# Non-poodle, broken pelvis struggle.



## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Mehpenn said:


> On of our German Shepherds was trampled and ended up with five fractures in his pelvis.
> No surgery was required but he is unable to walk/stand and on strict crate restriction.
> He's a large dog, 80 pounds.
> I need suggestions on how to keep him clean. He's urinating and having bowel movements, which is great, except he screams bloody murder when we lift him to clean him/his crate. I'm doing well keeping his crate clean and blankets freshened. But as for him, he will only lay on the right side and anytime you try touch or clean the right leg/hip he's laying on he screams and pees everywhere.
> Help!! Any advise is welcome.


I am sorry this happened. It must be horrible, poor dog and poor you !

Is there anyway to have him sleep on some kind of grate so the excrements and urine would fall into a removable tray that you could pull from under him, wash and put back ? Think about how it is in bird cages, on the bottom.

Also, is he on any medication to help him with the pain ? If so, maybe it can be upped so he doesn't suffer as much ?


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

He is on pain medication. We've kept is crate padded, figuring it'd be more comfortable laying on something soft for the next four weeks. Ya know? But I don't want his coat to stay urine and feces soiled and my house to smell, either.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Is there anyway he could have a urine probe inserted by the vet, if he could come to your house ? That would leave you " only " with the poop to clean up.

Maybe a doggy diapers would help for that ?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Poor dog - it must be agony. Could you slip a pad between his legs to take care of the pee, if he will let you lift his left leg slightly? And perhaps a slippery, waterproof sheet or piece of silicone under his bottom to take care of the poo - if you found something slightly stiff, like the sheets for lining ovens, you may be able to slide it in and out without having to lift him.

As he is more or less in one position all the time I would be concerned about the possibility of pressure sores. Sheepskin is reputed to be helpful - or possibly the fleece vet bed over high quality foam would be easier to keep clean.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Poor, dear dog! And poor you for having to supervise crate rest and cleaning. I would layer his crate with beach towels and/or quilts, wash and repeat.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

How awful, your poor dog and for you.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Aw this is sad. I know they make giant disposable diapers for dogs. I've used them before on my smaller dog. Maybe it can work for a GSD too?


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Oh dear...I'm so sorry. What was he trampled by, a horse? This is awful. I send you my best. I think broken pelvises heal up quickly. So hopefully....I feel for you guys having to take such care in the meantime. Best wishes.


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## Beaches (Jan 25, 2014)

Poor boy - how absolutely awful. I can't imagine the pain he is in.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

are you using a sling to move him?


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

I could get a bellyand and put it on him with the velcro opening on his left side so you can open it to change the disposable pad (use super absorbant pads made for women, maybe two, side by side). With the belly band you would not have to move him to change the pad and keep him dry.

I would put a wee wee pad under his rear end to catch the poo, slide it out to change it. Maybe put a paper towel on the pad to make cleanup quick and easy and leave the pad in place. They make pads like that for humans who are confined to bed, not sure what they are called but you find them with the adult disposable diapers. When I cared for my elderly Mother and could not move her I would slide the bed pad thing up under her hips, without having to move her.

You might consider using clippers to shave fur away form his butt and tummy to make it easier to wipe him up without everything settling on his fur.

I am so very sorry you and your little buddy are having to deal with this awful injury.

I send prayers and hugs your way.

Cathy


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

What a terrible situation.

I so agree with the idea of pads to soak up the urine, if he will let them stay in place or if you can manage to get a belly band in there. Those should keep him clean and be easier to change.

For feces how about those absorbent pads they use in hospitals? Waterproof one side, absorbent on the other ? If you could manage to slide them under the tail somehow they could be (relatively) easier to clean up.

I sure hope the pain level goes down quickly...


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

It happened Friday morning. And we've been managing well as long as it was just urine. But now that his bowels are moving it makes for a mess. His poo has been solid but with him laying in/on it, mixed with the urine.... ugh. 
I called the vet back this morning to see if he had any advice. And his advice is "keep doing what you're doing. It's not going to be pleasant." Well. Duh. 
He doesn't want him in the tub. Obviously a slip could be no good. So we'll stick with baby wipes, soft bedding and regular changes over the next several weeks, adding the potty pads for absorbing the wet. I guess.
And I'm going to look into a belly band too. 
Keep us in your prayers and I'll keep you guys updated.


