Update On The Crocodile

Keeping The Baby Quiet

I've had no broad band for the last 24 hrs, can I therefore start by thanking everyone for their text messages of concern for Sammi yesterday and this morning. You'll never know how much it's been appreciated. This morning the high winds have eased so we are back on line. You just don't know how much you rely on the internet till it's not there.
Sammi is doing very well, indeed we noticed an improvement in her before bed time on Friday night. I'm sure it was just the anti inflammatory kicking in but it gave me a touch of hope before trying to get some sleep. When I bought her back from the vets I put her on the floor to have a wee and she could hardly walk, she fell from side to side with every step. Much like an animal who hadn't yet come fully round from anesthetic, It was heartbreaking to see.
Now we have another problem, how do you keep an 11 week old puppy quiet? It's easy for the vet to say total cage rest but what do you do if the pup is going off her head in the crate? Well right or wrong I'm bringing her into the living room on her own for 30 mins here and there with her toys and things to chew. Surely that's better than her bouncing in the crate standing on her hind legs scratching the door?
We should be back at the vets at 5pm tomorrow. But I'm going to try and change the appointment if I can. I was not happy with the vet I saw, though he was lovely with Sammi he was just so negative.With all his talk of referrals and poor prognosis I came out feeling like I'd been hit by a bus. I really thought I was going to loose my baby, and that was the impression he gave me. But I've since spoken to the senior partner (who is my preferred vet anyway), she was much more optimistic and told me to just give her a few days to recover and see where we go from there. Though she hadn't examined Sammi she read through all the notes and said she had seen puppies with much worse injury's come through and be back to normal within a few days. I feel that maybe had I been lucky enough to see her, or another vet in the first place I wouldn't have been left in such a state and that in itself could have only benefited Sammi.

My beautiful Louis

I have made a complaint about this vet before, I'm sure you may remember he was the one who told me to "Have the balls" to know it was time to put Louis to sleep. This was 18 months before I, Steve and the senior vet thought it was time. He was right that Louis was ill, we all knew that. But Louis didn't and whilst Louis was oblivious and enjoying his life we just carried on regardless!
So now, how do I convince an 11 week old puppy to keep calm and quite? Answers on a post card please ....