Question:
My 4-month old pup fell off an eight foot bridge into a small stream!!! It was horrible - gasp ... I just looked away for a second. She walked out and shook herself off and seemed fine except for a limp - a front leg. There seems to be no swelling but we iced it when we got home. She has been sort of limping ever since - Friday evening - but then by Saturday she only limped if she ran. Today I thought it was even better but then she played around with a friend and she seemed a little worse. She is still her playful self abd she lets me touch her everywhere and never seems in pain when I am "examining" her and everything seems to bend okay ... I really cannot afford a crazy, vet bill as I know it will be because of the nature of the injury .. but at the same time could something be really wrong and by waiting I am hurting her more? My friend keeps saying its just a sprain or a bruise ...??

Should I should wait a few more days and see if anything improves or that I am doing something really wrong by not getting her to the vet ASAP?

Answer:
Let's put it this way, if you fell off of a bridge and hurt your leg that caused you to limp for three days would you see a doctor? I think you would so it's probably safe to say that your dog would appreciate the same in return. It's rather cruel to expect you dog to put up with the pain.

Answer:
You could leave it be without having a vet look at it, but if it something ligament tear and if it gets worse You could be looking at a $3000 vet bill instead of a $150 vet bill which is what the cost will be close to if x-rays are needed.
. You were very lucky no internal organ damage occured or she would be dead by now, a dog can take amazing falls with serious internal damage and still be able to get up and walk around, there was one a year ago that fell off a cliff, when the owner got to the dog he walking around and looked basically undamaged but they rushed him to the vet anyway because of the height he fell from, a couple hours later at the vets they helped the dog to go to the bridge, it had suffered several broken ribs and serious internal trauma to several organs there was nothing the vet could do to save the dog the damage was too extensive

Answer:
Obviously if my dog was in acute pain I would take her to emergency immediately. And too many times I have waited long hours in emergency only for a doctor to tell me rest and ice - its a sprain. Thank goodness for health insurance - cause of OHIP (in my province) we never see the bill - if we could be so lucky with pet insurance. Please do not accuse me of cruelty - you do not even have the slightest bit of knowledge about me. I am seeking constuctive, knowledgeable posts.

My understanding is that the pain associated with ligament damage is different than pain of a sprain, strain or bruise. She did not fall off a cliff but off a footbridge and into a creek - water broke her fall. Yes ... we are VERY lucky...

What vet do you go to that you pay $150 for x-rays? My last dog - $400!

Answer:
My dog ripped her legiment in her knee, she limped and she didn't act like she was in huge amount of pain. Play it safe, take your pup to the vet.

Answer:
Originally Posted by osky
Please do not accuse me of cruelty - you do not even have the slightest bit of knowledge about me. I am seeking constuctive, knowledgeable posts.

I doubt you will find anyone on this board who will recommend anything other than seeing a vet to examine a small animal who has fallen from a great height and is exhibiting sympoms of pain three days after the injury. And contrary to what you may think water is not a soft landing from that height. Your dog is in pain and that should be enough reason for you - please see your Vet.

Answer:
Originally Posted by osky
She did not fall off a cliff but off a footbridge and into a creek - water broke her fall. Yes ... we are VERY lucky...

Think about doing a belly flop... feel good? no. Water doesn't break falls unless you are in a dive position, something that, most likely, your dog was not in. Please take your dog to the vet. If something is seriously wrong and you don't go, you will regret it more than if you go and it's nothing serious.

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If there is ANY doubt, you should go to the vet. It shouldn't even be a question.

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Lot of dog's don't show pain until it is severe. So looking for excuses not to take the dog to the vet is cruel.

What is a 4 month old puppy doing off leash? It was preventable.

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What vet do you go to that you pay $150 for x-rays? My last dog - $400!
Woodstock Veterinary Hospital

A dog does not alway have to be sedated for an x-ray, especially for a limb

With one of my foster dogs I held her wearing the lead apron while her leg was x-rayed

Even with sedation(it is not a full under) I have never paid anywhere near $400 for x-ray and I have had to pay for several in the last 3 year as one dog had a torn cruciate ligament and osteosarcoma so she had several sets done on hips and knee, another sprained a leg, and my boy has had 3 sets done to check is spleen in the last year checking for cancer and increased growth to ensure it is not impeding any organs


The last x-ray one of my dogs had was while he was under for a dental, it was an abdominal x-ray to check his spleen
the breakdown for cost of the x-ray on June 6th, 2006

14 X 17 x-ray $35
x-ray set up fee $20
interpretation fee $30

my total bill including dental cleaning and 2 extractions, anethesia, pain and antibiotic shots along with the xray , was $369.15 including tax the pre dental bloodwork was on another bill since he was having a wellness exam and vaccinations just a week earlier. and he is an 85 lb dog.

Answer:
I heard of a dog having a fall like that and getting up seeming fine and the next day she died of internal injuries.

Not something to wait out.

Answer:
Originally Posted by osky
My 4-month old pup fell off an eight foot bridge into a small stream!!! It was horrible - gasp ...

