Paw Circle of Healing for Sweet Chloe

Chloe, sedated and crying with her new stuffie.

We have had a traumatic event happen here yesterday...our sweet Chloe went to jump up on the bed on Sunday and suddenly started yelping out in pain. She dropped to the floor and could not move her hind legs and has been crying non-stop ever since. At 3AM we carried her into our emergency vet hospital, where they gave her two shots -  one for pain and one for inflammation. They then examined her and suspected hip displaysia. They allowed us to take her home (by now it was 4:30 and our vet opened up at 7) and we laid her on her bed and let the pain meds work until she cried herself to sleep. At 7AM, she woke up literally screaming. We brought her right in to our vet who suspected, not hip issues, but rather torn ACLs, and the X-rays confirmed she has bilateral tears in both legs and recommended an orthopedic surgeon. Chloe has an appointment this Wednesday at 10 AM. She is crying and it is heartbreaking. It's very hard to stay positive when she is crying so much and our heart breaks at her sweet little innocent face as her eyes plead for help. The light is that I've heard from a number of folks on the FiveSibes Facebook Page whose furbabies required this same surgery and said while it was very difficult in the beginning as we have to keep her very still (and away from the rest of the furfamily), it was worth it as their dogs recuperated and were back to being almost new within several months of the surgery, including running and jumping back up on the sofa. Such inspirational news to hear and we are hanging onto the until we see the orthopedic surgeon. She is not able to put weight on either hind foot, so we will find out what his recommendation is. It's a frightening time. The rest of our Sibes are howling to her often, with her howling back from my daughter's room. Our alpha queen, Harley, the surrogate mother of the pack, spent the night pacing and worrying.

The last thing that happened before she jumped up to meet her fate, was me putting some ointment on a rash she was being treated for and saying, "Up on the bed, Chloe!" so the ointment would dry and her momma, my daughter, could keep a close eye to be sure she didn't lick off the ointment. And Chloe, in her bright-eyed trusting manner, listened, only to experience the worse pain of her life, followed by all this trauma. I understand from the vet that this was in the making...that her rash could've been her biting at the joint from the growing pain. That this could be a genetic disorder. Still...I feel awful, as though she thinks I caused her pain. In the long run, if this was going to happen anyway, I am very glad I was right there and it wasn't while she was going up or down the stairs or while she was running in the yard with the others. Still...she looks up with her bright blue eyes pleading for help. I pray the orthopedic vet will have positive news for us.

Prayers and positive vibes are most welcome! I will be taking a break for a bit from blogging until after we see the ortho and get our girl through the surgery and back home to recover. I know it will be a long road, but she is young and we pray in a year from now this will just be a distant memory in her mind. Right now, she really needs us and my daughter really needs me. My heart breaks for her since she just lost her cat Smokie, and now her baby Chloe is in such distress.

Please join us in a pawcircle of healing for our "Cozy Girl."  Thank you for all your kindness and support. I look forward to returning back to Blogville at a later date and bearing good recovery news about our baby Chloe.