It took the dogs two days to discover that the gate could be pushed open, but discover it they did! We live on a 2 lane road where the semi's go zipping by at well over the 55 mph speed limit. Thank God my neighbor noticed that the dogs (at least some of them) were running loose - something they NEVER do! She ran to myhouse and let me know, then I ran to the back yard to calling the dogs. Four did not come.
I immediately ran outside, calling for anyone, but no dogs in sight. By then the neighbor had been told by a passing motorist that a dog had been hit about half a mile from us. I ran back inside to do a nose count so I would at least be sure of who was missing. In my original panic I counted only bodies, not names. Turned out Rocky, Phantom, Candy and my Jazz Fest were the ones gone. I then called Deb and left a message for her to please come back to my place (she had just left) and my neighbor had already called Dorothy, our agility instructor.
I frantically circled the "block" (which is actually a square mile) but saw no one anywhere. Came back home and started walking the field behind our house. Suddenly Phantom appeared out of the brush and eventually came to me - happy as a clam. I settled him safely in the house then got back in the car. I passed my neighbor on the road and she said a friend of mine had spotted one in a field across the way from us. Eventually we tracked him down in a wooded area and after much, much coaxing a vert scared Rocky came out of the brush and into my arms. Two down, two to go.
More driving and looking - especially in ditches. We still remembered the report of a dog being hit. Finally Candy was spotted in a field across the road from our house. Deb and I tried to find her but she was to scared to respond to our calls. I eventually entered the woods, found a fallen tree and just sat - quietly calling to her. I heard some twigs crack, looked up across a large ditch, and there was my Candy. Well..........she tried to jump the ditch but ended up in the middle of it - just glaring at me like it was MY fault that she was up to her eyeballs in water! When she got moving again it was straight to me, into my arms and kissing. Its a really long story but Candy was imported more than three years ago - and this past winter was the first she has even come willingly to me in the house. I am utterly amazed (and very, very thankful) that in her fear she ran straight to me. Patience with this beautiful bitch had finally paid off and to this day she is my shadow. That made three safe and sound!
While Deb and I hunted for Candy, Dorothy and my neighbor had spotted Jazz in the field and went to the back yard to reopen the gate - hoping Jazz would go back in the yard. After getting Candy dried off and settled in the house, three of us left by the back door planning to walk the tree line looking for Jazz. It was Deb that heard something and then spotted Jazz - in our yard - hidden behind a tree. We knew immediately she was hurt. There was considerable blood around her and it was obvious that her rear legs were mangled. I removed my jacket, scooped her up and we headed to the vet.
Of course they were at lunch! A phone call got them quickly back to the clinic and I knew Jazzy was in good hands. As it stands now, Jazzy has a fractured pelvis - three places. I think there is a minor break in one rear leg (I WAS pretty shook up - surprised I remembered anything!!). The other rear leg has several breaks, including the hock area. Three of her toes were nothing but bone on that leg. Both legs are badly cut and bruised but those will heal. Right now they are going to try and save the leg but there is some doubt about all the toes, possibly even the entire foot. Anyone that knows my Jazz knows that no sweeter dog has ever walked the earth and I hope all my Internet friends will keep her in their prayers tonight.
May 1, 1998
Well, there is good news and not-so-good news. The good news is that there are NO internal injuries to be found. If there had been internal damage I know I would have at least reconsidered my decision to go all out to save Jazzy. But, there are not! And her spirit, along with her vital signs, are great!!
I have just returned from an hour long visit with Jazz and the vets and I can assure you that she has won over every person that works at the clinic! But..........those who know her well would expect that, huh Julie? Jazzy is on IV's, has a toasty warm heating pad and the attention of all who pass her cage. Annie, head tech, insists that Jazzy ONLY be wrapped in hot pink vetwrap - which is Jazzy's "best" color!
Jazz had minor surgery today to clean and sew all the lacerations on her legs. Some of the holes were so deep that they went all the way to the bone. All will heal, along with her badly bruised little body, in time. The pelvis IS fractured in three places but this is not considered a "big deal" by any of my three vets. They feel that it will heal just fine over time.
On the not so bright side, her right hock is broken in two places. All four of the metacarpal bones in her right foot are broken. There is still a great deal of swelling, there is no skin covering the two toes and it will be a long, long time before the foot will be totally healed. IF it can be healed. At the moment there is still blood flow to the foot and all looks hopeful. They have decided to wait a few days before doing any surgery on the hock or foot to see whether or not the promising circulation remains promising. No sense in doing surgery on the leg if she is only going to lose it a week later. If it comes down to amputation, it WILL be the entire leg. I know Jazz can survive even that with her fantastic spirit. I hope I can do as well if it comes down to that..............
Just a sidenote on how amazingly strong these great little dogs are: we measured the distance from where a passerby said he saw a dog get hit (he was probably the one who did the hitting!) to our back fence. With her pelvis broken on the left side, a totally useless leg on the right and a severly injured leg on the left - Jazz made it back home over a distance of 2/5ths of a mile.
Bill will likely pick her up tomorrow and bring her home for a few days. We are only 10 minutes from the clinic so check-ups are not a problem. Bill changing the dressings might be!
May 4, 1998
Deb came with me today for Jazzy's visit to the vet - something I just didn't feel like facing alone. Besides, two can remember all our questions far better than one!
Circulation remains good to her toes and it looks like she will keep her leg. It will be a long, long time before her foot is "normal", but it will come.........
The vet has decided, as with human broken toes, there is little to do but keep them immobile until healed. Jazzy will of course also have to produce a lot of new skin in order to cover them! The stench from her foot is unbelievable - tho expected. The is now much sloughing off of the dead skin, some pus, etc. but NOTHING like we feared.
