Your beloved dog can break a leg for very many reasons, especially in the unfortunate event of a traffic accident or a bad fall. Sometimes even the bone is not broken cleanly off rather dislocated from its joint. As for fractures, they can either be ‘closed’ or ‘open’ depending on whether or not the skin covering the bone gets broken and the affected area becomes exposed. There are also some situations where the broken bone is a hairline fracture and the animal in question may not necessarily exhibit any of the usual symptoms associated with either closed or open fractures.
What to Look out For
While a broken bone that is sticking conspicuously out is a surefire sign of a fracture, broken bones in dogs are not that obvious. You need to pay more attention to signs of discomfort and pain after a considerable injury or accident that could give away that the animal is in unbelievable pain, such as whining or a limp that does not go away. Still, it is critical to know that ligament, tendon and muscle injuries can also elicit similar symptoms that resemble breaks.
Immediate Care
The primary goals of any treatment regimen is to arrest the risk of additional accidents, reduce pain and prevent the infection of any open wounds resulting from the fracture. The idea here is to get the dog to a vet’s office as soon as possible for immediate attention. Avoid, however, trying to reset the fracture as this can worsen things just the same way using ointments and antiseptics on open fracture bruises/wounds is highly discouraged.
Learn Basic First Aid Care
It pays to know what to do when you are confronted with the prospect of your pet breaking a few bones accidentally. First thing first, you have to bear in mind that not all broken bones are the same. How you take care of a broken back, for instance, is not how you go about setting a broken limb. The same applies to broken ribs which should be addressed immediately considering that there is a high chance that lungs could have been punctured during the accident.
Urgent Veterinary Care is Highly Important
It is easy to dismiss a limp hoping that it will go away on its own. Nonetheless, the importance of taking your poodle to the vet clinic at the earliest chance cannot be stressed enough.
References: VeterinaryEmmergencyGroup, KennelClub, FirstAidforPets
