Bruising in dogs - any experiences? Sorry, long!

FestiveSpirit

FestiveSpirit

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Flick was slightly lame on her left front leg the day before yesterday - I had heard her screech as I walked away from the mobile home earlier in the day but hadnt thought much about it, and when I noticed she was lame I did the usual and checked her feet, leg and shoulder but couldnt find anything.

The lameness wore off quite quickly with exercise so I thought nothing more about it.

Today she was slightly lame again when I came home from work, but again it wore off with walking. It was only when she was lying flat on her side tonight that I saw that she has what appears to be a massive bruise across her ribcage :eek: extending about 1" either side of the sternum between her front legs :eek: The bruised area also extends under her left elbow, hence her lameness :(

I have done some poking and prodding and I reckon she has jumped off something and her leg has got caught somehow and she has twisted and the leg has been wrenched away from her body, resulting in the bruising?

I phoned my oracle (mum!) tonight who said that as long as she is eating fine and otherwise normal (which she definitely is) then to see how it went for now, but just wondered if anyone else had ever seen this? My mum has never seen bruising on a dog, and TBH if it had been one of the others I probably wouldnt have noticed, it just shows up a lot because Flick is white?
 
Bless her:( I haven't experienced such a thing myself as Henry is dark of course, and Barney had far too thick a coat to see a bruise. But arnica might help?
 
They certainly can get some very nasty bruises.....you saw the bruising on poor bernie where his hair was clipped away to drain his lung? It was visible in the pics and quite horrific! :( On her thin white coat and in the area you describe I can imagine the bruising would be very visible.
I'm sure she will be absolutely fine maybe give her some arnica for a few days to bring the bruising out and as your mum said, other than that just keep an eye on her.
Gentle hugs for iccle flickle xxx
 
You could always try an ice pack to take the swelling down too, if she'll take it. Bless her :( Gentle hugs! Maybe keep her on the lead for a few days?
 
Awww you guys are psychic, I just e-mailed my mum with a link to the same article and said I would be keeping Flick on the lead for a while :D The google results came up with a few nasties regarding internal bleeding etc but she is definitely not showing any of the other symptoms they list such as blood in faeces, everything else is perfectly normal. She is bright, cheerful, eating and drinking normally, and her faeces are completely normal too.

I might take some pics for future reference if she will let me
 
Here we are - photos of Flick's bruising tonight :( It is difficult to tell how much it actually hurts as she is a complete and total wimp and screams her head off at absolutely anything :o

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Christ!!!!! :eek: Thats horrific! Sorry I didn't expect that amount of bruising!
Poor iccle flickle :(
Deffo keep her quiet for at least a few days, I think I would even be cutting lead exercise down for a bit, just to be on the safe side.
 
Actually Gazey.....I'm changing my reply, the pics have made me feel queezy and it may be an over reaction on my part but I think if she was mine I would be popping her to the vets tomorrow for a check over to be on the safe side. Whatever she did to cause that must have been pretty severe. Bernies bruising was bad but not that bad and he had been trodden on with a mans full weight straight on his rib cage.
xxx
 
:eek:

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:eek: Poor Flick! I feel so queasy that I have trouble writing, I'm no good with blood and those photos have actually made my hands go all pale and cold and my head somewhat dizzy. I also recommend seeing a vet, but I don't know if it is really necessary or not, I know that I would probably have had to fight off an urge to wrap her in bubble wrap and cotton wool on top of that, had she been my dog.

Poor Flick, gentle {{{{{{Hugs}}}}}} and {{{{{{Vibes}}}}}} to her.
 
Thats a nasty bruise, but then she is white, had that been one of the other 2, that probably would have been harder to spot, it does look to have been a traumatic induced injury, i she ever out of your sight for any length of time, u would have thought she would have screamed out some if this happened when u where anywhere around, do u ever lock them in the stable? could she have jumped up and got her leg caught over the door and writhed around abit? or been kicked by a horse?
If she sustained it walking/running, u surely would have herard her yelp out, if she is never out of sight long enough, then that tends to say the injury it's self was not to painful and she brusies badly?
I usually mainly see bruises like that in a dog thats maybe had a fracture repair (fixator on) but then the hair is shaved off.
I would def be inclined to rest her till that bruising subsides, and possibly take her to the vet if she shows and other signs of pain incase she has torn anything in there, is she happy for u to move that leg or does she yelp?
 
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Ouch that does look sore. No experience with bruising like that, but sheps have thick coats so would be hard to see. I think I'd be inclined to have a word with vet and see what they recommend, in the meantime you can't go wrong with arnica.
 
If its any consolation, I've got a thin skinned, pink skinned lurcher. The slightest knock and she has a similiar reaction too. She gets a lot of redness on her belly and armpits just from running! Haven't had that extent of bruising though!
 
I'm sorry Gazey, I didn't want to get you worried and I in turn have worried all night about having worried/upset you! :o
I'm sure she will be ok, I think a vet check is best if only to put your mind at rest though, keep us updated x
 
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