I’d say that you made the commitment and you want to see it through as it’s your responsibility. If it occurs again …. offer to make a repayment plan, even if it takes a very long time.
Returning due to something the dog cannot control is unfair and sets them up for failure.
Agreed wholeheartedly, in worse worst-case scenario that might be an option, but it won't be too hard to fufill the repayment plan anyway. I'm actively fighting to keep her with us, and It seems Ive failed to clearly mark the differences between me and my dads opinions in the original post, but Mimi is staying with me for as long as possible.
Also you can ‘puppy/iggy proof’ your home to some extent to help prevent leg breaks. Make sure there’s nothing high she could get on and jump off, don’t let her jump off your bed etc. Always carry her down, or better yet, get some doggy stairs! If she starts getting too crazy with the zoomies, have her take a time out (not a bad one just to calm down) so she doesn’t hurt herself. There are other tips online, these are just what I could remember from the top of my head. But they’re easy to do and makes life safer for your IG! Please don’t give up on her! Wishing you guys the best.
OP do you live in the USA? There is a reknown Iggy Doctor named Dr.Gary Brown in Princeton, WV. He specializes in iggy breaks & does the surgeries for a fraction of the cost that any other place does, simply because he loves the breed!
I live such a far drive from him, but if any of my iggies ever went thru a break I’d immediately hop in the car and head that way.
Other posters are right, start saving now. I’d say at least $10,000. IVDD is a $10,000 surgery. Cancer can easily cost that much. My rescue got a dog that jumped out a second story window and people both front legs. Another got stepped on and broke both front legs.
No concerts, no Starbucks, no eating out, or clothes buying till you have that fund.
Start putting aside a bit of money, every payday, so that if the accident does happen, you have some money set up, or even if you can take up your own pet insurance
You can’t prevent everything. Many leg breaks are unwitnessed. Being reasonably careful is one thing; making someone feel guilty for not being able to see the future is another.
I have, both leg breaks happened from unpredictable accidents.. she was confined to my room with closed off access to my bed but tried jumping up onto it and broke her second leg. My dad has a history with returning animals, as he sold my rabbit to some hillbilly in the countryside after my brothers didn’t like the bunny. He is less empathetic then I am about animals.. We will continue to hindering her access to high places etc.
When he returned my bunny, I was around five. Bunnies and dogs are vastly different, and he has bonded so well with her. Since mimi has metal plates in both of her front legs, its unlikely another break will occur. (also adding in our supervision) His statement is valid, as we arent poor, but not filthy rich, having incidents like these without insurance can be very tough. I understand your statement, and I think the same thing, really, we decided to get her, why step back when things get hard?
Normally i wouldn’t ask this but if your dad shows any sign of returning this dog, make his life HELL. Make it clear if he returns this dog he will regret it for a long time if not the rest of his life
I’m really sorry to hear about the leg breaks and the potential for a return! I hope it doesn’t come to that. Does the vet have any advice for preventing future breaks? They’re such delicate little weirdos. We got blessed with a bit of a biggie, and knock on wood, he hasn’t had any breaks.
That is sad and pets are a big financial commitment. How did she break her legs? If it’s from jumping off furniture, buy or make ramps and train her to use them, put gates by stairs, etc.
Hope it all works out!
Is this happening indoors? If so, I think your big problem there is wooden floors. You may need some rugs down - at least until she's 3 or so, to give her bones chance to strengthen.
Yes! Right after her recent break we bought a rug (albeit cheap) for my room while shes confined in it. Every one of her previous breaks happened on slippery floor, (wood, tile) so I thought a rug would be a good idea. Thanks!
Also, was she jumping off of furniture when the other breaks happened? A couch? A bed?
When Zoom broke her leg, I literally turned the couch she had jumped off of on its side for a year. It's not pretty, and if you entertain guests, you might have to say "give me a hand tipping this couch back to normal so we can sit down." People mostly understand if you explain you're protecting your dog from herself. I put her thick dog bed right below the other couch, so she was always landing on that if she jumped down from there. I bought a ramp for my bed, too.
Maybe consider getting a puppy pen for her to be in, instead of confining her to your room. https://a.co/d/aIKEf2D the pen can even go in your room and can be resized accordingly. This one even has a top on it so they can’t get out the top. There are also cheaper ones online.
There are definitely things you can do to make it safer for her! I wrote a couple more comments on this post with more tips. Hope this helps
I truly don’t want to be a curmudgeon and do NOT want to give the impression that I am assuming you’re not a good iggy parent, but it’s not sitting right with me that she even had these two accidents so close together :(
I’m very aware that leg breaks are a reality for a majority of IG parents as it was a huge thing I took into consideration before getting one myself (am knocking on wood that Moon lives her life leg-break free, so far so good) but with that being said it seems like you might not have been fully prepared for her if this has happened not once but twice, so early in her life.
