Rehabilitating Murphy

by Courtney Mroch | More from this Blogger

29 Nov 2008 03:40 PM

Wednesday morning Murph and I had what's become our ritual two week check up with the vet who operated on his paw. (Since the beginning of October, every two weeks we go in for a progress check.)

I thought since the one last time, which I thought was going to be Cast Off Day but didn't quite turn out that way, was a little more involved than normal we'd have a quick in and out trip this Wednesday. I also thought the soft cast would come off and Murph would be done with all that.

Wrong!

The vet did take the soft cast off, but then he replaced it with a splint. He's hoping it will encourage Murph to try and use his leg more.

He also informed me that until he does see him putting more pressure on it and not hoping around with his paw lifted instead of even trying to limp, he's going to have some form of support on that paw for the next two to four months.

I was crushed. That means Murph's truly on schedule for the six month recovery plan. I was so hoping that wouldn't be the case.

The vet picked up Murph's back legs and made him put pressure on his front ones to make sure he could. He did without whimpering or complaint. But he's still not using it like he should.

As the vet put it, "It's like he forgot he's got that leg."

I asked if there was anything I could do to help encourage him to use it more. Any exercises or commands or tricks he might know of that could help. Sadly, he didn't.

"It's a psychological thing, yes, but that's tricky to overcome when dogs have suffered injuries of this variety."

Tricky it may be, but that vet doesn't know what kind of momma he's dealing with. If I can rehabilitate the cats, I can rehabilitate Murphy!

And I'm going to try using some of the same techniques I did with those cats on Murphy too. Namely, positive reinforcement.

I'm determined to help him remember he's got another leg and get him back on the walking track again!

Question to Readers

Have you ever had to rehabilitate a recovering pet? What did you do? Did you find any techniques more helpful than others?

Courtney Mroch writes about animals great and small in Pets and the harmony and strife that encompasses married life in Marriage. For a full listing of her articles click here.

Learn more about Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a wife, a proud pet parent, and a writer. She's been with her husband, high school sweetheart Wayne Pryor, over 20 years, married 11 of those. She's "mom" to Mr. Meow, a.k.

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thankful (291) 05 Dec 2008 09:35 AM

What if you put some type of splint on the good leg as well. this may take some of the psychological attention off the bad leg. even a sock, something to distract him from the bad one. Just a suggestion. good luck Cathy

Samual (11722) 05 Dec 2008 12:36 PM

Our old dog broke his right front leg, so he had an operation to screw everything in place, then a hard cast and then he had a splint too. It took him nearly two months to put the smallest amount of weight on his right paw, then he had his cast off. Then he had the weird splint thing too it must of been on for just over four months as he had it on late summer and it was off just before the solstice. Even after he started using his right paw he always favoured his left until he died.

Courtney Mroch (9169) 08 Dec 2008 09:48 AM

Cathy, I love the distraction idea and am going to give that one a go. Samual, even though Murph didn't break his leg, he did have to get a plate in and the cast for 2 months and now this splint business. Sounds EXACTLY like what your dog went thrrough! And it was even the right paw! It's good to know eventually he WILL walk on it again. It's just going to take time and he may always favor it.

Thanks for the comments!

Samual (11722) 08 Dec 2008 02:51 PM

Does your dog know how to shake hands? If so get him to sit down, then shake with his good leg so his bad leg is on the ground.