When a puppy broke a leg

So far the most thrilling period in our life together was when Nuka was just a tiny puppy. Nuka hurt her leg when she was about ten weeks. Our vet diagnosed a broken leg and made a huge wrapping with a splint to the place where once was a small leg of a puppy.

When Nuka recovered from the anesthesia she looked really astonished and was sure she couldn't walk with the strange overhang. Nuka stared me her eyes round and I'm sure she asked Why. Well, what can you say to a dog... After a while Nuka tested if the wrapping would follow her, and it did. Few hours went and she was running with the weird leg. The little dog seemed to have phenomenal ability to adjust in situation and still have time of her life. Nuka didn't tear the wrapping and mainly left it ease.

This was a beginning of everlasting period of vet checkups and worry about the leg's well-being, in real life it took a month. After first week, vet took of the wrapping and changed it to a lighter and harder fibreglass plaster because of sores. Changing the wrapping was a better option, even if making the plaster was horrific. Nuka seemed to like more of this new lighter leg and she learned to do all sorts of stuff with it. She banged her dog-friends with it and learned how to dig. To us she created problems. We had to make sure the plaster didn't get wet or too dirty. We used to put a small plastic bag over the plaster during outdoor activities. Service time of the bag was about fifteen minutes. Nuka was also a talented acrobat, when the leg pointed to various directions. I just shut my eyes and crossed fingers for the poor leg.

Taking of the plaster after four weeks was also thrilling. Nuka didn't like at all her reincarnated thin, sore leg. She broked the skin of it during our five minute drive to home. For the first time we really needed the collar vet gave to us in the beginning of the whole episode. Again Nuka tought she couldn't move and stared me eyes wide open. The leg was healing fast anyway, and we were able to remove collar after few days.

During the five weeks we learned a lot about giving antibiotics, applying ointments, making bandages, x-rays and bacterias of lactic acid. We met many nice vets and got compassioned glances in the vet's waiting room. Anyway this all ended well. Nuka's leg ossified to proper position, despite of her actions. Weird leg that came out from the plaster was finally accepted and it got the streght back. At the moment episode is only a memory. I think dog doesn't remember anything, tough.

-Marianna 4.1.2006