Swollen leg, but complicated...

[Xtriple129]

My poor little lab girl Phoebe has had a hard life (I've asked on here about her before) and broke her right front elbow about 3 years ago, she has loads of pins and plates in it as a consequence. Today on a walk round the block, noticed her leg didn't look right (it never does but even more 'not right' if you get me) so I knealt down and checked and her right front elbow is swollen and puffy, like she's found a new place to keep a squashy ball! In fact, it's just the same as when I broke MY elbow a few years ago.

It doesn't seem to be hurting her, she doesn't object to it being touched/squeezed (gently) and obviously I need to take her to the vets. However, she will freak out and not let them touch her and I'm not sure she can take another sedation (she had a bad reaction last time and nearly died) and so I am in two minds....

Any advice/help/suggestions on what to do for the best?

[Mothersruin]

Tell them about the sedation and they'll use something else.

Get her to the Vets.

[bexVN]

At what point does she start to panic at the vets? Would she tolerate being examined outside rather than in the consult room

It sounds like a fluid filled cust but unfortunately it definitely needs checking as could zbe a number of different things.

[Xtriple129]

I took her to the vets last week as suggested (and as I knew I had to) and while she did freak out (she is a rescue and is scared of ANYONE not just vets) and the vet said it was a fluid filled thing (bursitus?) that had formed, no walks for two weeks and hot and cold treatment two or three times daily.

This is going down like a bowl of cold sick, especially the no walking thing as I still have to take the other mutt out. She also hates the hot and cold treatment and we are spending hours arguing (the dog and I ). But, it is working and the swelling is going down!

Bex, Phoebe was rescued (by me) from a locked shed with no windows where she was surrounded by poop and pee and she was all alone, in the dark and terrified. She was just 4 months old. I didn't feel the need to pay the previous owners... It took months (years actually) to get her to the point where she would stay in the room with a stranger rather than run and hide under the bed. Now at nearly 11, she is much better and does, sort of, interact with people when she has got to know them a bit but is still scared of any stranger.

Poor little lass.

[garythesign]

Xtriple129 said:

Bex, Phoebe was rescued (by me) from a locked shed with no windows where she was surrounded by poop and pee and she was all alone, in the dark and terrified. She was just 4 months old. I didn't feel the need to pay the previous owners... It took months (years actually) to get her to the point where she would stay in the room with a stranger rather than run and hide under the bed. Now at nearly 11, she is much better and does, sort of, interact with people when she has got to know them a bit but is still scared of any stranger.

Poor little lass.

Well done for rescuing her. You should feel proud of yourself

We had a rescue collie who was scared of her own shadow, poor thing.

Lived to 16 and her last few years she chilled out.

Having a flat coated retriever as a buddie certainly brought her on leaps and bounds