losing Bubba that I may bring Jake a brother fairly soon. He's not used to being an only child. I may sign on to be a foster home.
Click to expand...

Pardon me if this is obvious, but let Jake recover before getting
that brother.

Good luck
 
Bob Noel said:
Pardon me if this is obvious, but let Jake recover before getting
that brother.

Good luck
Click to expand...

:D I asked Jake a few times if he wanted a brother and each time lowered his head and pulled away as if I asked him if he wanted to be fixed. I think he likes being the alpha dog-1 for a change.

We just did the "Go ask Auntie Mary for a cookie" test and he got up and walked over to her for his reward. That's my favorite example to counter the theory that dogs don't really understand complex sentences.
 
mikea said:
We just did the "Go ask Auntie Mary for a cookie" test and he got up and walked over to her for his reward. That's my favorite example to counter the theory that dogs don't really understand complex sentences.
Click to expand...

Try asking "No back wonti barry for a bookie"
 
Bob Noel said:
Try asking "No back wonti barry for a bookie"
Click to expand...

A Lab will go get the cookie, a Border Collie will look at you funny, chase its tail for a moment and return to herding the kids around the room. A German Sheppard will look at you like you're an idiot and go back to reading his book.
 
Henning said:
A Lab will go get the cookie, a Border Collie will look at you funny, chase its tail for a moment and return to herding the kids around the room. A German Sheppard will look at you like you're an idiot and go back to reading his book.
Click to expand...

German Shepherd. I've had three, I'm down to one. They are quite adept at telling you exactly what they want.
 
bluee said:
German Shepherd. I've had three, I'm down to one. They are quite adept at telling you exactly what they want.
Click to expand...

My sister's lab (mix) was easy to figure out too.

"throw me the ball!"
"throw me the ball!"
"throw me the ball!"
"throw me the ball!"
"throw me the ball!"
"throw me the ball!"
"throw me the ball!"
"throw me the ball!"
 
I called Jake to sit out front Monday night and he was limping and dragging the same leg.

We went for a ride and he was in total pain. Since I couldn't carry him with one arm, I had to call my neighbor to carry him into the house. I gave him aspirin fuguring that the pain would go away in a day as it had done before.

He slept on the living room floor and I heard him howling in pain when he tried to walk. He went into the bathroon when i was figuring that he was treyign to get next to me in the bedroom.

At 3 AM I decided to take him to Emergency. Hadda to call the police department for help loading him into the car.

...

New hospital, MRI,.... He has a spinal infection in his neck.
It's about 50/50 now that he'll even walk again, although being bulldog-tough he keeps trying.

We went to visit but he's on pain killers and antibiotics. He had a blank stare.



...and against my vow, I'm facing*a $6000 vet bill.. The only luck is I signed up for pet insurance at the beginning of the year.

https://plus.google.com/photos/116968506357743293902/albums/5627796500179754801
https://plus.google.com/photos/116968506357743293902/albums/5738375358607054961
 

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Sorry to hear about Jake. Karen told me ours slid down the basement stairs again tonight.

She groans and complains like its just making her angry that the back legs won't push when she wants them to, then does the hang on with the front paws slide down the carpeted stairs.

Stubborn. Refuses to stop going up and down them.

Glad we left them carpeted many years ago when we dug the original hardwood floors out from under the previous owner's carpets and refinished them.

She's failing but still happy. Comes running (and tripping and sometimes sliding) to the kitchen for her treats and still bright-eyed and alert when she's awake. Lots of sleepytime nowadays.

13.5 years old. I keep wondering just how long she'll go. We have someone staying with her while we go to Gaston's.

Don't think we can reasonably board her anywhere anymore. One place out on a ranch in Eastern Colorado has an "elderly room" and separate "elderly playtime" and can do her meds, but that's about the only place I'd trust anymore. (They joked that elderly playtime is usually all the elderly dogs falling asleep in the sunshine out in the play area. Ha. I can relate!)

