Mike’s Doghouse

I took Mike to the vet today. Yesterday, while we were gone, he did something to his back right leg. He wasn’t bearing any weight on it at first, then slowly was using it at times, mostly when standing still. He was uncomfortable but we were certain it wasn’t a break. He let me manipulate the foot and ankle/hock but wasn’t thrilled when I extended his hip. This morning he was bearing weight on it almost all the time but he walked like he was sitting on the saddle too long. So off to the vet we went.

He let Dr. K manipulate the hip although he didn’t like it. He didn’t cry out so we both agreed it wasn’t a break (such as a “green stick” fracture). She feels it might be a soft tissue (muscle/tendon) injury. We also decided it was time to neuter him so next Thursday (7th) he will get that done finally. While he is out, they’ll do x-rays on his hips and that knee. He is too young to diagnose hip dysplasia but there is a slight chance there may be something else structurally wrong. The chance is very slight but since this is the third or so time he has injured that same leg, we are doing the x-rays just to make sure. If nothing else, we have a baseline set of images for later.

Mike and I will have to miss the second class of Basic Manners II tonight, dangit.

Oh, and just so you don’t think I was mean for not taking him to the emergency clinic last night: if a dog will put weight on a leg, it usually isn’t broken. Sometimes they will for a greenstick fracture, but not often. When we first saw he wasn’t bearing weight at all, we touched him all over and watched him walk while discussing the time and where we could take him. He began putting weight on the leg when standing still and we decided to wait and see. The emergency clinic here is ghastly expensive and I knew I could at the worst drop Mike off this morning for our vet to check when they could. We examined him later again after everything had calmed down. Again, we felt he had pulled a muscle or sprained something. If he had been walking fine this morning, I probably wouldn’t have taken him in but with that odd, saddle sore like walk he had, we decided it would be best to have him checked.

Winter is here in the U.S. South. We’ve already had several snows and a long drawn out cold “snap”. Hurricane season is over just as blizzard season begins. There are things any pet owner should have on hand for emergencies either season can bring.

One of the few good things brought about by Hurricane Katrina and Rita is that groups finally realized the lengths people will go to in order to keep their pets safe. Many humans and pets died because there was no where to go together. Animal shelters were overwhelmed by the number of dropoffs. As a result of this and more, disaster assistance groups have now changed their policies to include pets.

There are things you need to have on hand for emergencies. There are so many different kinds (medical emergency, weather emergency, toxic spill, etc) that it would seem a fully prepared kit would weigh more than the dog! You should have first aid kit on hand just because cuts happen regularly. An evacuation kit would be for if you had to leave the home. While you are getting the dog kits together, make one for yourselves, too!

Lists of stuff to have in a kit:

CanisMajor has a list of the basics to keep on hand in your dog first aid kit.

PetEducation.com, part of Drs. Foster and Smith, has another, more comprehensive list for the kit. They also have a list of stuff to have for an evacuation kit.

The Humane Society also has a list for a first aid kit as well as a disaster/evacuation kit and advice.

American Red Cross has a section dedicated to Animal Safety. This includes the suggestions for a pet first aid kit. (Also make sure you know about the “Preparedness Information for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities“)

The American Veterinarian Medical Association has a section on evacuation and first aid.

Already prepared kits/books:

The Humane Society’s Pet First Aid book
Outdoor Safety has several different human and canine first aid kits (be sure to read why the company exists)
Cabela’s has 3 Sporting Dog first aid kits

Some simple things you can do:

Get the basics together and remember where it is. Hang it with the leashes (make sure you have a leash or carrying crate for each animal) and leave it there. Check it once a year or so to ensure nothing has gone beyond its expiration date.
Microchip your pets. If you get separated, you can be re-connected when it is safe. Make sure one of the contact persons is away from your region so that in the case of a weather emergency, there is someone who can be reached.
Read up on preparedness. Get ideas and then follow through on them. Being prepared is the best thing you can do for yourselves and for your furkids.