Puppy's Fractured Toe

[renkma]

Please - first of all, please do not label me a bad mother - please!! What happened to my puppy was absolutely an accident. My puppy's name is Gumdrop Twinkle-Toes - she is a 13 week old (large) Chihuahua - and we love her dearly. She gets the best of care and supervision - anything she needs when she needs it.

The story:

Gumdrop trotted to her water dish last Thursday morning for a drink. The bedroom door was open slightly and our other dog Daisy was still sleeping in bed. She is a great dog, but doesn't like when the puppy pounces on her when she is trying to sleep - she is older and a little cranky early in the morning and I don't blame her ... I'm older and cranky at 5AM too
So, to protect both dogs, I went to close the bedroom door over - not slamming but very quietly and slowly. I didn't see Gumdrop run up behind me and try to sneak in the room, her front left foot got caught under the door, between the door and floor - where there is a small gap, but enough to slip my index finger under with a good and tender wedge. She screamed and I quickly opened the door, freeing her. This all happened in no more than one second (say one-onethousand). She YIPE YIPE YIPEd, and scampered up into my arms crying. I calmed her and got a cool wash cloth, and put her foot in it. She would cry and pull her foot away. She was injured.

By 10AM I she was walking and prancing around like nothing had happened, but every now and then she would YIPE and run to me. The pinky looked just a tiny bit swollen so I brought her into the vet.

Pinky toe fractured in two places - one place is at the growth plate. They bandaged her with vet wrap and sent her home with an opiate pain medication. After three doses, I stopped giving her the drugs. I only wanted her to be able to sleep at night for the first little bit.
She is in no pain most of the time. She can walk and sleep and rest perfectly fine. We are limiting her activity heavily, but she has to be allowed to potty and I allow her to go get a drink by herself, and go to her food dish. She will still YIPE if the immediate area is bumped or squeezed by accident. She goes back to the vet tomorrow (Tuesday) to have the bandage removed and possibly redone.

I know she will heal. I know it wasn't anyone's fault and it was an accident, but I'm so upset that I caused this tiny sweet little baby so much pain ... "a broken toe"!!!!!!

It is taxing trying to keep her quiet and resting. She wants to play so bad and is so restless. She sits there and stares at me and wimpers to be allowed to play and I can't help but get teary myself. When she goes berserk - like chi puppies do sometimes and I try to control her, she gets angry and will actually growl at me. She is like a shaken pop bottle. I'm so broken up by this and want to let her play, but I can't let her worsen the injury. I feel like the worst person in the world - how could I have let this happen. All I was doing was trying to keep both dogs safe, protected, and happy ....

So here is my request for support ...

Has anyone out there had a young puppy suffer a broken toe? How long did it take before you could let the puppy at least romp a tiny bit or play on a blanket without worrying that she will re-break any healing that has occurred? I have read that puppy's (and children's) bones heal much faster than adults - sometimes by half. Where an adult dog digit would take 5 to 6 weeks, a very young pup will be half that and even as little 2 to 3 weeks - is that true? I'm sure the vet will tell me tomorrow, but I'm just freaking out so bad and hope so much for some stories with happy endings. The longer I worry, the worse my worry gets, the worse my mind makes the situation. I actually start inventing negativity - like it will never heal - that everytime she YIKES it is because she is re-breaking it and we are back at square one. So any one out there that can tell me my pessimism is just that ... pessimism, please come forward and help me to calm down.

Please - those of you who are thinking of posting and telling me that my puppy should be put in a crate for 6 weeks - I've read these recommendations by some people and it is not the route we have chosen to go. WE would prefer keeping her busy on the sofa with Kongs and love. But thanks anyway.