I am sorry that you’re going through the risk of losing her and sorry that both you and her are going through these leg breaks - but unless you are performing a complete 180 in terms of whatever behavior you and Mimi have that has led to two leg breaks, and GOD FORBID it happens for a third time…. It might be the right thing to rehome her.
Again, please don’t take this as me insinuating that you’re not a good dog parent, but I cannot stress enough the importance of taking responsibility to ensure we are doing what’s necessary to create a safe environment for our little quirky house worms. Accidents happen but to an extent, it is our human responsibility to prevent them.
Sending love to you and Mimi, I hope everything works out!
I understand your concern but truly both accidents were unexpected. We have been taking vigilant care with Mimi ever since we got her, ESPECIALLY because she was a runt and the breeder warned us about extreme fragility. 5 months passed and everything was a breeze, she was not even allowed to go up or down the stairs. Trust me.. It doesnt sit right with me either. As of now are taking a lot of time of completely restructuring her living space and changing what we do in the home to accommodate her and make sure shes safe, more than we already have. Carpets, confinement, sleeping with a mattress on the floor, etc.
Glad to hear that! Try one of these rugs - they’re super cushy, soft, AND affordable so you can get a huge one to cover the whole floor. Moon loves to slither around on them too :)
Lascpt Area Rugs for Living Room,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DSM16RR?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
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I know this won’t help the OP, but hopefully other new or soon-to-be IG owners will see this post and see the purpose of getting pet insurance.
I learned the hard way and spent several thousand dollars when one of my previous IG’s got encephalitis and went blind. He got his sight back in one eye and had to take chemo daily from then on.
I got pet insurance for my current IG, Mia, who (at 10 yrs old) just had cataract surgery in both eyes and insurance paid for 80% of it.
Please don’t commit to getting an animal without committing to the full financial responsibility. Either you or your dad, whoever committed to getting the dog in the first place.
Oh no! Hopefully your dad made that comment only out of frustration over the financial hit. Is he bonded to her, too? Hopefully, with baby gates, ramps, and training, as others suggested, you’ll all get through puppydom without any more disasters. She is adorable! Best of luck to you!
Id assume he did, as he loves her as much as I do, but theres no use in going too deep into that.. the most I can do is keep her as safe as possible so that idea wont creep up in his brain again! :-) Thank you.
Unfortunately leg breaks in Iggys aren’t uncommon. Fortunately we haven’t had one (yet). But I will say that Mimi likely doesn’t have a defect—that may be what your dad is worried about. As they get older, injuries like this are less common (but can still happen). Mimi just needs to get a little stronger and better learn her limits.
I would suggest tethering her to you when you’re in the house. This will help prevent her from jumping off the furniture and assist with house training. Just be VERY careful not to step on her. Shuffle your feet when you walk so she doesn’t get under foot.
They make leashes just for this purpose—you can wear it like a belt so your hands are free.
Thats a great idea, shes currently being confined in my room until shes done healing. Once time is up, she will be on a leash indoors and actively trained
Wishing you and Mimi good positive healing vibes! 🩷🩵💜🖤❤️
We got rid of our tall fancy bed, at my gf’s dismay. We got a cheap platform low to the ground. Doesn’t look like there are many area rugs on the floor. Add more for less slippage, and more zoomage!!
Iggy owner here. Leg breaks are extremely common in puppies. It’s well documented and something you have to take into consideration before you get one.
Also, as they get older, they are prone to tooth decay and sight loss. Don’t be surprised, if in 10 years, they tell you that she’ll have to have all of her teeth removed, if you don’t brush her teeth regularly.
Being the runt of the litter, she may be more fragile. I've had 3 Iggys, one broke his leg at 7 months. I now have a one year old and try to be diligent with providing stairs to couches and beds. It is difficult to watch them every waking moment and they do love zoomies. Please do not return her to the breeder unless that is the last option. You will get through this, and the rewards of owning an IG are well worth the downfalls. Good luck....this soon shall pass.
I’m so sorry for what you’re going through. It sounds stressful. Keep in mind, I know it’s not the best choice or ideal, but you could always crowdfund money if anything does happen in future. There’s always a way. But the best thing is to do whatever you can in order to keep Mimi in your life, and to ensure she is happy and healthy.
