K9 Safari

Pet Injuries and Care

Posted by Megan on 12 June 2008

Guest blog by Daphne Livoni, M.S, L.Ac., of Pets Unlimited

Walking, running, and playing are a big part of your dog’s quality of
life. Keeping him moving and active also promotes general health and
fitness. Injury and pain, whether caused by trauma, genetic
predisposition, or age, can make it harder for you to care for your best
friend, and be obstacles to your dog’s enjoying life in the Big City.

Dogs share many orthopedic and degenerative problems with humans. Here
are just a few of them and how they are managed by guardians and their
veterinarians.

Trauma or “Wear and Tear” (sometimes predisposed or made worse by
features of your pet’s individual anatomy)

Soft tissue injury

Like people, dogs can suffer sore, pulled, torn, or strained muscles,
tendons, and ligaments. One of the more common of these kinds of
injuries is Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) injury or tear, which is
comparable to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) often suffered by
soccer players and skiers. Veterinarians usually recommend surgery if
the tear is complete. Recovery time is about 3 months, but that varies
widely. For partial tears, rest is often the best medicine. In either
situation, work with your vet to keep your dog as comfortable as
possible by managing pain and inflammation.

Fractures

Depending on the severity and location of the fracture, your dog may
need surgery, casting, splinting, or bandaging.

Joint Luxation

You may be more familiar with the term “dislocated joint.” Joint
luxation can result from a trauma, though the individual pet’s anatomy
plays a factor in predisposition to the condition. Veterinarians can
sometimes fix this problem manually, though surgery may be required.
Dislocated joints can cause a lot of inflammation and be very painful.

Spinal disc disease

Treated with surgery or rest and medications

Osteoarthritis

Treated with pain and anti-inflammatory medications

Diseases and defects
Congenital/ developmental defects

Often these kinds of problems are breed-related and worsen as the dog
ages. Some conditions can be managed throughout life, others are treated
surgically either at the time of diagnosis or when they become a
problem. For example, German Shepherd dogs, in particular, may get
degenerative myelopathy, an autoimmune problem. Affected dogs gradually
lose control, sensation, and muscle mass in their hindquarters. There is
no cure, and the rate of progression varies. Hip and elbow dysplasia is
common in larger breed dogs.

Special Issues for Tripod Dogs

If your dog loses a limb for any reason, the chances are better than
they ever have been that he can continue to have a healthy, happy life.
Because of changes in their gait, tripods experience unusual wear on the
remaining limbs and the whole skeletal system.

How can alternative treatment help?

Conventional treatment options for all of these conditions include
mechanical correction of the problem (such as surgery or splinting),
management of pain and inflammation (usually with medications), and
supportive techniques like corrective physical therapy exercises,
wheelchairs and braces, and massage.

These treatments have limited effectiveness for many patients, and may
cause side effects or complications. For example, an older dog may
suffer pain from both degenerative myelopathy and arthritis, yet have
organ function decline that limits the use of pain killers like Rimadyl.

Acupuncture and herbs can help control pain, inflammation, and swelling.
However, holistic therapies emphasize rebalancing the individual in
addition to curing symptoms. A well-balanced pet is more resilient,
heals faster and more completely, and manages pain better. Acupuncture,
herbs, and food therapies work as preventatives as well as treatments.
For instance, managing swelling after surgery for a traumatic injury
lowers the risk of complications later.