The Dog's Medical Dictionary: An encyclopædia of the diseases, their diagnosis & treatment, and the physical development of the dogSewell, Alfred Joseph
Science
The Dog's Medical Dictionary: An encyclopædia of the diseases, their diagnosis & treatment, and the physical development of the dog
Sewell, Alfred Joseph
Dogs -- Diseases -- Dictionaries
Fracture of the head of the femur occurs sometimes, especially in
puppies, which is often mistaken for dislocation of the hip joint, of
which I have never seen a case. The part that is really broken is the
neck of the ball of the head of the femur, which fits in the cup of the
pelvis that goes to form the hip joint. In these cases great pain is
caused by pulling the leg back or abducting it, and distinct crepitation
may be felt and heard when moving the limb. If there is any doubt about
the case, the exact condition of the parts can always be plainly seen
with the assistance of the X-rays.
After fracture of the neck of the head of the thigh bone, the top of
it—namely, the trochanter—sticks up higher than it did before, and this
will be particularly noticed if the injured joint is compared with the
corresponding one on the other side.
Treatment is useless in these cases, for the broken bone will never unite
again; but in time a false joint is formed, and though the limb will for
ever afterwards be shorter than its fellow, yet after a time it becomes
a very useful member, and the dog scarcely walks lame at all, except
perhaps after some unusual exertion, but the muscles never develop to the
same extent on the injured side as they do on the sound one.
In treating small dogs with fracture of the legs, it is very important
that the bandages should be as thin and light as possible. In these
cases have bandages made of thin muslin or butter cloth about one and
a half inches wide and four yards long, which soak in a thick solution
of gum acacia. This is put straight on the broken leg after it has been
set straight. A good many layers may be put on, and over this four thin
_unpadded_ splints are adapted, and then a few layers of ordinary bandage
to keep the splints in their place, and they with the outside bandage may
be removed in a couple of days, by which time the gum has dried and set
firmly.
_Pelvis, Fracture of_: Different parts of the pelvis become fractured as
the result of accident, generally from a dog being run over.
_Symptoms_: The dog goes very lame, in many cases with straddled legs,
and often for a time may not be able to walk at all. There is a good deal
of pain on manipulation and swelling of the fractured parts.
_Treatment_: The dog for a month or so must be kept very quiet, and a
jacket placed on the hinder parts assists in keeping them together.
In all cases of fracture, it is most important that the dog be kept
absolutely quiet for the first three weeks; if the dog must go out for
certain purposes, then he should be carried to a garden and back again.
If this is not attended to, the broken bone will not unite, and as a
consequence there is what is called a false joint formed—that is, a soft
union between the two broken ends of the bone—and as a result the dog is
never able to bear weight on the limb, and it is never straight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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