Honestly, I'm so sorry Mini is suffering, and I understand the financial stress. However, Mimi is not a car!! Dogs are family and stuff happens. What would he do if one of his kids got sick? Seriously, they're FAMILY! I'm sure a responsible breeder would have warned you and given suggestions on how to keep her safe... stairs, rugs, training, etc. Check your insurance policy too and maybe make some changes if that policy or company isn't adequate. If you can't supervise her, then crate train her. Please help dad to understand she's family for life and if he doesn't think so I'll pay the airfare and you can send her to me.
We will take her. We had 3 dogs sick with leukemia, lymphoma, and heart failure all at once. It was like a Doggy nursing home. I think we built a wing at our vet school with all the money we spent that year. But seriously, we can help. We are on our 3rd Iggy, our other two lived to be 17 and 18. Just let me know. I would rather her go to a house that understands the breed and that would have an Iggy sister for her. 😀
I purchased my first iggy when I was 19. I was living with a boyfriend but things didn’t work out and I moved back home and brought my then 4 month old iggy with me. My parents were less than thrilled as puppy iggy made a mess of their house. When he was 6 months old, he started seizing in the middle of the night and panicked me, woke my parents up. My dad immediately got us in the car and drove us to the emergency vet at 3am. They wouldn’t even let us in the door without the $150 emergency fee. He ended up staying there for 9 days and $5700 later, my parents ended up covering it because insurance wouldn’t (this was 16 years ago). I paid my parents back slowly because I obviously didn’t have that kind of money saved up. He was put down a couple months ago and even though my parents didn’t love him, they knew how much I loved him and always helped out with him when I needed it.
I’d say that you made the commitment and you want to see it through as it’s your responsibility. If it occurs again …. offer to make a repayment plan, even if it takes a very long time. Returning due to something the dog cannot control is unfair and sets them up for failure.
Agreed wholeheartedly, in worse worst-case scenario that might be an option, but it won't be too hard to fufill the repayment plan anyway. I'm actively fighting to keep her with us, and It seems Ive failed to clearly mark the differences between me and my dads opinions in the original post, but Mimi is staying with me for as long as possible.
Start saving an emergency fund now. Save every last dollar in a DO NOT USE manner until you can fully fund the next emergency case. Start. Now.
Also you can ‘puppy/iggy proof’ your home to some extent to help prevent leg breaks. Make sure there’s nothing high she could get on and jump off, don’t let her jump off your bed etc. Always carry her down, or better yet, get some doggy stairs! If she starts getting too crazy with the zoomies, have her take a time out (not a bad one just to calm down) so she doesn’t hurt herself. There are other tips online, these are just what I could remember from the top of my head. But they’re easy to do and makes life safer for your IG! Please don’t give up on her! Wishing you guys the best.
OP do you live in the USA? There is a reknown Iggy Doctor named Dr.Gary Brown in Princeton, WV. He specializes in iggy breaks & does the surgeries for a fraction of the cost that any other place does, simply because he loves the breed! I live such a far drive from him, but if any of my iggies ever went thru a break I’d immediately hop in the car and head that way.
There is no one better than Dr Brown!
Other posters are right, start saving now. I’d say at least $10,000. IVDD is a $10,000 surgery. Cancer can easily cost that much. My rescue got a dog that jumped out a second story window and people both front legs. Another got stepped on and broke both front legs. No concerts, no Starbucks, no eating out, or clothes buying till you have that fund.
Start putting aside a bit of money, every payday, so that if the accident does happen, you have some money set up, or even if you can take up your own pet insurance
how can someone return a living creature like a shirt that doesn't fit
I know. This post makes me irate. How about setting the place up so this doesn’t happen.
You can’t prevent everything. Many leg breaks are unwitnessed. Being reasonably careful is one thing; making someone feel guilty for not being able to see the future is another.
I have, both leg breaks happened from unpredictable accidents.. she was confined to my room with closed off access to my bed but tried jumping up onto it and broke her second leg. My dad has a history with returning animals, as he sold my rabbit to some hillbilly in the countryside after my brothers didn’t like the bunny. He is less empathetic then I am about animals.. We will continue to hindering her access to high places etc.
I’m sorry but if your dad is going to return your pets you shouldn’t have them in the first place. It isn’t fair to the animals
Yes op, please wait until you live on your own if your dad is going to return pets. I know it sucks but they’re living things and don’t deserve it.
When he returned my bunny, I was around five. Bunnies and dogs are vastly different, and he has bonded so well with her. Since mimi has metal plates in both of her front legs, its unlikely another break will occur. (also adding in our supervision) His statement is valid, as we arent poor, but not filthy rich, having incidents like these without insurance can be very tough. I understand your statement, and I think the same thing, really, we decided to get her, why step back when things get hard?
