Advice please

[gsdmom]

Just got home from the vet with Destiny. (She is an FOB save from Davenport 1 and 1/2 years ago.) Somehow she poked a hole in her leg over the knee that the vet can slide two fingers in. She is spending the night and having surgery first thing in the morning. She is on IV antibiotics over night. He wants to put 2 or 3 drains in and check the tendon. Anybody have any experience that they can share. We are very upset right now and need some reassurance. He said that we could mess around with this for 3 months or do surgery now. Please share what you can and I will pass along the information to my daughter. She has been in tears since she found Destiny with this injury this afternoon.

Thanks!
Kathy

[pnp4kidz]

baby Phoenix last winter or spring cut his knee,
of course he was found with it when someone came to look at him...
brought him out, and he had a watermelon sized knee... GREAT.
we were going to Loomis anyway, so popped him in the trailer... and off we went,
they were able to get a catheter in the hole,
it wasn't large, but of course they were concerned it went into the joint.
he spent three nights, on IV antibiotics,
mostly because it's a 2 hour drive each way, and I had to work until Friday then I could go get him again,
they took xrays, and flushed it, and that all looked good,
and wrapped the leg, and in the morning, voila!
swelling gone, and he's his old self.
now, it did swell for a few days, if the bandage came off,
but we just did the antibiotics, and it healed up perfectly,
and now, you'd never know unless you saw my Care Credit bill!
:-)
I guess I could have waited and seen, or called a local vet who might have been more conservative, but if it WAS in the joint, this was going to yeild the best outcome, and that is what you have to go for.

I'm hoping you have the same,
the wound is just in tissue, which is swollen and stuff, and they will do antibiotics and a wrap, and all will be good...
that is what I"m hoping for.

[halfwayhome]

You are doing the right thing, open injury holes in the joint area need to be treated aggressively right from the start with the antibiotics and treatment to have the best chance of avoiding an infection getting into the joint itself and the bone. A mare I knew had a bad rear hock injury torn open to the bone and joint and the owner did this and she healed really really well. She did end up with a scar there, but was totally functional and sound. I used to help them with her followup treatment at the time.

[gsdmom]

Thank you both SO much. We really trust this vet and your words have made it all seem right. She will have the best chance that we can give her to be sound on this leg.

Kathy

[cutiepiepmu]

You are definately doing the right thing by having the surgery done. Puncture type wounds around the knee need to be addressed ASAP or they can get seriously infected and cause massive problems with the joint. Waiting in situations like this RARELY end up going positive the the long term soundness and wellbeing of the animal.

If it is above the joint, then there is a VERY strong chance that your kid will be fine after the area is cleaned, medicated and stitched up.

Keep your chin up. It is really hard when our babies are hurting and there is unknown outcome. But, you have done all the right stuff so far and that is batting 1000 in the right direciton!!!

Sara

[beckybee]

Yeah, do the surgery. Manny came from the feedlot with wounds that were "healing" - at least on the outside.

He had a strange lameness for over a year and a half, and the vet didn't want to blame it on the wounds because they looked healed and weren't on any joint. (Well, one is on the pastern and the vet poked, prodded, pushed & pulled on that one and Manny didn't flinch, so we are holding our breath that it's okay. The xrays show the attachment points of his collateral ligaments are enlarged so we may be facing sidebone or ringbone in the future.)

Anyway, we finally had surgery to clean him up almost 2 years after the injury and he seems to be all better. If I had been more aggressive when I first got him, we would have saved vet money in the long run and we would have been able to progress with his training on schedule. I kick myself for not pushing the vet sooner.

[gsdmom]

Thanks to all of you that responded. Destiny is recovering nicely tonight. There was no damage to the knee joint or the tendon. They are going to keep her until Sunday afternoon and then decide if she can come home or not. Sarah found a post that came loose from the field fence that had blood and hair on it. Costly lesson learned. We are so glad it is just money and not Destiny's knee or soundness.

Kathy