Broken Tail. WTD??? Updated! Updated Again

[Jennifer and Jack]

UPDATED. I SCANNED AND EMAILED TWO VETS AND BOTH SAID THE SAME THING THAT IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, AMPUTATION IS THE WAY TO GO BECAUSE IT IS NOT GOING TO HEAL ON IT'S OWN AND IT IS PAINFUL BECAUSE EVERY TIME THEY MOVE THE BONES ARE GRINDING... I AM TOTALLY FINE, SLIGHTLY SAD BUT ALL I WANT IS FOR HIM TO BE COMFORTABLE, LISTENING TO HIM CRY LAST NIGHT JUST ABOUT DID ME IN... WE ARE GOING TO MY MOM'S VET AT 3 TO GET BETTER PAIN MANAGEMENT BUT AGAIN, MY VET AT HOME AND THIS VET SAID THE SAME THING, AMPUTATION.... ALL HE DID WAS WAG HIS TAIL TO HARD BECAUSE HE WAS HAPPY TO SEE ME, I COULD SCREAM.... I HAVE NOT DECIDED WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO YET, BUT I WON'T LET HIM SUFFER.... I COULD CARE LESS IF HE IS BALD, AND NO TAIL AT ALL I WON'T LET HIM BE IN PAIN.AND HE IS NOT DOING WELL ON PAIN MEDICATIONS..

UPDATE 2. WE WENT WITH THE ATTITUDE THAT WE WILL DO WHATEVER IS BEST FOR JACK NO MATTER WHAT.. I LOVED THIS VET..I SERIOUSLY WAS CRUSHING ON HIM, OXYGEN, WHEEL CHAIR AND IV'S AND ALL... HE SPENT AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF TIME WITH US... EXPLAINING THINGS, SHOWING US HOW TO DO THINGS ETC.... JACK WAS DEHYDRATED BECAUSE HE HAS NOT HAD ANYTHING TO DRINK SO FIRST THEY DID BLOOD WORK TO CHECK HIS LIVER AND KIDNEY'S AND GAVE HIM A BUNCH OF IV FLUIDS SUB Q ...... HE WAS NOT ABLE TO PULL UP THE FILM OF THE BREAK ON HIS COMPUTER BECAUSE THE DIP STICKS FROM THE ER VET NEVER PUT IT ON THERE IT WAS BLANK.. MOVING FORWARD.. HIS DOSE OF TRAMADOL WAS WAY TOO HIGH WHICH I ALREADY KNEW AND THANK GOD F SHOWED ME THE MG PER KG BECAUSE IT WAS DOUBLE WHAT IT SHOULD BE AND I KNEW IT WAS TOO MUCH...... THE PLAN IS TO KEEP HIM MEDICATED, HE TOO SAID NO SPLINTING, THERE IS NO WOUND ...... EVEN THOUGH HE IS ON PREDNISONE HE IS GIVING HIM METACAM WHICH IS A PRICY NSAID..BUT WITHT HAT COME SUCRALFATE AND AND PEPCID TO COAT HIS STOMACH.... HE SAID THAT THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS ARE THE MOST PAINFUL AND AFTER THAT HE SHOULD BE BACK TO HIMSELF WITH THE AREA JUST BEING TENDER.... THEY  DID NOT MENTION AMPUTATION AT ALL BUT I DID AS MY MOTHER KICKED ME FOR REAL ..BUT THEY WILL AMPUTATE ONLY IF THEY CAN NOT CONTROL THE PAIN OR IF HE IS BITING AT HIS TAIL, NONE OF WHICH HE IS DOING..... SO FOR NOW, HALF THE DOSE OF TRAMADOL HE WAS ON, METACAM,  ADN THEN THE MEDICATIONS TO COAT THE TUMMY.. PLUS THEY GAVE HIM IV FLUIDS...WHEN I TELL YOU I LOVED THIS VET I MEAN I LOVED HIM, HE WAS SMART, ASKED HOW I FELT ABOUT THINGS...... SHOWED ME THERE WAS SOMETHING CALLED A PILL SHOOTER THAT WILL HELP MR I CAN SPIT ANYTHING OUT OF MY MOUTH SWALLOW HIS PILLS... HE IS HOME RESTING.... THEY FEEL HE IS HAVING A LOT OF PAIN BUT WE ARE HOPING BY ADDING THE METACAM THAT WILL HELP......THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUT, LOVE AND ADVICE.... IF JACK IS NOT ABLE TO GET HIS PAIN WELL CONTROLLED I WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION BUT THIS VET FEELS HIS TAIL WILL HEAL CROOKED BUT IT WILL HEAL......

THE SWEET LITTLE BABY WHEN WE WALKED IN TO THE VET RAN UP TO THEM WAGGING HIS LITTLE TAIL AND GREETED THEM ALL WITH KISSES.... I HAVE NEVER LOVED HIM MORE

I am not exactly sure how much more crap we can endure....... Jack has been staying with my mom and I finally got to see him yesterday.. He was super excited to see me, screaming. crying to get to me when he saw me in the car.. he seemed fine but I literally only saw him for a few minutes then had to leave again for a few hours, when we came home he was FREAKING out....... we thought it was because he is a medical alert dog for me and I am beyond sick at this point.. to say the least, I am using a wheel chair but we had not even got it in the house. He was clinging to me then to my mom then jumping off the bed and hiding.. Very unlike him...