As for the broken hock, that too is immobilized within the soft wrap that covers her foot. That is all they intend to do and feel it will heal as well this way as if pinned. There will likely be stiffness in the joint later, but there would probably be stiffness if it were pinned too. The vet feels the toes will eventually regain complete mobility and usefullness.
The hip too will heal by itself with lots of rest and care. It is doubtful, but not out of the question, that she will ever be bred again. Makes me even more grateful that her son Phantom was the first to return home, and we also have her puff youngster Duke here with us. No daughter, but maybe someday............ I have added new pictures, not necessarily for the squeamish. A couple show her trusting eyes and the complete faith she has in us.
May 12, 1998
For all of you that have been sending private inquiries about Jazzy, and for those of you simply following her progree, here is the latest.
Jazz still has no appetite but accepts food forcibly twice a day. There has been no noticible loss of weight and I guess I am now glad she was a bit heavy! So far - two poops in 12 days. Not great but at least I know everything DOES work...........
It has now been 12 days since Jazzy was hit, and in many respects there is a great improvment. The left leg has had the stitches removed and the cuts and abrasions are pretty much healed. She is also putting some weight on her left leg so I have to hope that the pelvis is healing as well as I was told it would. Still confined at all times (except "potty time") to a fairly small crate, she manages to get herself upright and turned around fairly easily. She is also almost always "standing" when I come to take her outside.
The right leg, according to my vets, is coming along fine. I take her to the clinic every other day for a dressing change, and then every other day Bill and I do it at home ourselves. Last Thursday was probably the worst day and I knew when I went into her room in the morning that things were pretty stinky. When Bill got home and we changed the bandage the entire front of her foot seemed to come off in his hands. And smell!!!! It was pretty bad with the bandage ON, unbearable with it off. Sure glad I did not follow my childhood dream of nursing - I wouldn'ta made it! The bones are clearly visable, with little flesh on one of the center toes. There is considerable surface bleeding now when we change the dressings and this has only been for the past three days. I am assured by those who should know that this is a GOOD sign and her circulation is ok. However, it is NOT something we look forward to seeing. As for the pads on this foot, they are actually looking pretty good. The swelling is coming down all the time and the pads are still bright pink and jet black. I am confident that she will, one day, run again.
As for the broken hock - it is encased in the same bandage that covers her raw foot. The hope is that the bones will fuse together fairly well and that the hock, tho stiff, will be serviceable. I can tell you that Bill and I seem more worried about hurting the hock when changing bandages than the vets do. Must be sturdier than I seem to think it is.
Hilda sent me some information a few days ago on the great benefits of table sugar and she thought it moght greatly help Jazz. I remembered also reading about sugar in the James Heriot books so I really was more than willing to give it a try. Hilda feels it would help to regenerate new skin, in addition to preventing infection, reducing swelling, etc. My vets, while they did NOT laugh at me, felt that the sugar would only have been beneficial in the first few days as a way to drain bodily fluids and reduce the swelling. Both vets said if I really wanted to try it at home that I can, but to leave it on for only an hour then WASH the foot completely and rebandage as usual. Hilda said to pack the foot in sugar and bandage, changing daily but DO NOT wash, only add more sugar. The sugar will turn to the consistancy of honey and do its "magic". Now we all know Hilda's "other" calling! I really am torn about what to do. I want to give the sugar a try but see no point in it if I am only going to leave it on for an hour, then wash it off. So, at the moment, I am following the procedures my vets have asked for. I sure hope I don't regret it........
There are new pics of Jazzy and her feet so you can see just how well she really is doing. Her spirit never changes. No whining or whimpering ever. When being worked on you can feel her flinch and see the tension in her eyes, but her tail just never stops. She is one in a million!
June 17, 1998
It has now been 7 weeks (7 LONG weeks!) since the accident and overall I guess the end results are better than we could have hoped for. There are more new pictures up so you can see for yourselves!
We ran out of pain pills more than a week ago and I had hoped there would be no more need for them. However, Jazz stopped eating again by the second day without the pills. And it was obvious when changing the dressing that she was extremely uncomfortable.So she is back on the pills and again her attitude is great. The appetite is not, but it IS better.
The left leg of course looks great and I think the pelvis/hip has healed completely. The right hock remains bent at a strange angle but not as bad as was feared a couple of weeks ago. Deb kept telling me it would get better as Jazz got stronger and I guess she was right!
The skin and tissue on the right foot are filling in and the hair is starting to grow back like crazy! Full socks in no time. As of now there is a piece of bone (possibly toenail but we're not convinced yet) extending from her second toe. That toe has suddenly decided to take a bend upwards and the piece of bone apparently rubs against the bandage more than before. When Jazz sees the vet the next time we will see about having this removed if at all possible at this stage as this is the major source of pain for her.
The broken piece of bone in the middle of the wound remains but is not extremely sensitive to touch. The entire foot will never again have the shape of a normal foot. It looks like it has been squashed in a vice and totally flattened. Her toes are no longer separate, but kinda melded together. According to the vet - she will develop callouses on her pads as soon as we finally remove the bandage and the foot WILL be serviceable.
Dressings are still being changed every other day and it looks like soon (I hope!) we will be able to remove them completely. Cross your fingers! By the way - Jazzy is already practicing her dance routine. Nothing seems to keep her down for long!
March, 1999
It has now been almost a year since the accident. Jazzy can do, and does, everything she ever did and remains the outgoing, bubbly dog that I adore. There is a permanent limp - noticed by all but the most unobservant. The foot is flat but that doesn't slow her down a bit! Nor do low fences into the garden area. Judging by x-rays, her pelvis is totally healed and I have been given the go ahead to breed her again. She is in season as I type this but I've decided to wait yet another six months. A little more time won't hurt anything!
