The Dog's Medical Dictionary / An encyclopædia of the diseases, their diagnosis & treatment, and the physical development of the dog

by Alfred Joseph Sewell

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.

In cases of comminutive fracture, the same treatment is required as for simple fracture, but more time must be given for union to take place.

Compound Fracture is more difficult to treat as the limb cannot be set up permanently, as it is necessary to dress the wound daily, or at any rate every other day for a time, and this disturbs the leg and interferes with the mending of the bone. Before setting the limb in these cases, the wound must be thoroughly cleaned with some antiseptic solution as Pearson’s fluid, one in eighty parts of tepid water, or a solution of chinosol, one grain to the ounce of water. All pieces of exposed loose bone must be removed, and pieces of bone sticking through the wound that cannot be put back must be sawn, or nipped off with bone forceps. Then the limb, after being put in a natural straight position, should be enveloped in several layers of some antiseptic gauze, before applying the padded splints in the usual way. It is advisable, if possible, not to place a splint over the wound, then by cutting a hole through the bandages so as to expose the wound in the skin, which can be done when it is small, it can be daily dressed without removing the whole of the bandages every day, though it is necessary to do so once a week, as the dressing becomes soiled with the discharge. The hole made in the bandages must be kept packed with disinfectant gauze, as iodoform or carbolic gauze, and be changed daily.