Hello everyone. I am new to this site but I am hoping some of you can offer some hints and/or encouragement. I am mom to a 6 year old newfie. I have had many larger dogs in my life (collies, boxers, German shepherds) but I have always wanted a Newfie. About two years ago we adopted our wonderful Jack as a three year old. It was great for us- he was already housebroken and was a real lover. Of course over the last two years he has become such a part of our lives. He is big, hairy, lazy, and so entertaining. We love him very much.
About two weeks ago Jack was trying to come up the stairs to our elevated deck. He has made the trip many, many times, but this time he lost his footing and fell backward down the stairs. When we examined him he was unable to walk on his left rear leg. We took him immediately to the Pet ER nearby. It turns out Jack had a dislocated left hip. That was the beginning of our trials and tribulations.
The vet advised us to wait until the next day when the surgeon would be in the office. She was not confident that she could reduce the hip as Jack is a rather large slice of dog (175 lb.) The next day Jack's hip was reduced successfully and he was placed in an Ehmer sling to prevent weight bearing. The first day at home trying to help this large immobile dog was a nightmare. We finally got a little better at it; but when we returned to the vet, the hip had dislocated again. The vet is a real gem who spent a great deal of time with us explaining options. We decided to go with bone anchors and heavy suture to try to keep the head of the femur in place. We were very happy when the vet called us and said the procedure was successful. By the next morning when we went to collect him from the vet, his hip had already dislocated again. Again we discussed and weighed the options. The doctor was helpful but felt that there really is no "great" solution for a huge dog with this sort of problem. Last Thursday he re-did the bone anchor& suture procedure using much stronger materials. Again our Jack is in a sling. Although he can move a bit on three legs, we are supposed to use a towel sling around his hindquarters to walk him. This time he has a more sturdy splint made of ace wraps and adhesive tape. It seems much more secure than the first. The problem is this: When we take him out to toilet him he sits down to pee. He then pees all over the bottom part of the sling and himself. If we don't take the towel off, he would pee on that too. He is an indoor dog and we want it to stay that way- especially since he is injured. Any ideas how I can keep him from messing on himself and his sling during his recovery?
Thanks for any help you can provide. He has to stay in the sling for at least two-four weeks.