SDFT Injury Update ..... 1 year on!

Soooooooo it's just one month shy of being a whole year since me had my first go off the lead, played with my pal Gunner & sadly tore my Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon Lateral  Retinaculum or SDFT for short & this made my leg pop in & out at the joint as the tendon holds the bone in place!  :'( (For details of this injury wotch this video SDFT & check out my previous blog posts)

 

This be on the day me had the accident :'(

 

 

 

 

 

This is the spot where they opened me up to get to find out if the tendon had as the tendon couldn't be seen on an X-ray - this also means recovery is guess werk...without opening my leg back up you just don't know if its healed or not :/

 

Me with my casts & cone :(

It's been a lonnnnnnnngggggggg year of very boring recovery, sleeping downstairs for the hoomans, no stairs at all for me, no running, jumping, pulling or harsh walks and wearing the dreaded #ConeOfShame for yonks... a year of hell for all of us :(

Me spent all Summer longing to be out messing about in the garden :'(

Let me out....PLEASE!!!

 

 

The hard part began once me had my cast removed as there was no support to my leg & me thought me was all better, meaning the hoomans had a super hard time keeping me resting & calm 24/7!!!

 

My leg once me had the cast taken off

Me has only been allowed back upstairs in the last few months & the barricades from the sofas & my fave sofa arm have finally been moved :) #Yipeeeee

 

Fave seat in the house :D

 

Me is still on the lead at all times outside the house, this includes for every toilet trip ... even in my own garden.

My leg seems to be healed up nicely but tendons don't heal like broken bones & they are prone to tearing & reluxating so we are not risking having me chase a cat in the garden & it happening all over again....my hoomans could not go through that ever again!

Me has a scar on my leg where me had my surgery & also a scar at the front where my splint was wrongly placed during a cast change ;(  Me also STILL has that rotten diamond shape shaved on my butt which for some reason my fur is not growing back there! #Wude

 

Diamond Butt ;(

Me would not wish this injury on even my worst enemy as we have all found it VERY stressful.... me can't thank my Twitter chums enuff for all the well wishes & support they have given me & the hoomans.... you all really helped us to plod on forwards :)

The injury me had is rare (usually seen in horses not dogs) & therefore reading up about it or finding anyone else who had gone through the same was near impossible, although my speshulist was fab we have had conflicting recovery periods, do's & don't from various Vets so we have always opted for the most cautious recovery as we seriously never want it to happen again....if me had been a small woofer or a less active woofer then maybe it would of been much easier but we never could of imagined what stress, worry & trouble one tiny little tendon could cause.....the hoomans say they will always be worrying every single time me runs, slides, jumps or turn sharply :(

Me had 2 operayshuns for the injury as me reluxated it a week after my 1st op coz me jumped on sofa & as they hadn't put a splint on the 1st time it just snapped again :/....My advice to anyone unfortunate enuff to get this injury would be to make sure it is splinted & possibly even pinned with a frame right from the word go!!!

The only good thing about wearing a cast & a cone was me couldn't scratch my face so it had time to heal up! (Allergies - another one of life's miserable struggles me is dealing with!)

Sooooooo now me is doing really well, getting up to mischief and having decent walks & losing some of the weight me piled on due to no exercise for months :D 

Me has my #PawsCrossed that by the Summer me will be allowed to go off the lead in the garden & do some pelting about :)

Chow for now! :P

 

Bronse x x x

P.S: Follow me on Twitter for my day to day antics! :D @AmBull_Bronson

YouTube doodah :)

Hey Pals!!!

Just letting you all know Me has just got myself a You Tube doodah :D

You can find it here....Bronsons YouTube Channel 

Chow for now!
Bronse x

Arrrrrrooooooo!

Happy 4th of July to all my American pals & distant relations :) 

SDFT Injury update!

Hey Pals....
Just thought me would let you all know how me has been getting on with my leg.

