Need advice on braces and splints

[WillsMom]

I have a 10 week old puppy who appears to have lost bones and joints in his ankles do to a joint infection (I rescued the pup about a week ago). I say appear because I still really refuse to believe it..I saw this puppy walk many times.. I chased him around my house just one week ago.. he played normally on Saturday and woke up on Sunday with swollen joints, went to the vet on Monday.. and had xrays taken yesterday.. the joint and bone structure appears to just be gone.. I need advice on the best method to help him walk after we get the infection cleared up.

[critters]

We have info on splints, but this is SUCH a bizarre thing I think you need more info. Do the joints need to be surgically fused? How many limbs are affected (both legs, I assume?)?

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

I agree! The only time I have heard of bone loss due to infection was my dad's staph infection. Lost his sternum and many ribs. Entire chest muscles as well.
So a diagnosis on the reason would be called for, I think? What a scarey thing!
You can build up surrounding muscles and strengthen the connective tissues through exercise, water therapy, supplements and etc.

[WillsMom]

I am doing water therapy with him now actually, it's the only way I can get him any exercise. This puppy walked a week ago.. I got him about two weeks ago and he was nearly starved to death.. his tongue was white and he could hardly even eat.. I mixed up a formula for him and hand fed him for a day and then we rushed him to the vet. He first visited a vet two weeks ago who put him on IV fluids and told us he was too weak and too sick to treat him for the fleas that he was covered with so I flea combed and picked fleas for days while still feeding him the formula. He gained strength and he walked normally.. one week ago on Saturday he was walking around the house with no limp and no signs of pain.. he woke up on Sunday a week ago with swollen joints and he couldn't stand. He went back to the vet on Monday a week ago and they gave him a blood transfusion for flea anemia but refused to treat his joints since I didn't have more money to give them.. sent him home with antibiotics and pain meds. He eats and drinks well but on Friday he woke up and his tongue was turning white again so I called the vet, the first vet he saw was on vacation (Thank goodness!) and the vet said he would treat him and we would make arrangements to pay. They took xrays... I have a copy of the xray.. it really does appear that there is barely any bone and no joint between the long bones and the feet... They of course stated I should choose euthanasia due to his "poor prognosis" But this puppy has the strongest will to survive.. he has already overcome so many odds and he wants to live..

I put him in a tub full of water once a day right now and let him "swim", I of course support him but am looking into getting him a water vest so that he can be in there on his own. I was giving him juice in his water for extra vitamin C but he is on antibiotics and I read somewhere that he shouldn't get that vitamin while on antibiotics. He does take Pettinic twice a day

This is a boxer pup.. he is at least 10 weeks old.. and he weighs 3.5 pounds...

[WillsMom]

doh! sorry I forgot to add that it is all four legs.. ankles and knees that are swollen but his right rear leg is the worst. He can stand.. and has control of his bladder and bowels. He can stand to urinate and usually gets through an entire bowel movement on his legs. He even takes a few steps but it's obvious that right rear leg really gives him some pain. He is on a 2 week course of clavamox and an 8 week course of Cefa Drops, buprenex for the pain.

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

This is unbelievable! I am so sorry for what he has been through! It is unbelievable that he found YOU! They find us, I am convinced of this.
I agree. He has a will to live, and we should all be bowing our heads with the deepest respect for his desire, even as a baby, to make a comeback and to LIVE.
I too fleacomb my lethal whites in the bathroom as I fear some of the products, they are very sensitive.
Is the white tongue a product of infection? Babies get thrush?
A lot of improvement can be made by strengthening the connective tissues and muscle mass... And the bathtub is a wonderful thing!

[WillsMom]

Actually his tongue was white due to the anemia the first time.. his red cell blood count was 8%...... a normal pup's is somewhere around 32%... When he went back to the vet on Friday his red cell count was 23% so he is beating the anemia.. the tongue was white this time due to the pain.

He goes back to the vet on Wednesday to have his blood cell count tested again, I hate to have him poked and prodded so often but I know I need to stay on top of the anemia. He has been treated for the fleas and am happy to report I haven't seen a single one in over a week. He also had tapeworm and has been treated for that.

He is the cutest little guy.. and so sweet...

[critters]

I'd also have him treated for rounds; he's almost guaranteed to have them, and they seem to take serious advantage of the weak and debilitated, especially babies. I've had several almost die from rounds alone.

I think I'd continue with swimming, and I think a vest is a GREAT idea. Since he's such an unusual case, I'd watch what happens very carefully and do splints, etc. as necessary. I'm thinking a splint might have to be custom made, too, but time will tell. A cart is also a possibility and needn't be expensive. In the longer-term, perhaps he can be a recipient of the Oklahoma kids' generosity this year!

Congrats on giving this baby a chance!!!

[WillsMom]

I thought I would give an update on Will. Thanks everyone for all your advice, knowing you were here for me made a lot of difference. Will is doing so much better! He walks almost normally these days.. Two days ago it was easy to see that he still had a lot of pain but yesterday.. it's almost like he just learned how... He still stays crated most of the day.. I don't want him to overdo it.. but I let him out for a few hours at a time and he walks all over the room.. matter of fact.. once last night I had to go into the kitchen to find him! He is healthy and has gained at least 1/2 pound.. I am careful with it though since I know he will go through more "growing pains" than another critter would. He will be on antibiotics for another 7 weeks but I really am starting to have more than hope that he will be a "normal boy!"

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

WillsMom, keep the faith! Thank you for the update, and it is in the tiniest of steps that we allow our hope and joy to grow. Smiles today