Audrey had her surgery today. All went well, though I’m not looking forward to the bill. The vet had to do more repair work on her wrist than he expected. But she’s through it now and handled it well. We’ll pick her up tomorrow then start twisting the screws on the pins in her bones in a few days. Oh, did I mention he told me to get a couple 10mm screwdrivers?
So what happened? We got Audrey when she was 14 weeks old and by the time she was 5 months we noticed her limping. She didn’t seem to be in pain but there was a definite limp when she walked. My vet – Ros Bowersett – referred me to Veterinary Orthopedic and Sports Medicine in Ellicott City, MD (www.vetsportsmedicine.com). Sherman Canapp is the specialist there. The place also features physical therapy and is a one stop shop for all things animal joint and movement related.
Dr. Canapp reported that Audrey had suffered some kind of trauma early in life that fractured her wrist. Because of this her growth plate at her wrist was affected and the arm bones grew improperly. By 51/2 months her left leg was 1/2″ shorter than the right, the bones were growing close together rather than spaced apart and her leg was bowed. Without correction the problem would get worse and her elbow and shoulder joint would be affected and she’d suffer severe arthritis. And, she’d compensate for the malformation by walking essentially on her wrist rather than her foot.
The surgery involved separating the bones and placing a ring fixator device on her leg. Here’s a picture of another dog with it on til I get a picture of Audrey. 
Look’s pretty medieval doesn’t it? Pins are attached to her bones and to the rings outside. There are screws on the outside that we’ll (gulp) twist twice a day. This will lengthen the bones.
I’m not sure how long she’ll be in this contraption – it depends on her bones. They take xrays of the progress to assess the need for the device.
As you might expect, lots of mixed feelings over all this. I’m generally angry and frustrated that we have to go through all this and pay the $$. But although there are other options, for me the only solution was to do the procedure. Audrey’s become such a member of our family and a wonderful companion. She traveled with me to FL was has great potential doing therapy work. My silver lining is to document this all and to share her ordeal with children and adults who might also have orthopedic issues. She might resonate with them more and be a better support than she already will be.
And, for a while, I wondered about the breeder – who I was a bit iffy about – and what did happen that could have produced this. But I’ve pretty much let that go as something we’ll never know. I believe that the breeder didn’t know anything happened, that it could have been something significant but undetected or something minor and a fluke in the damage caused, and that a vet couldn’t have seen the extent of the problem until the dog got bigger. So I’m just letting that all go.
My choice instead is to do what I feel I need to and want to and that’s repair the leg of my little friend who brings us all so much joy (OK, well not so much the cats).
I’ll call later tonight to check on her and Alice and I will get her tomorrow. Til then…
Susan