I examined his hip from top to bottom last night because I noticed he was not sitting right ..... his hip was okay... (remember he has an old hip injury)  but he was acting freakishly weird around me and we just assumed he knows how sick I am now anyway...sorry dang steroids got me a mess.. moving forward, I woke up this morning and noticed Jack's tail was not right.. it is quite obvious ..but to someone who is dealing what I am dealing with I don't know if I saw it last night and my mom is beside herself with worry for me so she has no clue.

So off we went ..me, my 9000 pieces of medical equipment, my mom, Jack and Molly to the ER by her house.. You can see the break it is toward the bottom and makes a C shape in his tail.

He is unable to get his tail to go up and was in a lot of pain, they gave him doggie morphine but because the bone is separated  they could not splint it because it would be applying pressure and cause a lot more pain.... It doesn't make sense to me since it is so broken, I know it isn't the end of the world but I LOVE his tail and I hate for it to be slumped over forever.

The worst part is I can't drive right now and my family and friends are with me around the clock and now of course I want to get Jack to an orthopedic doctor to see what they can do for him but  I won't be able to get him there until I get back home which will be at least a week or so...

I know we have had a lot of doodles with tails amputated recently or at least a few... Jack has no score, scratches, cuts or bruises anywhere on his tail.

He was at the groomer the day before my last admission to the hospital but I specifically remember his tail being up, his tail is always up....   and the ER vet said the break looks new.. plus he has swelling.

Believe it or not I am not overreacting.. I probably just don't have the energy to and I am so grateful he it is not life threatening but we have no idea how this happen, the vet said it is usually a break that i done by closing a tail in the door....but my my swears she didn't and she would have heard it, plus when I intially saw him yesterday I would have known his tail was bent like this I think......

So for those of you who have had dogs with broken tails...... what did you do? I have insurance so I can do anything and have it covered . the vet didn't think the orthopedic dr would do much more.

We were a sight for sure at the ER vet, my mom freaking over me, Me Crying over Jack, Molly Just freaking and Jack stoned on Morphine..... 

Any advice?

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I only know a broken dog's tail needs to be , at the very least, wrapped , in order to heal properly and heal without a permanent " kink". Sending healing thoughts and vibes to you both.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Thanks, I can't tell you how guilty I feel right now, 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Don't feel guilty, nothing you could have prevented nor are you a vet.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Guilty? NO WAY! You are doing the best you can...and that's all anyone can ask for. ((Hugs))

[Jennifer and Jack]

I just called the ER vet back they would not let me talk to the doctor as she was busy and I understand that. I asked again about the wrap and I was seriously scolded that they already told me NO wrap or splint because it would cause to much pain and that he would be in agony if we wrapped it.

Then of course I started to choke back the tears and ask how is the bone that is split down the middle going to heal to which I got dead silence.... I wish I was home I love our ER at home...

I got the name of the Ortho specialist that is out of there and I am calling first thing in the am... I gave Jack his tramadol ... The guilt comes I always feel guilty, guilty people have to take care of me, guilty that Jack doesn't live in a stable home ..... I have begged my mom to keep him with Molly because she can provide a better home but she won't because she knows how much I love him, Guilt I have to have my 72 year old mother drive me to GA to have his tail looked at.. Guilt is one thing I am really good at... I got that down pat.... :)

sorry I am a bit of an over sharer !!!

[Jennifer and Jack]

Thanks again everyone I will keep you updated

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Jen I'm so sorry this happened to Jack. Keeping you and Jack in thoughts and prayers.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

So sorry to hear this, but since Jack has had his medication he's is resting pain-free.  Now you need to rest too.  No way should you feel guilty.  You'll talk to the Ortho Specialist in the morning and together, you'll come up with a plan.  Will keep you in our prayers.  Sending hugs.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Sorry, Jennifer. I sure hope you and Jack are feeling better soon!

[DJ & Chance]

Oh, poor Jack.  Heal quickly.

[Jennifer and Jack]

So last night didn't go so well, once the morphine wore off and we were just on Tramadol he started to cry, whine, couldn't sit still,  moving all over the place.. crying in his sleep.....

I called the ER vet back again in tears..... they were too busy to talk but stood their ground.

This morning I called the Orthopedic surgeon ... the office said they don't even see broken tail dogs because he is a surgeon and they dont' do anything for a dogs tail.

I asked about splinting it, there reply was the same as the ER vet, splinting on a dog is very hard, it is usually off before you get home and if they wrap it it just makes the tail heavier and causes more pain.....

I called my vet back home and emailed the reports and asked for advice, we are going to just do pain management at my mom's local vet five minutes from here and go from there....... Thank you God I am not dealing with something more serious because I think I would go insane if I haven't already.   Thanks for all your help....... I don't know why they don't agree with the splint or the wrapping of the tail but we will see what my mom's vet says today. 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Oh how awful for both of you! It does seem like there should be something more they could do so that he isnt in constant pain. I'm so sorry! More prayers for you both today!