Me was doing super well until a few weeks ago when me had a close call coz me did a dare devil stunt & jumped onto the back of the sofa (which is turned round to stop me getting on) Me did jump higher than me ever has before with no run up & me did pull my leg :( Mum rang my Surgeon & he did say me should have some tissue repair & that it should settle again just adding another 7 days to my recovery ;( ...least me didn't reluxate it again coz me was dreading yet another operashun!!!

Me finally got rid of the cone of shame but my rotten allergies flared up as soon as it was off & me did start scratching my face again causing me to get an ear infecshun :( :( :( The Vet man gave me some magic eardrops & me is feeling much better now!

My leg is now better according to Me but according to the Hoomans me still has a good few weeks of resting & taking it easy to go ;( #Phooey

Me needs to start building some strength back up in my leg now after 2 months of rest but coz me is sooooooo excited to finally see further than the front gate me do pull like a cart horse on the lead which Hoomans say is no good as me could hurt my leg again.  

Me has a Halti, a Gentle leader & a Canny Collar (me will be writing a separate post about these gadgets at some point) they don't work for me as me has worked out how to get round each one in different way coz me is a super clever woofer!!! :D They also not good for my face coz me has wrong shape face for them really & when my face is sore they add to the problem by rubbing my sores :(

Mum spotted a brand new gadget called the Thunderleash from the makers of Thundershirt & as it fits around the chest instead of the face she decided to order one for me.... they offer a money back guarantee so it's got to be worth a try!!! Me will be testing it as soon as it arrives from the U.S.A & me will let you all know how it goes! #PawsCrossed it will work so me can start going on decent & calm walks over the next few months meaning me can get my leg in tip top condition & be a step closer to my perfect self again ;)

In other news me has opened a new Poll which me would like you all to vote on...you can find it at the top of the Home Page :)


Chow for now!
Bronse x 

Check Me Out!!! :p

Scan for my Facebook Page :) 

Scan to follow me on Twitter :) 

SDFT Recovery 

Hey there pals!

Me thought me would update you a bit with whats happening with my poorly leg....
So me had to have a 2nd operashun on my ankle coz me did kick up after pooping & this ruptured my ankle again ;(  Me did have to spend the night again but me now has a fan club at Northwest Surgeons so me got lots of attenshun :)

Me did have the operashun & this time me got a splint & blue cast on my leg!

Me came home the next afternoon & was supposed to have a cast & splint change every 7 days but me being me needed one sooner!!!  Me went to my own Vets & had to be sedated coz there is no chance me do be able to stay still & calm enuff for them to do it without :(  Hoomans had quite a hard time just getting me to the car & into the Vets because me was super excited with 5 days worth of energy stored up!  Me was allowed to come home the same afternoon & me had a super stylish cow print cast on to replace my blue one :)  Mum said it looked like a Dalmashuns leg :D

Me has managed to find a way to reach my cast now when me is standing up,sitting down & lying down even with the biggest size con available & even though me is under 24/7 watch from the Hoomans, me still manage to get a sneaky quick chew of it in every once in a while meaning there is no way me can be left alone for even a few minutes :(

Mum has been searching the Internet for solutions to this problem but gadgets such as the comfy cone & inflatable cones will not work for me as me has super long legs & me is fantastically flexible & determined!  Mum says me may have to wear a basket type muzzle with a lick guard on the end as nothing else seems to work :(  Me and my Twitter pal Ronnie came up with the genius idea of a #ConeOfBones aka #BoneCone whereby milky bones are hung from the cone on strings like an Australian hat :D 

The Cow print cast only lasted a few days coz it was rubbing my leg & making it sore so me went for another sedation & cast change & ended up with a Leopard Print cast :D  Me was super drowsy so got to have some cone free time :)

This cast was much better & me was walking nicely on it but needed another new one yesterday so they could take my stitches out & check on my sores ... Me had yet another sedation & came out wearing a cool Camouflage Print cast :) :) :) 

So thats it up to today & its all been very boring just keeping calm & having the Hoomans watch me 24/7 ;(  Me hasn't been able to do any good stuff like steal tea towels or socks & me fed up of rest,rest & more rest & hearing the words #NoBronsonNo ;(  The Hoomans say its been a very stressful & difficult time & they have had to watch me like hawks seen as though nothing stops me reaching my cast ( #ContortionistBronson ).  We have all been camping in the living room & they have even turned the sofas round as isn't allowed on them & putting stuff on them wasn't going to stop me jumping on um :D

