Help, beagle just won't stay still!

[JDChaser]

I have a 2 year old Beagle dog (Bowie) who is used to going beagling with my dad every week, and often shooting with me once a week too. He has the run of the yard where i work and i live on site so he has the run of a paddock constantly and is always on the go. He cut his paw quite badly on Boxing Day, (some knobs had smashed bottles in my Dad's field

) and had to be anethetised and his paw stitched back together

i've been ordered to keep him as still as possible, and despite it being well wrapped up he's still hopping along and it's obviously sore. Now, you'll notice i've said he's been 'hopping along' despite supposed to being staying still ... no chance!

I don't know what i can do to keep him settled. We tried taking him to stay at my parent's farm so my Mum will often be in the office and he can stay with someone, since everyone i live with is working on the yard most of the day, but he whines at being away from home and will pretty much 'box walk' (office walk

). But like i say, all the people in my house work with me so we only get brief moments through the day to run back and check on him, and a couple of hours for lunch but this is usually when i go and look after my horses.

So we'll be going back to check on him, and find him running around in circles, gnawing things to pieces, gnawing his own tail

I have a JRT as well (Rex) but him staying with him makes no difference. Nor does carrying him around a bit whenever possible, or just trying to get him to sit somewhere on the yard. He just gets driven mad by not being allowed to run! I've had to take him back to the vet today as his paw was bleeding, due to him bursting some stitches from running around to much. I asked about sedatives but the vet was a bit rude actually and said he's be reluctant to put him on any so soon after surgery.

So... any ideas? Apologies for this being so long!

Thanks x


(I've just read the other post about people buying a beagle without having a garden and walking it once a day.... SO glad they decided against it!!

)

 

[CorvusCorax]

He's a working dog and head must be done in having nothing to do (obviously, if he is self-mutilating), and as dogs we can't tell him WHY we need them to sit still for the good of their health or recovery, hey, they just don't think like that.

Try to tire him mentally, play a game with him, anything.
Hide his food, hide his toys, do a bit of obedience training with him (!) teach him a new trick, just try to tax his brain rather than his body, anything you can think of.
You could also try a calmer but I think instinct would win over!

Failing that, do you know anyone with a treadmill?!

 

[MurphysMinder]

Is he used to a crate at all, because that would be the ideal solution but if he has never been in one it may stress him even more. Does he like toys, perhaps a kong stuffed with treats that are really hard to get out with occupy him for a while. Sorry can't really think of any other advice to offer.

 

[JDChaser]

Lol, well we have an equine treadmill?! I asked the vet whether he could go swimming in our equine pool, but all he said was "he cant get the dressings wet" (not the most chatty vet

) We spend all our time fawning over him in the evening when we are all home, and as much time between lots and mucking out as possible during the day. He's even been allowed on the sofa, which seemed to shock and distract him briefly

. I'll try the mentally tiring him out tactic, thank you for your help! x

 

[JDChaser]

Thanks for your reply

He has his own space under the stairs (sounds a bit Harry Potterish but it's very cosy i promise!) which kind of works like a crate would i guess. I've tried shutting him in there during the day, but he's not used to it and the howling was unbearable and when he started scratching with his gammy paw we had to let him back out again. Poor lad

He's got enough bones to build a mini-me, but what with being a beagle is very easily distracted

Seems like i'm trying to achieve the impossible!

 

[Grey_Showjumper]

my friend has a dog that cut its ear very badly. its a little cocker, and it never stops, ever. is always on the go. it kept bashing its ear, and it just starting bleeding alot.
they took him to the vets, he had the day there anaesthetised and then came home with "happy pills"... could you ask for something similar? they basically just made him drowsy so he would go to sleep... then hed go mental so you had to dope him up again!

 

[JDChaser]

i've asked our vet twice now about pills, the first time i dont remember him actually asking and then today he mumbled about not having them after an operations

I'm seriously thinking about asking to see another vet tbh.. i'm worried that maybe this guy is avoiding lots of my questions because he simply doesn't know the answer?! x

 

[Grey_Showjumper]

oh dear... well this dog had an op, basically they had to cut its ear in half, drain and re-stitch, so quite a big one.. he was on pills to keep him dopey as well as anti-inflam/bact. etc. etc.
if you are concerned, change vets!
our puppy was literally stabbed with the micro-chip thing... he was awful, really didn't care about her crying.. was not a nice experience... again, we weren't too sure about whether or not he knew how to handle a dog, he obviously knew what to do as had gone to cambridge.. but didn't know how to handle them...
def. ask if you are concerned.. these pills really helped the dog as it chilled out completley so teh ear stopped getting bashed and could heal!

 

[JDChaser]

Thanks for your time, i think i will definitely ring up tomorrow and see what can be done. The receptionist is excellent but is currently away on holiday, but i THINK she might be back in work tomorrow so fingers crossed she can help me get sorted and see another vet. Thanks again!

 

[Grey_Showjumper]

hope you do get it sorted..
i was satying at said friends house and it drove us mad! and it prolongs the healing aswell... and when they are so hyper, it would be great if it healed asap so they can get back to being a whiz dog

 

[Clodagh]

When my kelpie cut her paw badly we wrapped it up with lots of socks and freezer bags and let her get on with it, as long as it was really well padded she was OK, it may not have been as bad though. The alternative was her bouncing off the sofa and gallumphing up and down the stairs.

 

[chevs]

I sympathise with you. My english pointer cut his foot very badly at the beach, one of his toes and pads were hanging off. It required stitching up, poor boy was in such a mess.I had the same problem as you as he is extremely active and used to being with me all day at horses etc.

My vet (also my boss) gave me some diazepam for him as he wouldn't sit still and it kept bleeding very heavily. The diazepam didn't work that well so i took him to surgery every morning for an injection of sedation. It was a bit severe but his foot was so badly damaged that we really needed him to lie down and chill out. His foot healed really well after numerous bandage changes etc. It was a horrible thing for him. He is used to a cage as he sleeps in one at night, but got so distressed being in it during the day, so this wasn't an option. Thankfully it all turned out well and i was so glad he was insured!!

Good luck