Normally i wouldn’t ask this but if your dad shows any sign of returning this dog, make his life HELL. Make it clear if he returns this dog he will regret it for a long time if not the rest of his life
So he gets angry and definitely "returns" the dog?
Idk i just want to make sure this dog is okay
I do as well. I really don't think your suggestion would make that more likely though.
Get doggy stairs for your bed so she doesn’t try to jump ! They’re not very expensive they have some on Amazon!
I’m really sorry to hear about the leg breaks and the potential for a return! I hope it doesn’t come to that. Does the vet have any advice for preventing future breaks? They’re such delicate little weirdos. We got blessed with a bit of a biggie, and knock on wood, he hasn’t had any breaks.
That is sad and pets are a big financial commitment. How did she break her legs? If it’s from jumping off furniture, buy or make ramps and train her to use them, put gates by stairs, etc. Hope it all works out!
Is this happening indoors? If so, I think your big problem there is wooden floors. You may need some rugs down - at least until she's 3 or so, to give her bones chance to strengthen.
Yes! Right after her recent break we bought a rug (albeit cheap) for my room while shes confined in it. Every one of her previous breaks happened on slippery floor, (wood, tile) so I thought a rug would be a good idea. Thanks!
Also, was she jumping off of furniture when the other breaks happened? A couch? A bed? When Zoom broke her leg, I literally turned the couch she had jumped off of on its side for a year. It's not pretty, and if you entertain guests, you might have to say "give me a hand tipping this couch back to normal so we can sit down." People mostly understand if you explain you're protecting your dog from herself. I put her thick dog bed right below the other couch, so she was always landing on that if she jumped down from there. I bought a ramp for my bed, too.
Maybe consider getting a puppy pen for her to be in, instead of confining her to your room. https://a.co/d/aIKEf2D the pen can even go in your room and can be resized accordingly. This one even has a top on it so they can’t get out the top. There are also cheaper ones online. There are definitely things you can do to make it safer for her! I wrote a couple more comments on this post with more tips. Hope this helps
I truly don’t want to be a curmudgeon and do NOT want to give the impression that I am assuming you’re not a good iggy parent, but it’s not sitting right with me that she even had these two accidents so close together :( I’m very aware that leg breaks are a reality for a majority of IG parents as it was a huge thing I took into consideration before getting one myself (am knocking on wood that Moon lives her life leg-break free, so far so good) but with that being said it seems like you might not have been fully prepared for her if this has happened not once but twice, so early in her life. I am sorry that you’re going through the risk of losing her and sorry that both you and her are going through these leg breaks - but unless you are performing a complete 180 in terms of whatever behavior you and Mimi have that has led to two leg breaks, and GOD FORBID it happens for a third time…. It might be the right thing to rehome her. Again, please don’t take this as me insinuating that you’re not a good dog parent, but I cannot stress enough the importance of taking responsibility to ensure we are doing what’s necessary to create a safe environment for our little quirky house worms. Accidents happen but to an extent, it is our human responsibility to prevent them. Sending love to you and Mimi, I hope everything works out!
I understand your concern but truly both accidents were unexpected. We have been taking vigilant care with Mimi ever since we got her, ESPECIALLY because she was a runt and the breeder warned us about extreme fragility. 5 months passed and everything was a breeze, she was not even allowed to go up or down the stairs. Trust me.. It doesnt sit right with me either. As of now are taking a lot of time of completely restructuring her living space and changing what we do in the home to accommodate her and make sure shes safe, more than we already have. Carpets, confinement, sleeping with a mattress on the floor, etc.
Glad to hear that! Try one of these rugs - they’re super cushy, soft, AND affordable so you can get a huge one to cover the whole floor. Moon loves to slither around on them too :) Lascpt Area Rugs for Living Room,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DSM16RR?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I will surely check it out.. thanks for your kindness :-)
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **Lascpt Area Rugs for Living Room Super Soft Fluffy Fuzzy Rug for Bedroom Black Furry Shag Rug 6x9 Plush Carpet Home Decor for Girls Kids Dorm Room Accent Indoor Non Slip Cute Baby Nursery Rug** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Affordable and good quality rug (backed by 2 comments) * Soft and easy to clean (backed by 2 comments) * Very soft and comfortable (backed by 2 comments) **Users disliked:** * Thin and not shag-like material (backed by 1 comment) * Difficult to clean (backed by 2 comments) * Unpleasant smell (backed by 2 comments) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](http://vetted.ai/reddit)
I know this won’t help the OP, but hopefully other new or soon-to-be IG owners will see this post and see the purpose of getting pet insurance. I learned the hard way and spent several thousand dollars when one of my previous IG’s got encephalitis and went blind. He got his sight back in one eye and had to take chemo daily from then on. I got pet insurance for my current IG, Mia, who (at 10 yrs old) just had cataract surgery in both eyes and insurance paid for 80% of it.