Not sure how a small stream can break an 8 foot fall, I know my dogs would certainly be in quite a bit of pain.


Originally Posted by osky
Should I should wait a few more days and see if anything improves or that I am doing something really wrong by not getting her to the vet ASAP?

Since you asked if you should take her to the vet, I am going to say yes, its a must.

Answer:
IM not going to sit here and state the obvious, I do hope however that you get the dog to the vet soon. If money is an issue right now, tell the vet.
But i really hope you get her in soon, you just never know!
Hope everything is alright.

Answer:
Well, I was looking for some comforting words and advice and got very few.

I was not looking for excuses not to take my pup to the vet - I have never hesitated to take her when my gut told me something was not right - like the time she developed a bull's eye rash just a month ago (symptom of Lyme disease). In fact that time my normal vet could not see me until the evening so I called and drove around until I found one that could see me immediately (turned out it was just a bite or a sting but I do not mess around with infections of any kind).
My previous dog got kicked by a horse and needed x-rays, sedation, anti-inflamatories,(sp?) pain meds and a splint - so the whole bill was somewhere around $400 several years ago so maybe my fears of inflated xray bills were just that - inflated.
Nevertheless for all you hypochondriacs who think I am cruel and do not love my best friend - I went to my normal vet first thing this morning and after a full exam (no x-rays necessary) he pronounced her fine. Phew... He said it is just a strain or a sprain and that if it was anything more she would have PRONOUNCED pain during walking, stretching (which she does alot - it is pretty funny) and especially during examination - she only looked bored during the whole thing. (You are probably also the folks that run to the ER when you stub your toe and let the taxpayers foot the bill for the Dr. saying "Oh poor you put some ice on it and take an Aspirin" ... $ching$ching$).

The vet also said that during his 25+ years of experience he has seen everything including, when he worked in TO, many dogs that jumped/fell from tall balconies. He said that only a couple of these dogs ever had any serious injuries and that falling down stairs (a common accident especially with puppies) caused far worse injuries. He said I did NOTHING wrong by waiting to take her in since she was in no obvious pain, had no swelling and was behaving perfectly normal. He said give it a week and if she is still limping bring her back in. I knew nothing was seriously wrong - my instincts told me that and I trust them not some nobodies on a website. Thanks for nothing.

Answer:
Originally Posted by osky
Well, I was looking for some comforting words and advice and got very few.

I was not looking for excuses not to take my pup to the vet - I have never hesitated to take her when my gut told me something was not right - like the time she developed a bull's eye rash just a month ago (symptom of Lyme disease). In fact that time my normal vet could not see me until the evening so I called and drove around until I found one that could see me immediately (turned out it was just a bite or a sting but I do not mess around with infections of any kind).
My previous dog got kicked by a horse and needed x-rays, sedation, anti-inflamatories,(sp?) pain meds and a splint - so the whole bill was somewhere around $400 several years ago so maybe my fears of inflated xray bills were just that - inflated.
Nevertheless for all you hypochondriacs who think I am cruel and do not love my best friend - I went to my normal vet first thing this morning and after a full exam (no x-rays necessary) he pronounced her fine. Phew... He said it is just a strain or a sprain and that if it was anything more she would have PRONOUNCED pain during walking, stretching (which she does alot - it is pretty funny) and especially during examination - she only looked bored during the whole thing. (You are probably also the folks that run to the ER when you stub your toe and let the taxpayers foot the bill for the Dr. saying "Oh poor you put some ice on it and take an Aspirin" ... $ching$ching$).

The vet also said that during his 25+ years of experience he has seen everything including, when he worked in TO, many dogs that jumped/fell from tall balconies. He said that only a couple of these dogs ever had any serious injuries and that falling down stairs (a common accident especially with puppies) caused far worse injuries. He said I did NOTHING wrong by waiting to take her in since she was in no obvious pain, had no swelling and was behaving perfectly normal. He said give it a week and if she is still limping bring her back in. I knew nothing was seriously wrong - my instincts told me that and I trust them not some nobodies on a website. Thanks for nothing.


Oooooh... I'm a total idiot. I failed to realize that the "Pet Health" forum was for owners seeking comforting words when they're pet gets injured because of their own negligence.

We're not accusing you of not loving your dog(s); and I'm sure you love them, but the fact that you let your 4-month old puppy off leash which allowed it wander off and fall off a bridge was unforgivable. You were *LUCKY* this time that it was neither a high bridge nor was the damage to your dog extensive, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have taken it to the vet for a quick check just to be safe EVEN if there was no noticable limp --which there was.

As for advice, we gave you advice. That advice was to "take it to see a vet, for it might end up being far worse than it seems". But you didn't seem to be seeking advice...you more seeking for more of an assurance that you should just leave it be and that "time heals all". If money is such a big factor, take it into consideration next time before making a commitment to buy yourself a pet or prepared to make sacrifices (I know I have, and I know many members of this forum has too).

