frustrated

[A team]

Well I'm over 70 days into and just visited my 2nd vet regarding my 4 year old BLFs sprained carpal joint.

My initial vet released my dog telling me to start working her back into her normal routine, now this vet knew my dog was a working dog and this vet has a history with working dogs. I was so excited to have my dog back I went against my better judgment or gut feeling. I did not run my dog hard, I did not even run her on marks but I did take her out for a couple of duck(hunting). I could tell she wasn't right and I knew she probably should not be going into normal routine.

While I was training with a very experienced amateur last week I walked my girl out with me to plant the blinds. I was told " I don't care what your vet told you I would not run your dog, she's still injured".Well I got a number of a well respected vet and made another appointment.

At this point I feel pretty good about my now 2nd vet. After getting the initial information the first thing he had me do was walk my dog around the parking area. He then confirmed what I felt, my dog was not healed, she was learning to work with her injury by using her other 3 legs to a greater degree. He then told my dog had no business out in field and put her on moderate rest, she is only allowed short walks around the block on heal(just to take the edge off). I cut her calories to reduce her energy and she is on a low grade low level inflammatory.

I picked up my original xrays, the vet wants to see the xrays at the time of injury, after reviewing the initial xrays he'll decide if additional xrays are needed. Next appointment is the first week of February.

This is my first dog and my first experience with an injury of this nature, hence the frustration.

[Criquetpas]

No Vet, but will relay a incident a few years back. Dog has what was diagnosed soft tissue carpal. Advised to crate dog .
Brought dog back out to train after about a week. Same thing dog started limping after a few days of retrieving.
Brought dog back in to Vet! This one was familiar with retrieving working dogs. He told me you must crate the dog for four weeks and only let her out to air, a little house time etc. It was hard,but, complied and after four weeks of being crated dog never had another issue.

[JusticeDog]

Like Earl, i had one that injured his carpal joint. I crate rested for 6 weeks per the ortho surgeon's recommendation. Darn if he didn't fall off of a dog walk (agility). Started limping again. 6 more weeks of rest. No problems in the past 8 years. this is a problem that I have seen become chronic from working the dog too soon - and the dog has a pattern of geting worked, rested, worked, rested, etc for the rest of it's life. Short term pain (the rest), long term gain (no problems in the future).

[Longgun]

If it was me I would want to get a little more pro-active in treatment. I would think at this late stage a hot water-epson salt soak for the affected foot. I know one of mine had an injury about 7 years ago and this is what I did after the second time coming up lame. It cut the healing time in half and she never had a problem again.
deb

[A team]

If it was me I would want to get a little more pro-active in treatment. I would think at this late stage a hot water-epson salt soak for the affected foot. I know one of mine had an injury about 7 years ago and this is what I did after the second time coming up lame. It cut the healing time in half and she never had a problem again.
deb

For the first month of the injury I soaked the injury in hot water and epson salts, and would wrap the injured area in a heating pad, I believe it did get her back on her foot.

[gmhr1]

Are you going to an orthopedic surgeon? it may be more than a sprain. My dog was treated off and on & alot of time wasted by a vet that thought it was a sprain turned out to be a tear and the only fix was surgery.

[2tall]

Went through that with our Chessie when he was a year old. On again, off again for months, until he was crate rested for a solid 3 months and then brought back very slowly. We also used adequan, but I can't swear that is what helped. (The extended rest was after consultation with Ortho Surgeon). Now facing another ligament problem with my 2 year old. I'm not fooling around this time, we are going to a surgeon in Colorado Tuesday. Even though the dog appears sound now, I do not feel good about it. Always something.

[JusticeDog]

You may want to look at cold laser treatment. I have also found it to be beneficial for healing. The ortho vet or even your regular vet may have a unit.

[A team]

Are you going to an orthopedic surgeon? it may be more than a sprain. My dog was treated off and on & alot of time wasted by a vet that thought it was a sprain turned out to be a tear and the only fix was surgery.

The vet I'm currently going to has ortho experience with performance dogs and he told me last week after we review the xrays on February 4th, depending on what the xrays show us I may be referred to an ortho specialist.

Great feed back from the group, thanks.