# Scruffy has an op tomorrow



## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Hi all,

Please take a few moments in the day for a little prayer for Scruffy.

He is due to have an op tomorrow - he has a bad limp with luxating patellas on both knees but the vet thinks he has a bad hip too which will need to be corrected first.

I am sooooooooooooooo nervous and scared for him. I will have to take him in at 9am and leave him there overnight. 

I know that I am going to be a nervous wreck and won't be able to relax all day and night, not until he is back home where he belongs.

I am so scared that I will lose him and can't shake away these horrible thoughts, in fact it makes me cry just thinking about it.

If anyone has any such experience, please help.

I was also wondering what they will give him to eat after the op (all being well) as my poor boy can be fussy. Do i need to take him some food for them to give him?

Many thanks xxx


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

I know it's hard, but try not to worry, I'm sure he'll be fine. Try to think about how much better he'll feel once everything is over. This is the first step to a pain free life for him. Once it's all over, he'll be able to run and act like a silly puppy again.
I told Koke what was going on, and that I'd be back to get her the next day and in a few weeks she'd be feeling much better. I don't know how much she understood, but it made me feel better.

They will probably try to feed him some of that canned high calorie food, but you should ask them if you want to know for sure. You can also ask them if they want you to bring some food for him. It probably won't be necessary unless he's on a special diet for alergies or something like that.

You'll both be in our thoughts and prayers.
Being a mommy to these guys is sooo hard sometimes.


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

OH, my heart goes out to you. I'll be praying for sure. I know, I just looked at little Dolly and couldn't imagine surgery for her (when she was spayed), but she came through with flying colors and you wouldn't even know she ever had it. I'm sure it will be the same with Scruffy. The hardest part is leaving them. 

You're doing the best for him and he'll be fine. We're praying!


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Thanks so much for your kind words, it means a lot to me xxx


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## sevdev (May 1, 2006)

OUr thoughts and prayers are with you. Please let us know how Scruffy does. ((((hugs))))


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## *Tiffany* (Sep 27, 2005)

i'm sure everything will go perfectly for scruffy's op, will they let you bring in a blanket of him or a special toy? i did that for rocky when he had to stay at the vets for a week, it made me feel better knowing he had something from home! good luck and let us know how it goes! ((hugs))


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## SunnyFLMum (Apr 21, 2005)

Prayers being sent your way...


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## Gypsy (Feb 13, 2006)

Aww poor little guy. I can just imagine how scared you are. Keeping you in our thoughts, I hope everything goes well for Scruffy.


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## My Girl Pearl (Feb 25, 2005)

Many prayers for you and Scruffy!


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Thanks again, I will be leaving him a blanket and a toy or two to comfort him.


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## Jen (Sep 13, 2005)

scruffy will be in my thoughts & prayers leena


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Hi all, 

I took Scruffy to the vet this morning with a bag full of goodies - cakes and cookies for the staff as a bribe. The vet said that the plan was to begin with another x-ray and if confident with diagnosis for appropriate surgery he will go straight ahead and call me afterwards to let me know. If not, he will wake him up after the x-ray and decide what to do for a later date.

I really hope that its straightforward and that Scruffy gets treated straight away as the longer it drags out, the worse it is.

I will update later when i know what is going on. I am trying not to think about it all too much and keep myself busy.

Thanks all you lovely people for your support xxxxxxxxxxxxx


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

I wonder why they wouldn't go ahead with a knee if they decide not to do anything with his hip? They know his knees need to be done :dontknow:

Good Luck! Hang in there!


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Well, the funny thing is that the pain seems to be coming from his hip despite his LP in both knees. His right knee is worse than the left but he is limping and is in discomfort on the left side.

The vet said that the LP will need to be treated eventually but it is something else that is making him limp - most prob his hip.


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

That's interesting. What do they think is wrong with his hip?


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

UPDATE:

I just called the vet and the op has been done but Scruffy is still groggy.

They want to keep him overnight for observation and pain relief, please continue with positive thoughts for a comfortable night for my fur baby.

Ms_P, as far as i understood, the vet suspected that the hip bone was rotten (? - his word not mine) and that the affected area would need to be cut away. He also advised that it is likely that he will always have a limp but that it will be a painless one after the op.

I am hoping that he will recover quickly.

Thanks again xxx


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## Sandra1961 (Oct 14, 2005)

Aww Leena,i hope your bearing up. I cant even begin to imagine how worried you are.
But the worst bit is over,and now all Scruffy has to do,is recover,and then he will have a pain-free life 

Im thinking of you,and him


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Thanks Sandra, it is horrible waiting around but I sure hope he will feel better for it.