On Tuesday next week me is going back to see my Surgeon at the Specialists so he can check on my progress & maybe decide if me can increase the amount of time me can have walking about :)

Me will let you all know how me does get on :) 

Chow for now!Bronse x 

Update on my leg injury 

As some of my pals may know me did injury my leg whilst me was off my lead for the 1st time :(

Me will tell you about what happened in the week following that injury & how me is shaping up now just under 2 weeks later!

So me went to the Vets and they did suspect me had just sprained my leg as me was still putting weight on it in between hops, so me was given an injecshun of Metacam & given some Metacam tablets to take home for the pain. Unfortunately the Metacam didn't agree with me & me had blood in my poop :/ Mum was put on poop watch & Dad went to collect some different pain killers from the Vets.  By the next evening my poop was normal again & Hoomans were so happy as it was very worrying not to mention unpleasant doing extreme poop watch!  Me was glad me could do my business in private too :D

After a couple of days resting it was clear my leg was swelling more & me was using it less so me was booked in for X-rays at my Vets & as me also has a lump in my ear the Vet said they would take a sample of that whilst me was under sedation.

 Here are my legs...my right one is swollen right up :(

Me was dropped off in the morning & home by tea time & the Vet said he was going to send X-rays to a specialists coz although he couldn't spot anything broken or torn he suspected something wasn't quite right.

By Monday me was getting booked in for appointment at the specialists as he did think it was torn somewhere in my ankle :(

Me & hoomans went to specialists super early on Tuesday morning & me did be weally good whilst the specialist did feel my leg trying to see if it popped out of place, Mum & Dad mentioned they heard a popping sound just before me started hopping after putting weight on the leg but that they couldn't tell if the sound was coming from my leg or if me was making it with my mouth!  He took me to meet another surgeon to have a quick check look at me & he did hear it pop too so said me would need an operashun as me had damaged my Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon :(   (here is a link to a site that explains much better than me can! - but be warned don't watch the videos if you are squeamish! - http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/ortho_SDFT_luxation.htm )


Me hadn't had any food the night before in case me needed surgery so me was booked in that morning & hoomans had to leave me there on my own :( Me wasn't bothered though as me was loving all the new smells & people to bug :D  By the afternoon me had a repair on my medial retinaculum done & specialist did say me was allowed home the following morning if me did have a good night.

Hoomans were allowed to bring me home the next morning :)

Me in the car with the dreaded cone of shame ;(

Me is now under strict instrucshuns not to jump,walk anywhere off the lead,climb on sofas or go upstairs #SpoilSports :( For those who know me you will know that this is going to be super difficult as me is always on the move & up to no good & to make it worse me has to wear a stoopid cone of shame round my bonce to stop me licking my leg ;( Me has shaved spots on my neck,front leg,back leg & me even has a diamond shaved on my bum! #Wude

My leg & diamond bum :D

Me had a good evening & did eat some food, do my business & me is bright eyed this morning but cheesed off with the cone! Mum is looking into getting an inflatable buster collar as me is supposed to wear a cone for a long time & me keep getting stuck in doorway & on table etc :(

Hopefully if me can keep calm long enuff for my leg to heal well me should be as good as new in a few months :)

So all me has to do now is visit my Vets for round 4 of my immunotherapy injeshuns next Friday where me can see if my stitches are OK to be taken out at the same time & then me has to go back to specialists in 4 weeks for a check up on my leg & hopefully will be able to start increasing my activity! In the meantime me will be mostly doing this......

Sleeping!

 

Me & my hoomans would like to thank everyone at Northwest Surgeons for taking care of me, espeshully my super surgeon Ben Keeley BVM&S CertSAS DipECVS MRCVS, European and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Surgery (Orthopaedics)  :) What a clever, pawsome hooman & quite handsome to boot! ... not as handsome as me of course ;)

Chow for now!

Bronse x