aaarrgghhh..

[terri]

morning all....:075:
had an emergency dash to the vets again last night..with you guess who....Harley...
hes now petrified of going to the vets and shock like a little jelly..bless his heart..
we are now back to square one...what little re cartlidge regrowth Harley has formed..hes somehow tore it...and his holding the leg in such a funny position now..vets checked him over...and said hes tore all the good work..hes obviously felt better in harleys mind..but hes body is not allowing him forward....and thinks he could and can do more..then he actually can...bless him..i was just in tears last night..and he is so stiff this morning..and can hardley walk again...prior to this most of the medication had been stopped or reduced..and he was using the leg quite well considering what hes been through, and not really holding his paw and leg up much...
vets think rather than weeks we are taking years and Hareys carlidge may never regrow back fully now...the original cartlidge..would have been mm's in thickness Harleys new regrowth would have been about a mm in thickness if that..and will never be as strong as his original..
so we now have had a huge set back..and he may permantley be like this...which is a real kick in the teeth..as i have done everything i can possibly have done..for the good of Harley..so its even more of a restricted regime for my poor boy..and i now have to up the metacam..just when we were reducing it...
its so frustrating..and upsetting to see him like this...
but i have been told i have to now start expecting set backs..but we had done so well and harley was making huge paws forward..
we defiantley need the hydrotherapy..but the waiting list is quite long..and my vets are going to phone them to see if they can start to get Harley in any sooner..
as because he has had no excerise in 8 weeks now..he is gaining weight at quite a rate...despite reducing his food intake to half...
which is not doing him any favours..

i'm sorry to rant on, but know you will all be here willing my boy well and knowing what i feel i'm going through..feel better for sharring..and thank you so much for helping me through this and just being her to support me....

love terri and my brave boy Harey...
x

[Meerkat]

aww I'm sorry Terri :075:

Right food - I have just read some interesting stuff on another site - it says about feeding a lower percentage of fats and oils and increasing the ash and fibre content and feeding 3 smaller meals a day rather than 1 meal if you can (the ash will make him feel full but has little nutrional value)

Not sure if that will help, but worth looking at changing his food if you can to help his weight and look at the ingriedients

[terri]

thanks caroline..
Harley is extremly fussy eater..and will only eat meat..will not touch dried food at all...so i use the natures menu pouches for him..and he only has half..in between this he does have cooked chicken..but this is purley to get all his medication down him..or he will just spit it out..

harley has always been a chunky boy...as a puppy at 12 weeks he weighed 5.8 kg...
last year he weighed 19 KG...:074:
but in the last 8 weeks since all of this..and him not being allowed any ecersie..he now weighs 25 kg.....:032:, which has scarred the life out of me...i know this is far too much..but i'm in a catch 22...as harley eats..but cannot excerise..hes not a big eater..despite being the size he is..and i'm very strict with what he does eat..the chicken is small pieces not slices..just to wra around the huge synolux pills..as he will jsut spit them out..he also has to have something to eat in order to take the metacam..which is a handful of chicken...just to line his timmy..
and throughout the day..he has two smackos..and 2 little gravy bones..so not huge amounts of food...

so please don't shoot me down for him being so big..as i said my vets think harley was right at 19 kg..as he is a solid boy..he has huge paws..short legs and a big square head..and he is full show cocker..
and vets are aware of this...hence why the hydrotherapy will in time hopefully help get him down..
vets think harley wuld be right at 19 kg....as he really is a solid boy..
i'm only 5 foot 4 inches tall..so trying to lift harley when i suffer with back problems myself...is very hard on my back...

[Meerkat]

I'm not gonna shoot you down :072:

Mmm can we get rid of the smacko's and have a kong with a smidge of low fat soft cheese smeared inside instead ??? or marmite

Just a suggestion as the smackos take seconds to eat and the kong would last a bit longer and make him work a bit for it

[terri]

Harley does not do toys...he loved tennis balls..but as he cannot excerise..he can't have them..or he would just shred them..
he would just guard a kong..but not eat it...
i even brought a raw hide chew..he has not touched it..as i said he is extremly fussy eater..he does not like cheese at all...
the smacko is the only little trat he has..but he does just swallo them whole..i'm sure he can't tast them..