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## PrincessMarissa (May 18, 2006)

Good luck and best wishes to you and your baby. You will be in our thoughts and prayers.


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## LondonChihuahua (Jul 3, 2004)

Hope Scruffy is recovering well!!!! I hope he is feeling much better soon!!!


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

lecohen said:


> UPDATE:
> 
> I just called the vet and the op has been done but Scruffy is still groggy.
> 
> ...


 
Awww poor little guy!
I hope he recovers quickly.
Sandy, Koke, and Lelaska are sending him doggy hugs!


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Well, he is home but he looks awful, poor thing...I will post pics


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## dlambertz (Nov 13, 2005)

i missed this post before...i hope all has turned out well with scruffy and he is back home giving puppy kisses.:love5:


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Pics:























































:-(


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## sullysmum (Mar 6, 2004)

Poor thing!


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

How is the little guy today? I know that they seem to recover so fast, it's amazing. We are still praying for him and for YOU! Hugs to both of you.


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Thank you, the well wishes really help.

He is not himself at all, I fear that he might blame me for the pain he is going through as he hasn't shown me any affection at all since I brought him home. I am hoping that it's just due to his pain and medication. I know he needed the op but I feel so bad :-(


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

Awwwww poor guy  

He's probably still pretty groggy from the anesthesia and pain meds. Did the give you any pain meds to give him at home?
When Koke had her knees done, each time it took her about 2 to 3 days to really come out of the groggyness. 
Are you giving him a glucosamine supplement?


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## Sandra1961 (Oct 14, 2005)

Aww poor little man! He looks so sad


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## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

Awww, poor guy  I really hope he recovers quickly, and feels better soon.


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Thanks, they did give me some pain meds which i already gave him and will give him more later.

He does really seem to be in a daze but I have given him a little to eat and he has been toilet ok.

Ms_P, I haven't been told about any glucosamine supplement?


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

When Koke had her knee operations the surgeon had me start giving her 1/2 tablet of Cosequin DS for 1 month after the operation, then 1/4 tablet for the rest of her life. She weighs 5 lbs.
I don't know if you can get Cosequin over there, we have to get it directly from a vet, it's not sold in any stores and it's not cheap.
Maybe you could ask your vet about it, or something like it.


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

I will do thanks...I am taking Scruffy in for a check up on Monday morning, i'll ask then.

How is Koke doing now?


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

She's fine thanks. You'd never know she had anything wrong with her knees. She will occasionaly hold her right leg up in the winter time when it's really cold out, it was the worse one. The vet said there might be some authritis pain in the winter, but she doesn't hold it up and hop around like she used to, she only holds it up when she's standing still, then walks and runs on all 4 legs.
Glucosamine is for joints and ligaments. I'm sure Scruffy would benefit from it.


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## dlambertz (Nov 13, 2005)

poor baby...brought a tear to my eye. get well soon scruffy


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## Ory&C (Mar 20, 2005)

I'm so happy to hear Scruffy is feeling much better!  I hope your little guy's going to be back to his old self as soon as possible!!!


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## Kari (May 13, 2004)

:shock: I don't know how I could have possibly missed this thread!!

Oh my gosh, poor Scruffy.  I hope he recovers quickly Leena. That poor baby doesn't deserve that.


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## chimama (May 14, 2004)

That poor baby looks out of sorts for sure. After some good rest he will be better. Some dogs just take longer to come out of the effects of the anesthesia. Just keep him comfy with his pain meds.


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## Alisha (Mar 11, 2005)

Oh poor baby I hope he feels better soon  That's alot for such a little guy to go through


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## tinalicious (Aug 7, 2004)

Poor Scruffy. I wish him a speedy recovery!


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## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

Poor sweet little baby. Prayers for speedy recovery. Hugs to him and you.


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## ~Jessie~ (Oct 30, 2005)

I don't know how I missed this thread! I hope that Scruffy recovers quickly


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## Kari (May 13, 2004)

How is he doing today Leena?


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Thanks so much everyone for your kind thoughts.

Scruffy had a really sleepless night and was so depressed by the Elizabethan collar but a kind person lent me a kinder collar (which arrived today) and he is definately more perky and affectionate.










His hip is still very sore though but I am hoping that he will continue to improve.

All your support has truly helped both me and Scruffy - prob me more as i was so nervous.

