The dog has a fracture. We need to understand the symptoms of the dog's fracture to determine whether the dog has a fracture. We can prescribe the right medicine. If we find the right method, we must also learn how to treat the dog's fracture, because it is possible that when the dog has a fracture, it is too far from the pet hospital. , we must at least learn to do some simple bandaging and treatment.

​Havanese Dog

Symptoms of broken bones in dogs

Deformation, displacement of both ends of the fracture (such as angular displacement, longitudinal displacement, lateral displacement, rotational displacement, etc.), and abnormal postures such as shortening, bending, and elongation of the affected limb. The second is abnormal activities, such as flexion, rotation and other abnormal activities when the affected limb is loaded or passively moved (but the abnormal activities are not obvious with fractures of ribs and vertebrae). Bone friction sounds can be heard at the broken ends of the bones. In addition, symptoms such as bleeding, swelling, pain and dysfunction can also be seen.

Treatment methods for dog fractures

Emergency rescue: It should be carried out at the location of the disease to prevent the fracture end from being displaced or serious complications occurring when moving the sick dog.

Emergency care includes:

First, stop bleeding. Use bandages, cloth strips, ropes, etc. to tie the wound to stop bleeding. Apply iodine to the affected area and remove iodoform-sulfonamide powder from the wound.

Second, after temporarily bandaging and fixing the fracture, send it to a veterinary clinic for treatment immediately.

Rehabilitation: Recumbent Baoding is performed, and the surgery is performed under local anesthesia. When the fractured part of a limb is displaced, the assistant can pull it distally along the axis of the limb to straighten the displaced fractured part so that the two broken ends can be restored correctly. At this time, attention should be paid to whether the limb axis is normal and whether the two limbs are the same length.

Fixation: Perform general cleaning of the affected area of ​​non-open fractures. For open fractures, after general treatment, iodoform-sulfonamide powder is removed from the wound, and then fixed with a plaster bandage or a small splint. When fixing, it should be filled with cotton or cotton pads to prevent friction. Minimize movement after fixation. Appropriate movement can be allowed after 3-4 weeks. Generally, bandages and splints can be removed after 40-60 days.

Systemic therapy: You can take bone-setting medicine orally, and add animal growth hormone, calcium tablets, cod liver oil, etc. For dogs with open fractures, antibiotics and tetanus antitoxin can be used to prevent infection.

Care precautions for dogs after fractures

The treatment of dog fractures mainly relies on surgery, but post-surgery care is also crucial. There is a saying in humans: "It takes a hundred days to break a bone.""This sentence also applies to dogs. Regular follow-up visits and home rehabilitation are very important.

1. Regardless of external or internal fixation, the dog’s movement must be restricted within 2 weeks after surgery, and the dog can move freely after 2 weeks.

2. Systemic application of antibiotics to prevent and control infection.

3. 24-48 hours after external fixation, check whether there is edema under the fixation. If there is swelling, it means the bandage is too tight and should be re-bandaged.

4. Strengthen feeding management and nutrition, and supplement vitamin A, vitamin D and calcium preparations.

5. The external fixation bandage is generally removed after 45 to 60 days, and the internal fixation is scheduled for 180 days. The bone marrow needle or bone plate can be removed surgically after an X-ray examination.