# Rio the Aussie is hurt :(



## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

I posted a while back about Rio the little Aussie I have. She's a total sweetheart... only about 5ish months old. 

We have a picnic table in our backyard and two days ago she climbed up on it, which was so weird for her because she doesn't normally jump up on things. Well, I saw her up there and told her 'Rio, off!'. She lept off of the table and when she landed she yelped and continued to cry. I ran over to her and she calmed down, but she isn't putting any weight on her leg.

She started toe touching yesterday so I have seen some improvement, but her knee seems swollen and she is definitely in pain.

We are taking her to the vet tonight. I just wanted to get yall's thoughts. 5 months seems young to have a torn ACL... maybe she broke the leg? Ugh. I can't stand to see her in pain and I feel like it's my fault since she jumped off because I asked her to.  She cried a lot when she jumped off, but she hasn't been crying since. I hope she just pulled something.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

It could be a fracture.... 

Hope she feels better after the vet....


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

I don't think I'm going to be able to take her in til tomorrow. Is there any way that I might be able to tell if it is ACL or a break?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Really, it's best to take her sooner rather than later and have it checked. A vet will do a "drawer test" on the knee joint to see if the ligament provides resistance or if the joint just slides back and forth like a drawer. BUT If there is a chance it is broken you don't want to try and manipulate it, and as a lay person you probably couldn't tell if the joint moved or not.

Please take her to the vet.


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

I'm going to try to take her tonight. I have to take her when it is slow because exams, etc are free if Steven is on shift... but he has to not have other patients. Anxiously awaiting his phone call to head over.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I'm so sorry to hear about Rio, hope you were able to get her in, checked, and it's not serious. 

Looking forward to your update.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

How did Rio do last night? Don't blame yourself--a 5 month old Aussie should be able to jump off of a picnic table without harm. It's either a freak accident or something was wrong already. 

Let us know how Rio is.


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

I see that you're online...any update on Rio?


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

Any updates? I hope Rio has been seen.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Rio*

I agree to take her as soon as possible. You don't want it to get worse and swelling can be painful.


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

Thanks for checking in! Vet said to do a regimin of vetprofin and tramadol for a week and then bring her back. He is leaning toward a sprain. He wants to do xrays in a week if not better

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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Hope it turns out that it's just a sprain for Rio. 

Poor baby, hope she's feeling better soon.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Praying*



ashleylp said:


> Thanks for checking in! Vet said to do a regimin of vetprofin and tramadol for a week and then bring her back. He is leaning toward a sprain. He wants to do xrays in a week if not better
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Praying she gets better and hope it is a sprain.


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

The swelling has gone down and she is toe touching! hoping she only improves from here. 

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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

I just let her out for her final bathroom break before bed and was astounded that she took off RUNNING full speed. I had to calm her down. She is still not back to normal but is toe touching and clearly the pain meds are working. She is now sitting with her leg bent which leads me to believe (from what I have read online) that she does not have an ACL injury. Hoping to God that it's not broken and that she will heal up and be back on all four feet soon!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great to hear Rio's leg is improving. 

Hope she's back to normal soon.


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

We went back to the vet today. It's broken. She is in a cast 

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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Oh no, I am so sorry! She is young though, she will heal quickly!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Sorry Ashley.... I was going to say don't believe anything when the dog is pain meds. It why we had to be careful many years ago with our Danny who would feel just wonderful on pain meds and he'd really mess up his elbows vs taking it easy as he otherwise would be. But that said, I really was hoping it was just a muscle pull. Darn.  

Hope she heals up fast. It's tough with these young dogs. You don't really want to wrap them in bubble wrap or anything like that, but the jumping around can be a nervous thing while their bones are still growing.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Rio*



ashleylp said:


> We went back to the vet today. It's broken. She is in a cast
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I agree, Rio will heal quickly!


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

The way the break is the vet is hopeful that it will straighten itself out and heal nicely. In five weeks we re xray. Worst case scenario she always has one leg shorter than the other (by a few centimeters) and has a hardly noticible limp. We could have put pins etc in it for 2500 but the outcomes wouldn't have been significantly different so we chose to splint and cast it. 

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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

Well, the cast is off! the vet was thrilled with how it healed. However, she is still not using it entirely. The vet said to give it some time, but I'm worried. Will she always try to hold it up?

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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

I have no experience to call upon, but I would think she will gradually put more and more weight on it. It's probably tender right now. Glad she's healed up!


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

I know her leg was in a set position for a month so I need to be patient! Just was disappointed to see her not using it a ton. 

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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I'm just getting caught up again on Rio, so sorry I missed the previous updates. 

Sorry her leg was broken, great to hear the cast is off. 

Hope she starts using it soon and gets back to normal activity.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

ashleylp said:


> Well, the cast is off! the vet was thrilled with how it healed. However, she is still not using it entirely. The vet said to give it some time, but I'm worried. Will she always try to hold it up?
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Ask your vet if some simple therapy exercises are ok. We used these on my foster dog that had hip surgery and wasn't using the leg when he should have been.

Range of motion stretches first to warm up and stretch muscles. 
Walking across unstable surfaces like pillows or seat cushions so she has to use all four legs to balance.
Standing on a balance board if you have one
Set up a row of rails (or broom handles) a few inches off the ground and walk her across them slowly so she has to step with each leg independently
Slow walks, slow enough she has to take steps with each leg
Slow walks up and down slight grades (driveways on my street are uphill from the street)
Weight shifting, when the dog is standing lean into the dog on the good side so that they shift their weight onto the legs on the other (bad) side
Weight bearing, when the dog is standing pick up the good leg for a count to 5, then move up to 10, so their weight is on the bad leg

These are non force, non invasive and teach them to use the leg again and help build some muscle. But ask the vet first if these are ok.


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## rooroch (Nov 7, 2012)

I agree with Mylissyk. I did nearly all of her exercises with my soft coated wheaten after she broke her front leg badly playing with the other dogs. She was 14 months old and spent 2 months on crate rest. Slow walking. Going up hill (not down hill too much at the beginning). I was lucky as we have a private golf course with small grassy hills on it. I would go up the steep side and down the almost flat side. Taking the weight from the good leg to make him stand on the bad one for a few seconds. Increasing slowly as it gets stronger. After a couple months I let her off leash and everything was fine and never had a problem again. She lived until 14 years old.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Did little Rio start using that leg, is she adopted now?


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

Yes and adopted to the perfect family =)

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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Yay! So happy for her.


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## ang.suds (Apr 1, 2014)

Yay for Rio!!


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