Here's hoping for a little recovery for Jake so he's not in too much pain.
 
Aw geez ... sorry to hear about sweet Jake. He's lucky to have you. :yes:
 
The vet says it'll take several months with Jake on oral anti-biotics but he may be coming home today. He can't walk but he keeps trying.

I just gotta rig up a way to be able to move him. Maybe a sled or mechanics creeper.

I intended to bring him home for the weekend in any case.

I'll bet he's walking in a week. My tough guy.

Dakota misses him.
 
Mike, sorry to hear about poor Jake. A little engineering, and you ought to have him moving about pretty well.

Here's to a fast recovery.
 
> When it got be time to go to the vet Jake got excited and bravely got up ...

Our vet has one dog, from the adjacent neighborhood, that has learned
to saunter over to his office when it needs medical attention. Whenever
the dog shows up, the vet calls the owner with the diagnosis and gets
permission to treat. Then clips the invoice and meds to the collar for
the dog to take home.
 
He's home. Still unable to walk. They gave him a helper harness so I can carry his non-working caboose.

Lotsa pain pills and antibiotics. I hope to take care of him for a month or two until he's walking or he tells me he's had it.

The bill was $4000. I just re-read what I wrote above. Insurance should pay but I'm a sucker.

I think the vet care was great, though.

This is what I get for teasing Scott for paying to save a stray cat.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
 
mikea said:
He's home. Still unable to walk. They gave him a helper harness so I can carry his non-working caboose.

Lotsa pain pills and antibiotics. I hope to take care of him for a month or two until he's walking or he tells me he's had it.

The bill was $4000. I just re-read what I wrote above. Insurance should pay but I'm a sucker.

I think the vet care was great, though.

This is what I get for teasing Scott for paying to save a stray cat.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Glad he's home, Mike. Youse a good one for taking good care of him.

The cat situation is so bad in my area that the local animal shelter has posted a sign on the door: "No more room for cats. Any cats that are brought in WILL be euthanized". :(
 
Jake is doing well. I'm happy that he CAN move his legs, just not to put weight on them. He's making it clear that he loves being home and he wants to live. Dakota keeps hugging him. She's very happy he's back home.

We spent ALL day yesterday outside enjoying this weather and are doing it agian today.

I think he is making progress and as long as he does we're both going to persevere.

I dunno how good I'll be at hauling him once my right arm is immobilized after surgery. Maybe hire a visiting doggie nurse. (The local dog walker lives a few blocks away.)
 
mikea said:
Jake is doing well. I'm happy that he CAN move his legs, just not to put weight on them. He's making it clear that he loves being home and he wants to live. Dakota keeps hugging him. She's very happy he's back home.

We spent ALL day yesterday outside enjoying this weather and are doing it agian today.

I think he is making progress and as long as he does we're both going to persevere.

I dunno how good I'll be at hauling him once my right arm is immobilized after surgery. Maybe hire a visiting doggie nurse. (The local dog walker lives a few blocks away.)
Click to expand...

That's good to hear! :)
Have you thought about a set of wheels for him? A lot of lame or partially paralyzed dogs have done very well with that. I've seen some pretty good homemade rigs; it doesn't have to be something expensive. Depending on the problem, some have even started walking again after using the wheels for a while. Maybe his forelegs are not strong enough, but it might be worth a try. Easier for him (and you) than having to carry his butt around for him.
[EDIT] I see I missed your earlier comments about that... definitely worth looking into; just search online under "dog mobility" or similar, and you'll see all sorts of cool designs.
It's amazing how quickly most dogs adapt to what appears clumsy and unworkable... just being able to move about on their own is so important, though, that the average dog will rise to the challenge happily.
Good luck!!!
 
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If a pool is available, and Jake enjoys swimming, that could be a beneficial supervised exercise opportunity.

I've watched the shows on animal planet where they use the water treadmill and many pets appear to benefit from that type of therapy.
 
Thoughts and prayers for Jake, buddy. Sounds like he's doing better.
 
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