Oh, and may I ask HOW your previous dog got kicked by a horse? My guess is --whether it was intensional or not-- you let it get too close to the horse (whether the leash was on at that time didn't matter), which may have startled the horse and as a result, your dog suffered for your stupidity. For most, this would've been a costly lesson on paying more close attention to your dog, but I guess you must be special: "special olympics" special.

And here's some Dog 101 as an added bonus: Dogs are pack animals. Showing signs of pain means showing signs of weakness, allowing lower-ranking pack members to take advantage and challenge it for their position in the pack. For this reason, dogs will hide their pain unless it's very painful. You even said yourself that she showed pain when you tried to "examine" her. If you decide not to return to this forum for help, that's fine. To each their own. But try not to think of your dog as a dog next time, trying considering it to be a baby and act accordingly.


EDIT: As for your vet with 25+ years of experience, I don't think that's even comparable the the sum of all the years of experience of the members of this forum from all walks of life

Game. Set. MATCH.

Answer:
Originally Posted by HunterXHunter
Oooooh... I'm a total idiot. I failed to realize that the "Pet Health" forum was for owners seeking comforting words when they're pet gets injured because of their own negligence.

We're not accusing you of not loving your dog(s); and I'm sure you love them, but the fact that you let your 4-month old puppy off leash which allowed it wander off and fall off a bridge was unforgivable. You were *LUCKY* this time that it was neither a high bridge nor was the damage to your dog extensive, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have taken it to the vet for a quick check just to be safe EVEN if there was no noticable limp --which there was.

As for advice, we gave you advice. That advice was to "take it to see a vet, for it might end up being far worse than it seems". But you didn't seem to be seeking advice...you more seeking for more of an assurance that you should just leave it be and that "time heals all". If money is such a big factor, take it into consideration next time before making a commitment to buy yourself a pet or prepared to make sacrifices (I know I have, and I know many members of this forum has too).

Oh, and may I ask HOW your previous dog got kicked by a horse? My guess is --whether it was intensional or not-- you let it get too close to the horse (whether the leash was on at that time didn't matter), which may have startled the horse and as a result, your dog suffered for your stupidity. For most, this would've been a costly lesson on paying more close attention to your dog, but I guess you must be special: "special olympics" special.

And here's some Dog 101 as an added bonus: Dogs are pack animals. Showing signs of pain means showing signs of weakness, allowing lower-ranking pack members to take advantage and challenge it for their position in the pack. For this reason, dogs will hide their pain unless it's very painful. You even said yourself that she showed pain when you tried to "examine" her. If you decide not to return to this forum for help, that's fine. To each their own. But try not to think of your dog as a dog next time, trying considering it to be a baby and act accordingly.


EDIT: As for your vet with 25+ years of experience, I don't think that's even comparable the the sum of all the years of experience of the members of this forum from all walks of life

Game. Set. MATCH.


My only stupid mistake was thinking that knowledgeable, friendly people used this site. I cannot give you my life story or even my pet's story on this site - I have not the time or care to try to educate idiots like you. You make assumptions and call me "stupid" and then try to say that I should take stangers' words over the words of my vet with EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE and the intimate KNOWLEDGE of my pet. LOL,LOL!!!
I think this post is too rude to be up there and with people like this on this site I will not visit again. Its dog people like you who ruin it for the rest of us.

Answer:
When a pet limps, it's doing so because there is obvious pain. A dog can conceal a great deal of pain, with no noticeable sign to their human companions. If your dog is limping, it could be a bad sprain, a broken leg, joint injury, or other injuries only obvious from an x-ray.

See your Vet right away. If this is a fairly decent Vet, you should be able to set up some sort of payment schedule. Most Vets will accept payments when they realize that "lump sum" payments cannot be afforded. Discuss this with the Vet BEFORE treatment begins.

Please keep up posted.

Answer:
As for making assumptions...let's rewind a bit:
Originally Posted by osky
(You are probably also the folks that run to the ER when you stub your toe and let the taxpayers foot the bill for the Dr. saying "Oh poor you put some ice on it and take an Aspirin" ... $ching$ching$).


Regarding being rude:
Originally Posted by osky
Thanks for nothing.


Originally Posted by osky
I will not visit again.

I hope you're not saying that just to make me happy

Answer:
Let us end this back and forth "game" now... shall we? (not really a request)

Thank you.

Answer:
I think you're BOTH being rude.

Who here hasn't had their pet (or even child for that matter) get injured because you turn your back for a second??????

Are you insinuating that having horses and dogs together is automatically being a bad owner????

Let's get a bit of reality together here. If you post online about an injury, you'll be told to go to the vet. No one here can see the dog or guess the extent of injury. Just for easing the mind, it's the best bet.

At the same time, accusing someone of being a bad owner when they do something that EVERYONE might do once in a while is not only unwelcoming but insulting. This is not in the spirit of this website IMO.

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here, Here I Agree With Phoenix, Accidents Happen, Learn From Them And Educate Others (politley Please) also working in many barns and farms, horses and dogs seem to go hand in hand

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