General Chat

Yesterday my elder baby was jumping about like a teenager she was leading the walks and dancing around the house, Today sadly she can hardly move, Her front leg injury that used to show only after a very long walk is now there after a walk around the block.Tonight she even had trouble turning around because of the lameness her shoulder gives her.
Don´t get me wrong she has many years left in her, but it is so sad to see such a little terrier lamed so badly in old age by something that happened when she was very young and I will add not in my care.
We knew when we adopted her that she had a very queen anne front leg. The vet said it could be a birth deformity but it was more like a break that hadn´t healed right. Our choice then was to put her through surgery to correct it or seeing as she had full use of her limbs, She could out walk all of us, jump a 4 ft fence from a short distance , remember she is only 10.5 " tall to shoulder. or we operated on her to correct the leg.
The vet and us looked at long term and he said arthritis would set in later in life whether we left it or operated. Our vet recommended that we left it as it was as she was a recent adoptee and it might be unfair to put her through so much aggro so early on. We agreed.
Now watching her limping so badly I have to wonder if I made the right choice 10 yrs ago.

Ask yourself if she has been happy all those years. Of course she has, she has a lovely life. You can't play what ifs? As you don't know how she would have been if she'd had the op. It may not have worked. Is it worse in the damp weather?

I agree with Ann.

It would seem that your little terrier has had an active and happy life with you and who knows what ailments might have shown as age advances, regardless of any early treatment.
An operation could have been really upsetting, when she was settling with you after a traumatic time.
You sought advice and accepted the vet's opinion that as she was fully active an op. was not vital.

She knows she is loved and cared for, she will hopefully have many years ahead yet, but will gradually have to get used to being a more sedate lady.

Gwyn

Bless you both Ann and Gwyn
Ann you have met the little horror was she happy but yes it is the colder weather that is now showing her lameness and age

Gwen I have to believe that I made the right choice all those years ago but it hurts watching her trying to turn around on days like this. Summers I know she will live to a great age but winter I am not sure how many more years she will make.
I get up at silly o´clock and poke her to make sure she is still breathing some days

Daft bat I am
:-D

As the vet said, operation or no operation, age/arthritis could affect her leg.
As Ann and Gwyn have said, she's had a fantastic, loving home and life with you. Think of the alternative life (?) she could have had.


You're not a daft bat - you love her.
<3

And she is lovely and loves you both to death. <3

you have always loved them and in this case
you took the best advice from the vet who knows what they are doing :-D

Thank you Joy, Maggie and Ann again. I do love the little horror to bits and it breaks my heart to see her so tied just because her leg doesn´t move as she wishes.
Having arthritis I know how mine is setting in and how frustrated I get so I can´t help but wish she could say ..give me a painkiller Mum :-D

Its always difficult making decisions like that Uzzi and you did what you thought best at the time, going on the conversation with the vet. Is it worth trying cod liver oil for your little one or maybe adapting a sock to make a legwarmer or is the problem too far up her leg?
I hope she finds a little more movement and can be comfy.

Take care of yourself too,

Lizxxx

Yes, agreed with all the comments. The right decision made with love and care.

Liz her main injury is at the shoulder so leg warmers won´t work. She does have a adapted jumper that would cover the shoulder but she takes it off :-)

What with her and a dodgy front leg and Minx with a dodgy hip I have a right pair in winter ! Mind Minx lets us know when her hip hurts very loudly !

Uzzi, you have to remember that she is a dog and not a person. She doesn't see life as you do.

Your little mate lives in the present. Leg hurts, don't do what causes it to hurt more

All she has is the physical discomfort, she doesn't have all the mental grief that you have about it. She won't be having any ' what if?' thoughts at all.

She will just be accepting the arthritis as just something that happens.

Hindsight (no pun) is a wonderful thing.........

pity we cant buy it up front!!


Bob


there was a guy(character) on radio Cambridgeshire years ago, (from Grunty Fen........) that used to have a saying..........."binfers"


" if it hadn't of binfer ?????? x wouldn't /would have happened , and if it hadn't of binfer ..y........this would /wouldn't of happened."..........etc etc......