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Broken Metatarsals in Dogs 101

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:06:46 -0800

Fractured metatarsals in dogs. My dog has broken three metatarsals in one hind paw - the fractures are straight across in the same line. We've been advised to see an orthopedic vet to discuss surgery vs. splinting. What should we know going into this meeting? Can you suggest good questions to ask? Can this kind of injury be caused by stress, i.e. jumping on a hard surface? Our dog was at a kennel (thankfully attached to a veterinary clinic) for a few days. One day into his stay, they were concerned about a limp, did a manual exam, and discovered that his paw was extremely painful. X-rays show that he has three broken metatarsals in one hind paw. The fractures are all in one straight line across his foot.

The kennel claims to have no idea how this happened. Nobody saw anything out of the ordinary happen while the dogs were playing, and nobody noticed him getting a paw stuck or stepped on. According to the vet, one of the employees went to take him from his cage out to the yard for supervised play group, she noticed him limping, watched for a few minutes, and called the vet to take a look. The vet's theory is that it is basically a "stress fracture" caused by repeated jumping up in the indoor cage, on the hard floor. Our dog does jump quite a bit (not on people, just in excitement) and I'm wondering if this is indeed possible.

This kennel is known to be excellent, and we've had a very good relationship with them. He frequently goes to "doggie day care" there, and has boarded numerous times. Each dog has an indoor/outdoor space, it has a very stable set of employees, and it's attached to a well-known and well-regarded veterinary clinic. Our dog is a bit of a jerk, but they've handled him well, and he has come to really like most of them. He's been going there for years, and they know which dogs he gets along with, and can tell when just needs to be alone with no other dogs. I'm highly involved with dog training and dog rescue, and am very apprehensive about most dog boarding places for being too frou-frou (and humanizing) or too wild (and domineering). This is one of the first places that has not raised my spidey sense, at all.

In other words, when they say they have no idea how it happened, I really have no reason *not* to trust them. But there was something about the vet's non-stop and frantic chattering about the situation, and his later offer of a slimy apology without actually apologizing ("While we cannot identify anything that occurred because of negligence or other harm, we're of course sorry that it happened here, etc.") that made me question the story a bit. While I was in the vet waiting room, a kennel worker brought over our dog bed and leash. She kind of mumbled "he's being so brave" and took off - even though we've interacted with her lots before.

I don't want to obsess about how it happened. I know that "these things happen" especially with dogs. We might never know what caused it. But I'd love a sense of whether or not this story is even plausible.

The vet said the fractured ends of the bones are overlapping a bit, and that with more than one fracture, he recommends seeing an orthopedic vet. We have an appointment for Monday. He's currently in a splint / cast to immobilize his paw. At our appointment tomorrow, we will be discussing surgery vs. immobilization. There seems to be a recommendation that more than 1-2 metatarsal fractures requires surgery. Others say that immobilization is best unless the paw is seriously disfigured or crushed. The surgeries have mixed outcomes, and can have some real trouble healing because of reduced blood flow in dog paws. Exterior immobilization (splint and cast) can have mixed results too.

1. Can stress from jumping cause *three* simultaneous metatarsal fractures? Most studies and anecdotes seem to show fractures caused by trauma - an object being dropped on the paw, or stuck in a door, or run over, or some other specific traumatic accident. I couldn't find any mention of a stress fracture causing three simultaneous breaks. What's the likelihood this was caused by jumping?

2. What kinds of questions should we be asking the orthopedic vet? If you've had a dog who had surgery, what do you wish you'd known ahead of time?

3. Any tips on keeping an active dog semi-immobilized for months?

4. Any tips on pain management for dogs? Other supplements?

Thanks for any suggestions in terms of our initial meeting with the vet, or in terms of long-term care for our little furry friend.

If you'd prefer to send a message, I've created an email account: brokendogtoes@gmail.com.