Thanks again and I will update again xxxxxxxx


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## Katie (Apr 9, 2005)

I'm glad to hear Scruffy's surgery went well. I hope he's feeling back to his normal, well actually better than normal self soon :wave:


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## LondonChihuahua (Jul 3, 2004)

Poor little scruffy! 

Those picks are really sweet! he has such a sorry little look on his face!

I hope he is feeling 100% soon! and that vixie can give him a get well kiss when she see's him in the future!!!!


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Yes, you are quite right there j3mm4_uk, he sure melts my heart with that look...I hope we can attend a meet up soon xxx


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## STELLABELLA (May 27, 2006)

My dog also had surgery on her knee , the operation was a week ago. She is doing well, she was licking her wound alot ,so I tried an e-collar and she hated it! so the vet gave me a special cream to put on it and it has a bad taste so it keeps her from licking it. Wishing your dog a speedy recovery!


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

*Update*

 Hi all,

Took Scruffy to the vet for a check up - the vet showed me all the before and after x-rays and I could see clearly what was done.

I was told to expect Scruffy to not be able to walk for at least 6 more weeks







but I am hoping that as others have said, Scruffy heals quicker.

The stitches may come out next week if the wound has healed.

I explained to the vet how Scruffy was depressed with the e-collar but so much happier with the moon collar and he was so impressed as he said he had never seen it before.

I was also told that after Scruffy has fully recovered, he will need another op for his luxating patellas - particularly on the right knee with is worse than the left - my poor Scruffles









But thanks once again for all your support xxxx


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

Awwww poor little guy  

Did the vet say he wouldn't walk at all for 6 weeks? or will he be able to limp around holding his leg up?


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

He can walk very well (and surprisingly fast) on 3 legs, the vet said that he would expect him to be able to start walking on all fours in at least 6 weeks time.


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

lecohen said:


> He can walk very well (and surprisingly fast) on 3 legs, the vet said that he would expect him to be able to start walking on all fours in at least 6 weeks time.


OK, that makes sense. Yea it could take that long.
Seems these little guys take longer because it's just easier for them to hold it up and hop around. And yea, they can move pretty fast that way  

I think it took Koke about a month to walk on her leg after her first knee surgery. The second didn't take as long.

Did the vet give you any idea how long it would be before they do his first knee?


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

It won't be until he has made a full recovery on his hip, I would imagine at least 2 or 3 months - The funny thing is that the knees don't seem to bother him much - only when the vet pops them but i know that he will defnately need it done and sooner rather than later as the longer the delay, the lower the chance for success.

Thanks so much for taking an interest!


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Just thought i'd add some info about the condition that Scruffy had as it may be useful to other people here:

Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (aseptic or avascular necrosis of the femoral head)

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head, aseptic femoral head necrosis, or
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a disorder of the blood supply to the femoral
head, the "ball" of the hip joint. It usually occurs in miniature and toy
breeds of dogs between the ages of four months and a year of age in its
classic form but sometimes occurs as a traumatic problem in older dogs or
bigger breeds. It causes death of the bone which leads to arthritis of the
hip. Since hip dysplasia also causes hip problems the conditions could be
confused, although clinically evident hip dysplasia is not a major problem
in dogs of this size. It is usually possible to rule in or rule out femoral
head necrosis through radiographic (X-ray) examination.

Femoral head necrosis is a painful process and may be a cause of subtle
lameness to total lameness affecting one or both rear legs. Some dogs are
able to recover on their own with just rest and pain relief but many dogs
require surgical removal of the femoral head (femoral head ostectomy) for
good long term pain relief. This can be done on both sides, if necessary,
in the small dogs who have this problem. 

Avascular necrosis occurs when the bone that makes up the ball portion of the hip is damaged from lack of blood supply. The reasons this occurs are not clear. Since a higher incidence of this disorder is noted in several dog breeds, including terrier breeds, miniature pinscher, poodles and possibly schipperkes, it is assumed that there may be a genetic component to the problem. In Manchester terriers, the genetic component appears to be a strong influence and heritability is pretty high for this problem.

Most of the time the clinical signs of this disease occur in 4 to 11 month old dogs and usually consist of lameness of one leg only. Pain may be mild to very severe. Some dogs have mild forms of this condition and do not require medical care. In other dogs, the condition cause sufficient pain and deformity of the hip joint to require surgical intervention. The disorder can usually be confirmed with X-rays. Atrophy of the muscles of the affected leg is not uncommon. If this is severe it can slow the recovery period considerably and may make medical therapy less likely to work.