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

twyla said:


> are you using a sling to move him?


No. the vet doesn't want him trying to stand even with a sling for at least three weeks. So my husband is lifting him.


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Oh dear...I'm so sorry. What was he trampled by, a horse? This is awful. I send you my best. I think broken pelvises heal up quickly. So hopefully....I feel for you guys having to take such care in the meantime. Best wishes.



Yes. A 16.3hh gelding that belongs to my cousin who lives below us. We no longer have horses. A tree had fallen over their fence and the horse had gotten out. My husband let Guaner out to potty, like every morning, not realizing the horse was in our yard. By the time he realized what was going in, it was too late. We're really lucky it wasn't worse than it is.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

You could feed him already cut raw meat amd his stools would shrink by at least 50% and they would be hard and non-smelly.

Even if it's more expensive, it would be a good solution for while it lasts.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Just wanted to let you know that prayers are on the way for you and your dog. Hopefully you can implement some of these good PF suggestions.


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

I had to sit down with Guaner this evening and have a heart-to-heart talk. I don't think he liked what I had to say. 

(I'm in the kitchen and he starts screaming, I go to the living room to see what's going on and find him sitting up, then trying to stand in his crate.)
Him: *screaming bloody murder*
Me: "Guaner. Seriously. Stop trying to stand up."
Him: *screaming bloody murder*
Me: Oh my god. Stop trying to stand up.
Him: *screaming bloody murder* *lays down*
Me: Do that again and I'm putting the top back on your crate. 
Him: *deep breath* *whine* 
Me: Seriously. I'm not joking. I'm going to call Dr. John and tell him to give you a sedative if you keep pulling stunts like that. 
Him: *wiggles around in his crate so his back is towards me, lifts his tail and poops*

*sigh*


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## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

At work (vet office) we often layer puppy pads in these situations. That way we can pull them out as needed without having to shift them too much. You could also try having him lay on a mesh elevated bed in his crate (like Coolaroo, though there are many similar brands), which would allow most of the urine to seep through. There's not much to do for the stool though. Do have him rotate sides so he doesn't get pressure sores/tissue breakdown.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

My heart goes out to Guaner for the pain he must be going thru and to you, who must feel so helpless in having to watch him suffer! I hope you find a routine that works to alleviate some of the stress you and he are going thru. Bless You both!


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

grab said:


> . Do have him rotate sides so he doesn't get pressure sores/tissue breakdown.


Do you have a suggestion on how to do this? He refuses to lay on his left side. When we try to move him to his left side he screams and immediately flips back to the right side.


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

Well. Guaner has decided to be a naughty boy and tried to bite my husband this evening when he went to lift him for his evening cleaning. 
So the muzzle goes on from now on. 

Also I picked up some belly bands to try but I honestly don't know how they're going to work. We'll give it a shot. I might be pleasantly surprised. I hope. 
I'm going tomorrow to look at mesh cots.... thinking maybe as someone mentioned, the excrements will fall through to the bottom for easier cleaning. Anything has to be better than lifting him like we're doing? For both us and him. 

I knew this would be a challenge. I can't say it's really any worse or any better than we expected. We're five days in and see no improvement yet. Not that I expect to really...but I think I'm just hoping for some sign that he's on the mend. I'm so impatient. I still wonder how other people do it.


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

Maybe try to use a crate with a wire bottom over a tray, then have 2 thick towels. One that goes mostly underneath him, one that goes just under his legs and penis and by his bum (maybe 2 smaller ones so you can do pee area and poo area separate). The towels will soften the feeling of the bottom of the crate to make it comfy. Having 2 (or 3) towels allows you to mostly leave the one that he's ON but lets you remove the ones he's soiled without lifting or moving him just slide them from under his legs. Then the excess large amounts of urine will soak through the towel into the tray under that wire.