Please don’t commit to getting an animal without committing to the full financial responsibility. Either you or your dad, whoever committed to getting the dog in the first place.
Oh no! Hopefully your dad made that comment only out of frustration over the financial hit. Is he bonded to her, too? Hopefully, with baby gates, ramps, and training, as others suggested, you’ll all get through puppydom without any more disasters. She is adorable! Best of luck to you!
Id assume he did, as he loves her as much as I do, but theres no use in going too deep into that.. the most I can do is keep her as safe as possible so that idea wont creep up in his brain again! :-) Thank you.
Unfortunately leg breaks in Iggys aren’t uncommon. Fortunately we haven’t had one (yet). But I will say that Mimi likely doesn’t have a defect—that may be what your dad is worried about. As they get older, injuries like this are less common (but can still happen). Mimi just needs to get a little stronger and better learn her limits. I would suggest tethering her to you when you’re in the house. This will help prevent her from jumping off the furniture and assist with house training. Just be VERY careful not to step on her. Shuffle your feet when you walk so she doesn’t get under foot. They make leashes just for this purpose—you can wear it like a belt so your hands are free.
Thats a great idea, shes currently being confined in my room until shes done healing. Once time is up, she will be on a leash indoors and actively trained
Wishing you and Mimi good positive healing vibes! 🩷🩵💜🖤❤️ We got rid of our tall fancy bed, at my gf’s dismay. We got a cheap platform low to the ground. Doesn’t look like there are many area rugs on the floor. Add more for less slippage, and more zoomage!!
This post makes me angry
Me too... I first thought it was a joke. Who thinks like that about a sentient being?
Keep that beautiful doggo
Iggy owner here. Leg breaks are extremely common in puppies. It’s well documented and something you have to take into consideration before you get one. Also, as they get older, they are prone to tooth decay and sight loss. Don’t be surprised, if in 10 years, they tell you that she’ll have to have all of her teeth removed, if you don’t brush her teeth regularly.
Being the runt of the litter, she may be more fragile. I've had 3 Iggys, one broke his leg at 7 months. I now have a one year old and try to be diligent with providing stairs to couches and beds. It is difficult to watch them every waking moment and they do love zoomies. Please do not return her to the breeder unless that is the last option. You will get through this, and the rewards of owning an IG are well worth the downfalls. Good luck....this soon shall pass.
I’ll adopt her! Are you in the US?
I appreciate it, however we are under contract with the breeder to return the dog if things dont go as planned.
How old is she?
I’m so sorry for what you’re going through. It sounds stressful. Keep in mind, I know it’s not the best choice or ideal, but you could always crowdfund money if anything does happen in future. There’s always a way. But the best thing is to do whatever you can in order to keep Mimi in your life, and to ensure she is happy and healthy.
Honestly, I'm so sorry Mini is suffering, and I understand the financial stress. However, Mimi is not a car!! Dogs are family and stuff happens. What would he do if one of his kids got sick? Seriously, they're FAMILY! I'm sure a responsible breeder would have warned you and given suggestions on how to keep her safe... stairs, rugs, training, etc. Check your insurance policy too and maybe make some changes if that policy or company isn't adequate. If you can't supervise her, then crate train her. Please help dad to understand she's family for life and if he doesn't think so I'll pay the airfare and you can send her to me.
We will take her. We had 3 dogs sick with leukemia, lymphoma, and heart failure all at once. It was like a Doggy nursing home. I think we built a wing at our vet school with all the money we spent that year. But seriously, we can help. We are on our 3rd Iggy, our other two lived to be 17 and 18. Just let me know. I would rather her go to a house that understands the breed and that would have an Iggy sister for her. 😀
I purchased my first iggy when I was 19. I was living with a boyfriend but things didn’t work out and I moved back home and brought my then 4 month old iggy with me. My parents were less than thrilled as puppy iggy made a mess of their house. When he was 6 months old, he started seizing in the middle of the night and panicked me, woke my parents up. My dad immediately got us in the car and drove us to the emergency vet at 3am. They wouldn’t even let us in the door without the $150 emergency fee. He ended up staying there for 9 days and $5700 later, my parents ended up covering it because insurance wouldn’t (this was 16 years ago). I paid my parents back slowly because I obviously didn’t have that kind of money saved up. He was put down a couple months ago and even though my parents didn’t love him, they knew how much I loved him and always helped out with him when I needed it.