Treatment of this condition varies according to the severity of the signs seen. In mild cases, enforced rest may be sufficient to allow healing of the damaged areas to occur. In some cases, immobilization of the affected limb using an Ehmer sling may be beneficial to recovery. Many dogs have advanced cases of this disease by the time they are examined by a veterinarian and medical treatment is not likely to work. In these dogs, excision of the femoral head (ball portion of the hip joint) is often beneficial. Removal of this section of the bone diminishes painful bony contact in the hip joint. Recovery from this surgery can be slow with recovery periods of up to one year sometimes occurring before good use of the affected leg returns. If muscle atrophy is not present at the time of surgery the recovery time is usually much less. Pain relief and anti-inflammatory medications may be beneficial.

There is a stronger tendency to treat this as a medical condition prior to surgery right now. A general rule of thumb is to allow non-surgical therapy a month to show a beneficial response. If one is not seen, surgical repair should be considered more carefully. 

http://www.vetinfo.com/dleggcalve.html#Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

This is a fantastic website that I discovered with A-Z of lots of dog health problems:

http://www.vetinfo.com/dogindex.html

Hope this helps xxx


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## *Tiffany* (Sep 27, 2005)

OMG!!! i have the same hip disease... i have had it since i was about7 years old. i was in and out of shriners children hospital and have had 1 surgery on my leg. i was also in traction (my leg held up in a sling) for months at a time. its gotten much better but i still have bad arthritis and eventually need a hip replacement as i get older. this is so wierd....


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## AEROMarley1983 (Sep 12, 2005)

Hey Leochen. 

I understand your need to worry. I would worry too!! But just keep yourself calm and trust that everything will go as planned and Scruff will be fine. 

Bless his heart, I love Scruffy to death!! You are both in my prayers.


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## Kari (May 13, 2004)

Poor Scruffy, he looks so miserable.  I hope he starts feeling "normal" again soon.


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

*Tiffany* said:


> OMG!!! i have the same hip disease... i have had it since i was about7 years old. i was in and out of shriners children hospital and have had 1 surgery on my leg. i was also in traction (my leg held up in a sling) for months at a time. its gotten much better but i still have bad arthritis and eventually need a hip replacement as i get older. this is so wierd....


Oh Tiffany,

Sorry you have to go through this too, that sounds awful! I hope that you are feeling ok generally xxxHUGSxxx


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

AEROMarley1983 said:


> Hey Leochen.
> 
> I understand your need to worry. I would worry too!! But just keep yourself calm and trust that everything will go as planned and Scruff will be fine.
> 
> Bless his heart, I love Scruffy to death!! You are both in my prayers.


Thank you 

I adore cute Tito and shiny Marley loads too xxxx


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## *Tiffany* (Sep 27, 2005)

lecohen said:


> Oh Tiffany,
> 
> Sorry you have to go through this too, that sounds awful! I hope that you are feeling ok generally xxxHUGSxxx


yeah i'm basically fine now, i'm glad i never had to go through any major operations. just motrin every now and then and i do ok! its just wierd that dogs can get the same thing!


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## AEROMarley1983 (Sep 12, 2005)

lecohen said:


> Thank you, the well wishes really help.
> 
> He is not himself at all, I fear that he might blame me for the pain he is going through as he hasn't shown me any affection at all since I brought him home. I am hoping that it's just due to his pain and medication. I know he needed the op but I feel so bad :-(


You know, before you even said anything about the meds I figured that was what it was. When I got my pooch Ziggy fixed a while back he didn't want anything to do with me until he wasn't groggy anymore.  Don't worry. A dog's love is unconditional. He will love you and trust you because you love him.  Scruffy will come around. I'm glad he is home and doing ok. **kisses him*** WE LOVE YA SCRUFFY!  He's so adorable!!


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Glad that you are ok and you are right, a dog's love is unconditional, Scruffy is back to his affectionate self - Yipeeeeeeeeee! I love Scruffy's kisses


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## chimama (May 14, 2004)

Poor guy a hip plus the knees too. Is the knee surgery expensive where you are? I hear it is expensive here in the united states. I just keep praying none of mine end up with it.


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

He probably feels BETTER than he has in a long while, and you will get the 'blame" for that...more hugs and kisses.

He is really lucky to have you for an owner. And I know you are lucky to have such a spunky little guy for your baby.


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Thanks chi people  - I definately feel lucky to have Scruffy, I just wish that he wasn't falling apart - I really do see the importance of good breeding for health also, not just temperament. I would still have taken Scruffy if i knew in advance what i know now though, he brings me so much joy, even just to look at him.


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