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

So...... how to ask this without sounding like a freak. 
Well. I guess I'll just ask it and ask for forgiveness at my bluntness. 
I've noticed the past several days that Guaners... lipstick... has been sticking out. A lot. A lot more than normal. 
Now. Things to take into consideration. 1. This lipstick exposure happens to coincide with his completion of all medications. 2. Zee is in heat. Guaner has been castrated, about two months prior to be trampled. However he was used as our stud dog prior to being neutered. 
So. I'm trying to decide if I'm just being a weirdo. Or if it is something notable.

Edited to add: He is still on 100% confinement and is not standing/walking but is sitting up more.


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## shell (Jul 10, 2015)

I'm sorry, I know this post is not helpful but I am so sorry to hear you guys are going through this. I know what it's like to handle a dog screaming in pain and it just killed me when I had to do it. I hope for a speedy recovery and that you find some tricks to help out with the clean up.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

If he has been a stud dog I suspect that having a female in heat around is enough to explain the "lipstick". Good to hear he is improved to the extent of sitting up more - sounds as if the pain has eased a lot.


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

fjm said:


> If he has been a stud dog I suspect that having a female in heat around is enough to explain the "lipstick". Good to hear he is improved to the extent of sitting up more - sounds as if the pain has eased a lot.


That kinda what I'm thinking. This is her first heat since he was neutered. But lipstick exposure isn't something I'd seen to this degree with him, even when he wa breeding. Of course it wasn't waist level and easily viewed 24/7 then either... so I guess I'm just noticing it more now.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Various online resources list it as a sign of stress, which would also make sense.


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

Just wanted to give you guys an update on our Gunny. 
He's been much more "active" and though he's still confined, he's moving around more. 
We took him out of his elevated crate, for cleaning last night, and laid him in the floor. He actually stood and hobbled a couple steps on his own. We got him to lay back down (because he doesn't need to walk unassisted yet) and then used a sling to help him take a few more steps. It's still very painful for him but any sign of improvement is welcome. 
It's going to be a long slow process as he regains mobility. But I feel he will get there eventually.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

That _is_ good news - I am so glad he is in less pain and wanting to move. It be a while, but now we can begin to look forward to you posting about how difficult it is to keep him from running before he should. It is going to be a long haul, but perhaps the worst is now past.


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

I hope so. I was quite surprised that he stood and took those couple steps on his own. He did keep his left leg off the ground and didn't stand evenly on it. That's the side the illiosacral dislocation is. So it may still be more tender and painful.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I'm so glad you are seeing some progress, even if it's slow. This is a horrible ordeal for all of you to endure and I'm so impressed with how you are holding up. I often think about poor Guaner and it's good to see you posting. 

As fjm points out soon enough you'll be posting about trying to keep him calm and quiet so he can finish healing. I know everyone can't wait until he is fully healed and back to his normal routine.


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## shell (Jul 10, 2015)

I am so glad to hear of some improvements for you


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

Update: He's walking! Three legged. No pressure on his left rear leg but firm, solid pressure on his right rear! 
We let him go out onto the porch the past couple days and he was in pure heaven, stretched out and soaking up the sun. He's also following my husband around and so happy to be able to stretch his (three) legs. He's also pitying on the porch so no more cleaning crates and cots. 
As for the left leg, that's where the illosacral dislocation is in his pelvis. Hopefully it will continue to heal and in a couple more weeks he can start putting some weight on it.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Wonderful progress - he's back to being a dog again instead of caged. Is this what you were expecting - what the vet said would happen? Hopefully his left leg will heal properly - but if not, he can get around very well with three.


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## Mehpenn (Jan 18, 2010)

The vet expected walking at four weeks, if he'd been confined correctly. And he was right on target. 
We're a little unsure of his putting no pressure on his left rear leg, but he went from screaming bloody murder when he tried to stand and took those ciouple steps on Wednesday, to walking three legged on Friday. So I think it's just needing a bit more time. 
We're going to give him a couple more weeks and then, if he's still not using it or showing minimal improvement, we'll do another X-ray and go from there. But I'm predicting he will be just fine. Worst case scenario, nerve damage and the leg is removed. But I don't anticipate that happening.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Wonderful news - especially that the pain is so much reduced. It must have been a long four weeks for all of you, but patience is rewarded.


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

So very glad to hear of this new phase of healing and recovery! Just being able to get about should increase Gunny's spirits, and you will be able to relax not having to move him just to clean him...


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