If your dog breaks a bone due to light exercise (such as going down stairs or running in the yard), your veterinarian will try to diagnose whether there is a disease that will gradually weaken the strength of the bone. Such diseases include: bone tumor or metabolic bone disease, which can be diagnosed by radioactive examination.
According to the difference of physiological structure and acquired exercise, some dog breeds are more prone to fracture. For example, a toy dog jumping from a height can easily lead to fracture of the lower forearm (radius and ulna). However, due to the insufficient blood supply in this area, it is difficult to recover only by plaster or splint treatment. In this case, the veterinarian will use a bone plate with screws to repair the fracture.
The spaniel is a dog that is prone to fracture around the elbow joint. Most of the distal humerus (upper arm) of these dogs are abnormally developed, so the risk of fracture is high.
Greyhound is also a kind of dog that is particularly prone to fracture. The most common fracture sites in these dogs are lower limbs, including toes and ankles.
Some serious injuries will not only cause fractures but also cause many diseases, so a thorough clinical examination is needed. For example, a dog hit by a car should have a chest X-ray examination to evaluate complex chest trauma; Some dogs will be accompanied by joint injury or spinal injury when they are fractured, so it is necessary to evaluate these dogs comprehensively.
Depth diagnosis
The diagnostic tests needed to differentiate and treat fractures specifically include:
1. Detailed medical history and complete physical examination
2. The diagnosis of long bone fracture is usually very obvious, because the limb displacement at the fracture site is abnormal. Generally speaking, veterinarians will ignore obvious fractures and instead evaluate other injuries suffered by dogs. Some injuries (especially chest and spine injuries) need to be carefully evaluated before operation.
Chest X-ray (chest X-ray) is a very important diagnostic examination, especially for dogs with trauma. For example, dogs that have been in car accidents usually have lung contusions or pneumothorax.
4. In addition, pelvic fracture will cause great damage to the genitourinary system to a certain extent. Therefore, it is also necessary to check contrast exploration or abdominal X-ray, which can be used to evaluate the abnormalities of kidney, ureter and bladder.
Blood tests can be used to diagnose anemia or other problems related to shock. Blood gas and electrolyte tests can be used to evaluate the metabolic status of dogs. In addition, biochemical analysis can be used to evaluate the function of some organs, such as liver and kidney. These tests help to determine whether the sick dog can be anesthetized for the final repair of the fracture.
6. robert jones bandage or splint is a common tool to temporarily stabilize the fracture of radius/ulna (front leg) or tibia. This kind of equipment is mainly used for auxiliary treatment of fractures caused by excessive exercise before surgical repair. The "heavy" characteristics of this "pillow splint" provide support for these fractures and surrounding damaged soft tissues.
Veterinarians can take one or more of the above acceptable methods to repair specific fractures. Usually, the experience of surgeons and veterinarians determines the type of fracture repair.
Comminuted fracture refers to the fracture of more than two fracture areas. These cracks are unstable in nature. The fracture at the joint needs special repair methods to restore the mobility of the affected joint as soon as possible. After all, the joint is a very important part connecting two bones.
There are many factors that will make the veterinarian adjust the final fracture repair plan, as follows:
1. Minor fractures (such as slight fibular fractures) may only need to be fixed with plaster or splint. Using needles and thread is another stable method.
2. In order to provide additional support, additional external fixator (ESF) can provide additional axial and rotational stability. In addition to placing the needles in the medullary cavity, these needles will also enter the bone fragments through the skin and then connect with a series of clamps and connecting rods to provide stronger stability.
Veterinarians have been using bone plates and screws for fracture repair for the past 30 years. Although bone plates and screws can provide better stiffness and stability for fracture areas, in many cases, this is at the expense of local blood supply. In order to achieve proper fixation, it is often necessary to dissect the bone fragment area deeply. In recent years, the treatment trend of veterinary orthopedic surgeons is to reduce the degree of anatomy as much as possible and stabilize the fracture area as much as possible. At present, ESF is the final fracture repair scheme for most fractures, because there will not be too much tissue peeling when ESF is used for repair.
Recently, "chain nails" have been widely used in veterinary orthopedic surgery. This technique uses a large intramedullary "needle" (which can be inserted into the bone cavity), and this "needle" can be modified into a locking screw that passes through the upper and lower bones and nails at the fracture site, thus providing very safe fixation and minimal tissue invasion.
Follow-up nursing
1. Be sure to follow the instructions of the veterinarian for postoperative care. In most cases, the dog should be taken out within 4-6 weeks after operation, and must be guided by a leash.
After the fracture repair operation, you should always pay attention to whether there is too much redness or secretion at its incision. If these situations occur, be sure to inform your veterinarian in time.
3. For dogs with small bones and joints, it is necessary to properly supplement calcium to enhance joint strength. Dogs can be fed high-energy milk calcium tablets to supplement calcium and vitamin D3 to increase the absorption of calcium.
4. Feed meloxicam tablets, a special analgesic for dogs after fracture and sprain, to relieve inflammation and pain, and prevent infection at the same time.
5. Follow up the inspection according to the instructions of the veterinarian. Generally speaking, after the operation, you must take your dog for an X-ray examination every 4-6 weeks until its bones are healed. Physical therapy may help the early recovery process, and your veterinarian should provide clear instructions. Many times, the success of fracture healing in a specific area depends on the type of follow-up care provided.