here is harley..taken a few mins ago...
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll287/terrig8/100_1709.jpg

x

i don't think i can feel any more awful than i already do...as he was ( still is in my eyes)..a very handsome boy..
he loved his off lead excersie chasing his tennis balls over the field and park..and is about right at 19 kg..
as he is a stocky boy..
but in 8 weeks he has gained 6 kg..as he is not allowed to walk..has to be carried to the garden..and carried back..on vets instructions..even i said can't he walk to the garden..and vet said i would rather you carry him..
so he just has a very short walk in the garden to do his toilet breaks..then slleps on my bed..as hes not allowed to interact and chase my other cockers around..and eats..
he is and has never been a greedy cocker..he can be lazy...but even more so now as his body will not allow him to do anything..
so i feel so low with all this at present..so i can't feel anymore guilty...but i really don't have any options at present..and i just hope and pray that harley can get into the hydrotherapy pool soon..as i feel the weight will come off...but when you are not allowed to excerise him due to the joint damage...and waiting..and waiting for cartlidge regrowth..which i have been told last night..can now take years to re grow back..and sometimes it never fully re grows...its hard...

[Meerkat]

Terri i'm sorry i wasn't having a go I thought a few idea might help

I'm sorry that they made you feel worse and i apologise :Z

:075::078:

[terri]

aw please don't apoligise caroline :075:..you have nothing to apoligise for..
its just how i'm feeling at present..angry..upset..
things can hopefully only get better...

and i have appricatied your input..i don't think anyone can help..
its down to nature..and the healing process..and lots of patince and time...
its just at present we seem to be going round in circles..a few paws forward..then a huge paw backwards...
its just soul destorying..whn i personally love my doggies so mcuh..and the feeling of total HELPLESSNESS...

thanks for listneing to me moan caroline...
love terri
x

[Meerkat]

I'm here anytime for any one on VC - you should know that by now and don't apologise for moaning at all we all need to let off steam and have a rant and rave at times
:075:
Loads of love and hugs

[fangedwolf]

I hope Harley feels better soon, and you to terri!

[lisalh]

SOrry I havent got any advise for you terri just great big hugs to you and harley:075::075::075:

[Emparr]

Ah Terri..... you are such a good Mummy. He is loved and well cared for, and he knows that at least.

It is awful when they get something that makes us feel out of control (in other words we have no quick fix cure).

Just keep your pecker up for him......you'll both come through this one way or another. xx

Cyber hugs for you all.:075:

Maureen....and her cockers. xx

[Rats and Dogs]

Terri, I'm so sorry that Harley has had another setback. I work in a vets and we have a client with a dog with the same problem in his elbow, she uses a sling to help him walk without putting pressure on it, as he is too big for her to carry. Would this type of thing help you a bit, even for taking him out into the garden.

http://www.doolittlespetproducts.com/liftnaidslings.html

I hope the hydrotherapy waiting list isn't too long and your vet can hurry it up a bit.

Big hugs to you, and come on here all you like, that's what we're here for. xxx
:075:

[Penelope]

Love n hugs to you and Harley.

[AngieBaby!]

I really feel for you hun, Harley must be really bemused at ehat's happening to him poor chap. Sending lots of love and healing thoughts.:075:

[Kimberley]

No advice sorry, Just hope Harley feels better soon.

[jean]

poor terri
maybe just get him a smaller bowl and give him less of what he likes until he is more mobile?
the bigger the bowl the more you put in so then you wont feel so bad.. hes not needing as much as hes getting so he wont starve. xxxx
its those big sad eyes that do it. half the smacko as well. and feed it in little bits to him a half a day and he will taste it more maybe and enjoy it a bit better..
anyway :075::075::075: to you and the very handsome harvey. :077:

[Tanya]

aw so sorry to read this Terri, it must be so hard to keep weight steady with no exercise :|

:075::075:

[Kimberley]

Terri,

Just a thought love, you may have tried this not sure. I had problems with my X-Lab trying to keep her weight off, I tried grated carrotts on top of her food then cabbage. To my amazement she loved the cabbage. But the best thing I stumbled on was Horse Bran, if you can get your hands on it, a local pet shop used to bag it up in 2lbs bags, it fills them up but keeps the weight off. Anything is worth a try.

[Sandra]

Terri you know how sorry I am to hear about Harley. Sending hugs to the gorgeous boy.:077: