| Archive for The Brittany Forum For all friends of the versatile Brittany |
| bifty |
Bad day for Bracken Today has been an awful day as Bracken totally ignored my recalls and ran over a stile and across a main road, up until then he had been very obedient! When I eventally caught up I was greeted by a car and a lady who informed me she had hit a dog, she was very concerned. Bracken was no where to be seen. I found him in a grass verge next to a lane to some industrial units. He looked ok, sitting down but shaken. I put on his lead but realised he had a damaged front left leg. A kind man from one of the units had heard there was a dog in the verge and came to my rescue He took me and Bracken to the vets. My samaritian!!
He has had xrays and was sedated, the vet rang about an hour later to say Bracken has suffered a broken front left leg. Both bones are broken about 4cm above his "wrist" joint. He is due to have an operation tomorrow and will most likely end up pinned. The vet says Bracken is quite lucky as that is his only injury. She said he was quite lively and standing up in his cage. In her words "The Muppet is standing up!!" Chris and I went to see him this evening, we both felt much better after seeing him .Unfortunately he stinks because he had rolled in something just before his accident. Bracken was very lucky it wasn't worse than it is, considering the speed of traffic on the bypass. He is feeling very sorry for himself with his splint on but it being a brave boy. Maybe he'll listen to me next time, but I doubt it, he thinks he knows best. The house seems so quiet without him. 
Gill |
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| Annie as admin |
Oh, Gill - this is our worst nightmare with our breed - they are just so fast and can be so wilful. I still cry over Flash and there have been others this year and last too.
I feel for you both. Let us know how Bracken gets on tomorrow. Annie |
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| johnhod |
Hope everything works out ok tomorrow. I hope you'll keep us up to date with Bracken's progress | ||||
| guy |
All fingers and paws crossed for the Muppet. | ||||
| barbara |
So sorry to hear about Bracken, I hope his leg mends quickly
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| Lin Dyke |
Poor Bracken and poor you Hope all goes well with his op'.
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| Mugi |
Best wishes Bracken, what a nightmare.
Hope all goes well. |
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| Liz |
Hope all goes well for Bracken. What a nightmare. Glad he wasn't more severely hurt. | ||||
| bifty |
Latest update.
Bracken was due to have his operation today, but the vet who was to perform the op didn't feel confident enough to carry it out. He is now due to have it tomorrow by a specialist who has done similar ops in the past. We read a case history on the practices web site which sounds the same as Brackens injury. The vet who performed the op is to do Brackens 
http://www.highgate-vets.co.uk/small/cases/dog/mojo.htm We were given the choice to bring Bracken home this lunchtime because he is very perky and I think maybe he was driving them mad with his barking 
We have to make sure he does the minimum amount of standing etc and not get his splint bandages wet. He still smells, so we will need to try and at least wipe him down the best we can 
He had a full bowl of water and his lunch as soon as he got home. The poor guy looks so sad when he is lying down looking at his leg wondering why he can't run after the cats
We have to take him back to the vets tomorrow am, so hopefully he will be on the mend after that. By the way, the cats were very relaxed and chilled last night. 
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| Annie as admin |
What great vets, to ensure they do the right thing for Bracken, and for you in letting him come home for a while - and respite for themselves too no doubt  . Will be thinking of you tomorrow.
Annie |
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| eddieh |
Best of luck Bracken.
Hoping those cats won't be safe for long
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| bifty |
Click to see full size image Poor lad
He is finding lying/sitting still very difficult! He wants to be up and about. 
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| barbara |
Poor Bracken, how long does the splint have to stay on? | ||||
| Lin Dyke |
Good luck to the boy for his op' today.
A good vet is worth their weight in gold. |
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| Ghilliegumdrop |
Does he have pawprints on there from all his doggy mates I hope he's better soon and, more to the point, he's learnt a lesson and won't do it again 
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| Tara and Amber |
Good Luck Bracken, I am beside myself if Amber goes out with my husband for more than an hour. I miss her so much, it's like a hugh something is missing. I dread the day that anything happens to her. You must be beside yourself. I hope I really hope it all goes well today, we're thinking of you. | ||||
| guy |
what about him?? | ||||
| bifty |
BRACKEN IS HOME 
We picked him up earlier this evening. At the moment he is zonked out with drugs sleeping it off. Correction, he has just smelt food being cooked in the kithen and he has hobbled his way (quite fast) to investigate
The vet Liz was able to insert a plate over the break with seven screws holding everything together. She explained the smaller bone (Ulna) at the back of his leg will heal all by its self. Brackens operation lasted three and a half hours! Poor lad. We are very grateful to all the staff at the surgery not least Liz who put him back together. He has a massive padded bandage protecting his leg, this is due to be removed on Monday and then he most likely won't have any dressings on. Liz did say that if he was a normal dog he wouldn't have to have the bandage on, but because he is a "mad" dog  it's best to give a bit of protection at first. She did smile when she said this. 
He has to have a course of painkillers and antibiotics and not to have any walks apart from into the garden for his comfort breaks
It will be quite a while before he is off running free
We are expecting (hoping) Bracken will have a restful night and sleep, last night he couldn't get comfy and was jumping up onto our bed then off again 
Many thanks to you all for your nice comments. PS When we took Bracken back in this morning Liz asked if we walked Bracken over our local golf course, she has a friend who has two labs Twix and Tilly and she was told about Bracken The Brittany last Sunday because he met up with them and one of the labs was in season . He usually plays with them but not on this occasion for obvious reasons, Tillys owner was making her sit and not move until I reached them
So she was surprised to find Bracken in her surgery the next day because Brits aren't too common here in Kendal. 
Click to see full size image 
Click to see full size image |
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| Mugi |
Oh poor baby - what a dressing .
Best wishes that he heals up without too many scares - havig had a weim who had bilateral hip surgery at under 2 yrs I know how difficult it can be to keep a young, mad dog following vet instructions .
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| guy |
what goes 'ba doing Bonk ?' | ||||
| Annie as admin |
I don't know - what does go 'ba doing bonk' | ||||
| guy |
a spronking Brittany in a leg cast | ||||
| Lin Dyke |
Bracken in his dressing
Seriously, hope the Muppet makes a full and fast recovery (do Brits do anything other than full on and fast  )
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| Liz |
Glad he's home. Good luck with keeping him relatively quiet! Hope he doesn't go too stir crazy and makes a quick recovery. | ||||
| johnhod |
Good to know your vet understands Brittanys |
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| bifty |
Bracken had an unscheduled visit to the vets this morning.
His padded bandge had slipped down his leg which led him to start licking his wound. He had caused this with him always being on the go !! Also it made his leg about 4 inches longer than the other one so he had trouble walking about. We we very surprised to see the stitches were nearly to the top of his leg. His break was near his paw. He has been a little B****r for the last two days He has run around the house and garden when he was allowed out as if nothing is wrong with him. How do you keep a Brit calm.
He now has a normal sticky bandage (blue for a boy) over his wound, and if he starts chewing / licking we have a "lampshade" to put over his head. He hates it, but it certainly calms him down. He does look so sad when he has it on.
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| eddieh |
Four six inch nails. One for each foot (maybe you can get away with three at the moment)
Glad to hear that he hasn't let his injury dampen his spirit
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| Lin Dyke |
When Zac had a lampshade we ended up with bruises all over our calves You may want to ask the vet for some padding for your legs Good to hear his spirit hasn't been dampened and that he is on the road to recovery.
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| bifty |
Well, guess what ?
Bracken had ANOTHER trip to the vets yesterday afternoon. Even wearing his "lampshade" he has managed to destroy his latest bandage.
Bracken has now been treated by three of the partners at our vets now. (He is becoming a bit of a celebrity there) and costing us an absolute fortune but we think he is worth it.
He now has a new bandage and a much larger "lampshade", also the vet supplied a bitter spray to be applied to his bandage twice a day. On the plus side, because he was seen yesterday, it meant he didn't need to go this morning to be checked. The vet was very pleased with the way his leg is healing. 
Fingers / Paws crossed, we won't be back until next Monday for his stitches out but wer'e not holding our breath.......
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| johnhod |
Hope everything went well today, for Bracken. | ||||
| bifty |
!!! BRACKEN THE BIONIC BRITTANY BOUNCES BACK !!!
He had his stitches out this evening.
Liz was VERY happy with his healing. He is stilll a bit swollen and has quite a wound Hopefully when his fur grows back he will look as good as gold.
The photo makes his leg look worse than it really is. He isn't even limping! I think he positioned it to make it look worse than it is
He has licked his leg quite a bit so we have had to put his lampshade on because he is making it a little red
When Liz came into the waiting room for Bracken she told a lady ( I think she was a rep) that this dog hasn't got a clue he has a broken leg
Liz said she has had three dogs (including Bracken) in the surgery in the last ten days who have broken their legs Normally she can go months without having to do orthopaedic surgery.
We are so grateful to the surgery and especially Liz for Brackens care and attention. Bracken has to have lead walks for the next six weeks and then he can run FREE and WILD
The cats are starting to look worried
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| Mugi |
That is looking really good!
All the best for an easy few weeks with a restrained Brittany .
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| johnhod |
Keeping a Brittany quiet for six weeks, now there's a challenge. | ||||
| guy |
sounds like you have the ideal opportunity to get him to understand other than free and wild :-) | ||||
| Annie as admin |
Stop whistle should be interesting......................
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| Liz |
Glad to hear Bracken is doing so well. He's a very lucky boy.
Good luck with keeping him quiet for the next few weeks
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| bifty |
Bracken Update.
Bracken in last few weeks has been making fine progress. He had his 4 week checkup after having his stitches out. Liz was happy with everything. He still has a slightly swollen leg, which in the circumstances of his injury is to be expected. He does have a callous on his break which Liz explained wasn't unusual because of Bracken,s lively nature. Most dogs would have rested the leg more than a Brittany. Liz is learning about the breed !!
He is still on walking on the lead for at least another week. He has been fine with the complete lack of exersise, and seems to be enjoying the rest and attention he is getting. He doesn't seem to have gained too much weight, in fact he is looking good.
He is regulary chasing the cats, but they are used to it by now.
Tonight, he was a bit hyper (nothing unusual) and came bounding down the stairs, I was in the kitchen and heard a high pitched cry, yes you guessed right, it was Bracken who had "flown" down the stairs and landed badly on his weak leg. He is now limping round the house far worse than when he actually broke his leg.
We are waiting to see how he will be tomorrow before we decide if we have to have another visit to the vets.
At the moment he is fast asleep in his bed, so at least he is now resting his injury.
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| eddieh |
Poor old Bracken, and you. It must be really hard to keep a dog (whatever the breed) quiet for the length of time you've had to.
Here's hoping that Bracken's pain was not indicative of any real problem |
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| Lin Dyke |
Hope all is well for Bracken. | ||||
| Liz |
Hope he hasn't damaged it again! | ||||
| Patricia |
Keeping an injured Brittany restrained is a ...must. If the injuries are to repair.
I have had such experiences before. A slipping patella( Not bred by me! ), a cruciate ligament, a broken leg due to a horse kick)
All required 6 weeks cage rest. The cruciate itself was worth as it needed 6 months limited exercise. So, six weeks in a cage with just toilet on a lead on the grass in the garden. Then a few yards on the lead for several days, all in all no free running at all for a good 5 months. 100 yards.( for the cruciate) If you don't follow a strict rest regime, the leg won't heal the same. I had an ortheopedic exercise sheet from my vet. You have to be strict and not feel sorry for the dog.
It is worth it in the long run. NO vet ever realises what live wires this breed is and the twisting and turning they operate at speed. This subject was approached at lenght on the French Forum and the same opinion prevailed: rest, no going mad even in the house! |
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| bifty |
A morning visit to the vets.
Luckily and hopefully Bracken hasn't done any lasting damage. The vet thinks he has twisted it and that has hurt him. He said he would have given him pain killers if he was on "normal" dog but on this occasion he didn't because he thinks if Bracken "carries" his leg for a while it will keep him calm. If he was on pain killers, he would be dashing around the house as if nothing was wrong.
Bracken has to go back if he is still having problems in a weeks time.
When the vet saw Bracken he greeted him and asked "What has the little B*****r done now ?"
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| eddieh |
Fingers crossed. Lets hope no damage has been done and it gives him something to think about. Best wishes.
