Soft tissue damage

Hello all,
My 10 yo Belle has been limping badly for the past few weeks on her front leg due to `soft tissue damage`according to my vet.She is not allowed any exercise until it clears up and the vet told me that it can be a very slow healing process. She also suffers from artritis and the lack of exersise does not help that problem.
Has anyone got any experience of this type of injury and know approx how long we could be looking at ?
Shes got to go back if its not better in 1 month.

Many thanks !
G

If the vet has given a month's rest before a return trip, I'd say it is likely to be either tendon or ligament damage rather than muscle, but soft tissue damage is difficult to diagnose specifically.

It's not easy to keep a dog from exercising, but it helps if you have a smaller, safe area to keep your dog in for periods of time to avoid further strain on the injury. Try to remove hazards from your house such as obstacles which may fall and injure your dog, tripping hazards, etc., to lessen the chance of making the injury worse.

I wouldn't advise crate rest, however. Although the exercise should be limited, cutting it out altogether could cause more damage such as muscle wastage.

If you have an upstairs and downstairs, it would be better to keep her downstairs for the timebeing to prevent strain from climbing steps. A baby gate, even if it's makeshift, would do the trick. If there are steps leading in from your garden, you could fashion a makeshift ramp to make it easier.

You could also try natural supplements that help to reduce inflamed areas of the leg, which is what makes the tissue damage take so long to heal. Unflavoured gelatine is supposed to be very good for it, but it isn't as easy to get hold of as some others. Turmeric is a good supplement for dogs.

Great, thanks very much for the advise.

No problem I hope she recovers soon!

I hope she has a speedy recovery

Such a problem, keeping staffords quiet!

Has the vet given you any anti inflammatories?

Maybe you could try some mind games to tire her out - hiding treats or toys around the room & letting her sniff them out?

Yes went through before Moo was diagnosed with arthritis so I feel your pain!

I give Moo supplements, she is on 'Yumove' and an aloe vera gel, since being on the gel she hasn't needed her metacam like before, just a thought

If your insurance will cover it ask your vet to refer you to a hydro therapist. This worked wonders for Cassie when she had soft tissue damage.
It it allowed her to exercise her limbs without having to bear her weight.

Again, thanks to you all for your replies.
Good news is, over the weekend she seems to have improved a bit. I even took her on a very short lead walk this morning....just 100 yards or so but just to let her stretch.
She has had Hydrotherapy in the past for her arthritis and it helps a lot but dont want to start her on that until the injury is recovered. I will speak to the lady who does it and ask her advise.
She was on carfrofen anyway but the vet has upped the dose to help with the strain.
Janey, probably a stupid question but is the Aloe Vera gel applied to the skin around the joint ?? Any tips on where to buy it from.

Thanks all, its much appreciated.

G

Hey I have been there too. Like you, I felt complete rest wouldnt help, as it can make the dogs more stiff. I did talk to the vet about small on lead walks whist cutting out lot of other things, to help as Pixee was bouncing off the walls. To date we have been lucky, she hasnt had to go back for a scan. Some rough play is still not in use, that we know Pixee misses, but we have found other things to do instead. Good luck with the recovery and hugs to you both.

Thanks Lynn, much appreciated ! She continues to make a steady recovery. Speaking to the hydrotherapy lady later today as it does her a lot of good.

You could also try indoor activities to mentally stimulate her and help tire her out. Here's a link that may be helpfull

http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/indoor_dog_games