Broken Iggy

On Monday morning Guppy broke his leg.  We had just come home from a walk and there was a squirrel in the yard so I let him off his leash.  He chased the squirrel up a tree that is quite slanted and he got up too high and when he came down I heard the Iggy Death Scream - trust me, it is not something anyone wants to hear.  My initial thought was maybe he ripped a toenail off or something but as soon as I looked at him, I knew - trust me, that is not something anyone wants to see.  Fortunately, it was not a compound fracture.  We got him right in to see his vet and my worst nightmare was confirmed.  For those that are not familiar with Italian Greyhounds, they have long thin legs with very little muscle in the lower part and fractures are not uncommon especially in the first two years.  While I know it was not my fault, I still feel awful and keep second guessing myself even though I understand that won't change what happened.

So, he had surgery today (Tuesday) that entailed putting in a plate with seven screws and wrapped with bone graft to promote healing.  He'll have to be in a cast or splint for a minimum of four weeks and likely closer to six.  I have to keep him as inactive as possible and even once the cast is off, he will need a lot of time to rehab.  No doggy daycare, no trips to the dog park... I probably won't have much time for creating fractals or even being online.

Despite how horrible this whole ordeal is, I am extremely grateful that it wasn't worse, that I have pet insurance to cover a significant portion of the cost, that I am able to stay at home and take care of him and that he should make a full recovery.  (Positive thoughts and prayers for that are much appreciated.) 

In addition, I am very grateful that my beautiful granddaughter, Dawson Renee, was born on May 29 and we got to meet her on my birthday.  She is gorgeous and healthy.