Eddie |
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| Lin Dyke |
As hard as it may sound, I think the "no pain killer" is probably a good thing at the mo'. Pain killers do "what it says on the tin" and if it doesn't hurt it is all too easy to aggravate an injury, old or new. Hope it is just a "hiccup" in his return to full health. | ||||
| bifty |
Bracken has today had 5 minutes free running. He obsolutley enjoyed every minute. He didn't run far from us. He came back every recall, he even found the only muddy part of the field. We can now believe he is well on the way to recovery now.
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| Lin Dyke |
That is such good news Funny, I was only thinking about him and how he was doing earlier today.
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| johnhod |
Great news. Best wishes for his ongoing recovery | ||||
| eddieh |
Good to hear of Bracken’s continued improvement. You must be feeling happier and more relieved by the day.
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| bifty |
Yes, it's great to see him improving as he is. Bracken is loving his short off the lead walks (runs!)
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| johnhod |
Hi Bifty. It's been a long time since we had an update on Bracken. Hope he's fully recovered now | ||||
| bifty |
Sorry John, only just noticed your last message.
Bracken is now fully fit again. He is running well and the leg doesn't seem to bother him.
Still happy to explore at great distances from us, but always returns on the recall. Wonderful thing these sausages!
Yesterday Bracken gained a little brother, a nine week old Miniature Schnauzer called Otto.
It is funny to see him being wary of the little chap who wants everything Bracken has hold of. |
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| eddieh |
Glad to hear Bracken's doing ok.
Any pictures? I've never seen a Miniature Schnauzer that young and would be interested to see what Bracken looks like now. I've always thought he was a good looking dog.
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| Lin Dyke |
That is really good news Would also love to see pics of him and his new friend.
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| johnhod |
Yes, great news looking ofrward to pics | ||||
| bifty |
Here are a few pics of Bracken and Otto + a link to a video of them both playing.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aTFdWLn7aEE 
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| Lin Dyke |
Love it He tried so hard to be Mr Cool.... but then caved in with the "OK so you wanna play.. this is how you do it"
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| bifty |
Couple of photos to show how the two little darlings are getting on.
Otto is so fearless and keeps "attacking" Bracken who after a while gets a bit playfull and has to be told to calm it.
Click to see full size image 
Click to see full size image |
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| doganjo |
Aw they are so cute - you should send these to Donald for the website - email: webmaster@brittanyclub.co.uk | ||||
| Lin Dyke |
Love how Bracken appears to be holding him down in the second pic
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| bifty |
Annie I will send the photos to Donald.
Here is another video of them both. Hope I am not being to boring They are so funny when they are playing. 
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4EF2io8z2Rs |
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| eddieh |
Bored
How could we be bored watching those two. They're a real joy to watch. If everybody else gets bored with watching them, you can mail me photo's and video links. I'd love to meet Bracken one day
Thanks for posting |
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| doganjo |
Hear, hear - never bored watching clips and pics of britbags! | ||||
| Lin Dyke |
He's so gentle with his little friend It is definitely not boring so keep posting the vids and pics
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| bifty |
Otto on the ice. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_TfhsK9sAyY
New Years Day Walk 
After a hard days play ! 
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| johnhod |
Lovely video and pics Bracken | ||||
| doganjo |
That looked super training grounds - I like the typical Brittany attitude, ignore, ignore, ignore - then - yeah, you spoke? | ||||
| bifty |
Bracken now has a new bed.
Which he has to share
Plus a video http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0V7yi3Xh57I&feature=channel_page |
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| doganjo |
Gosh he's SOooooo tolerant. Allez would have had the little one pulverised in seconds! | ||||
| Patricia |
Lovely bed...It look the business. Where did you get it from? I need a new one as my son put the nice thick one I had on the hot plate of the AGA to dry it( after the pup puddled on it)
It melted a hole in it 
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| bifty |
Patricia,
We got it from Pets At Home, I think it was £39.00, it is quite a good quality one. http://www.petsathome.com/find/ca...+and+fibre+beds/product-is-V00090 They had some others for the same price which didn't seem as good a value. Chris |
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| johnhod |
Hasn't Bracken got a superb temperament. Sadly missing in lots of dogs | ||||
| bifty |
Yes he has, I don't think he has a bad bone in his body I think we are very lucky to have him like he is.
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| Lin Dyke |
Bracken is such a lovely, patient boy 
That bed is really great. Unfortunately it wouldn't last long here, our lot can wreck supposedly "indestructible" beds made from stab-proof fabric 
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