So I went jogging yesterday, and took the mutt with me. Really it was only a jog - (I can’t run much faster than that) We got to an area where I usually let him off the leash to stretch his legs and let him run (he’s really good at that btw) The stretch is alongside an apple orchard and a river - no roads so it’s perfect for him to run to his heart’s content. He did and caught up with me on the other side of the orchard and he was limping. By the time we walked home, he wasn’t putting any weight on it at all. It was worse this morning so off to the vets and yup he’s got a break in his foot - 2nd digit. I guess that means his toe?
Vet says very limited activity - no running, no jumping, no rough play for 8 weeks. 8 weeks! This is a 9 month old 75lb Doberman… He and we are gonna be bouncing off the walls!!!
That sucks! Poor guy. I have a Rhodesian that blew out her ACL and had TPLO surgery.
I had no idea how I would keep her from running or jumping for 6 weeks as she literally bounces off walls and no matter how large of an open space given, she will sprint around it in her constant goofy juke/fake style.
I kept her confined to a corner of my home with a bed, water, and toys. She looked pathetic in there and that was the hardest part. Thankfully, she never tried to jump over it… she’s pretty clumsy and knows it.
When walking, always on a very short leash. You’ll get to work on heal a lot.
Don’t worry about the Cone of Shame and the cast. He will get used to it. Two of my pups have had surgery and needed the cone. They both had bandages and limited mobility. They figure it out after a couple days. Although it is difficult when they start feeling better and want to get active.
This is a great time to work on “tricks” that don’t require a lot of movement. Stay, speak, drop, take, etc etc - it’ll help keep him mentally engaged which will, to a certain extent, tire him out a bit.
Good luck - are we going to see the castful one this weekend?
get the black kongs, not the red ones. Eventually the oil in the peanut butter degrades the red rubber and your home will soon have red stains all over the place. The black is a different material and does not degrade and won’t scuff up your home. As the owner of two very chewy labradors, just trust me on this. Also, for a more healthy snack, chop up some carrots into the peanut butter before you freeze it. Makes for crunchy little nuggets in the surprise for the pup.
We know the cone of shame well. My girl had cancer at age 2. She’s a spastic age 11 now and still going strong.