Ain't no thing but a (broken) chicken wing.

swngnmonk — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:24:25 -0800

Two-part question: 1) You had a broken clavicle repaired surgically - what was your experience? 2) You've been seriously single going through the recovery process from major injury - how did you keep your mojo? So it looks like my streak of major orthopedic injuries is continuing, and I need surgery to repair a broken collarbone that has become a non-union after 4 months. I know the recovery process w/o surgery, but I need to hear your experiences, stories, and advice/suggestions for recovery from a surgically repaired one. FWIW, it's a clean break, they're installing plates & pins. I've now consulted with 4 different surgeons, they're in full agreement.

I'm (sadly) quite experienced in injury recovery - the last few years have been a real challenge (two knee surgeries, two shoulder injuries). And I'm familiar with my own pattern - I get injured/operated on, I withdraw to lick my wounds, and I have a really hard time coming back out of my shell until I'm fully healed. The problem is that every time, I have become a depressed shell of myself.

I'm working with my therapist on this, but the other note is this - during the previous recoveries, I was in the final throes of an extremely painful divorce. I wasn't dating. Over the last year, through a ton of fits and starts, I've finally learned how to date again. But my physical sense of self is a big part of my confidence. I'm not seeing anyone right now, but I -really- do not want to put my dating life on the shelf for the 2-3 months it'll take to recover.

So, men and women of MeFi: You're single. You're injured, so HotMessyFunSexyTime is off the table for a little while. But this is temporary, and you know with the right person, a lot of teasing fun can be had in the meantime. But injuries are hard work, and maintaining a sense of humor can be difficult. How did you do it?

Anecdotes, suggestions, laughs all appreciated. I'm super-bummed about having to go under the knife here, and trying to maintain a sense of humor about it all.

Thank you!

My poor dog is limping terribly.

msali — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 20:56:54 -0800

Please school me on different options and treatment for my dog's torn CCL. Although we don't have a definitive diagnosis yet, my sweet dog's injury seems to suggest that she tore her CCL yesterday when she zigged when she should have zagged. We took her to the vet today, who gave her 100 mg of Tramadol to be taken every twelve hours to get her through the weekend's pain. She tries to put weight on the leg, but she really can't. We've been keeping her quiet (which isn't hard with her being drugged up), and she's only been outside to relieve herself. Luckily, my husband is big and strong, and can carry her up and down stairs, and she hasn't tried to get all wild and crazy. She's a rescue, and we think that she is about 3 years old, and she is tiny for a Rottweiler, and weighs in at a whopping 73 pounds. She is also spayed.
Obviously, surgery would seem to be the most logical route, but now I am starting to have my doubts. I started reading about a non-surgical option called Conservative Management, which claims to have a really good success rate if your dog's tear isn't that bad. Obviously, she'll have the surgery if she needs it, but I know that surgery itself carries inherent risks that I would rather not expose her to if we don't have to.
So these are my questions: do you have any experience with this yourselves? What did you do? Is surgery a good option? What can I do to make her comfortable and insure that she heals as quickly as possible? Is it true that a couple of spoonfuls of pumpkin a day will keep her from getting constipated from the meds? These are the sorts of things I need to know.
Any advice or anecdotes are welcome. I know that there are tons of other pet lovers here and I would really appreciate hearing what you have to say. My dog is so important to us, we really want to make sure that we do right by her.

Need Help finding a good orthopedic doctor.

mi6op — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:40:56 -0800

Where can I find references and referrals for a good Orthopedic / Sports Medicine Surgeon I have a shoulder injury that has been nagging for years (it feels like it is one of the rotator cuff muscles. I think I injured it years ago lifting weights. I enjoy golf too and it can get a little aggravated during my round. I find my self stretching my arm numerous times throughout the day.

So I think it's time I go and see a specialist and get his opinion on what I should do about this since it obviously isn't going to go away on it's own. I just turned 28 and I hear the older you are the long/ less effective the healing is.

I don't know any orthopedic surgeons (I assume that's the type of dr I should see) much less who the best ones are. This would be a very important surgery on myself so I'm not affraid to see one of the best. I live in the Canton, OH vacinity only about 90 minutes south of Cleveland and West of Pittsburgh. So I guess the best place to start is look for an online board or something where people talk about their experiences with other Drs. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

How do I exercise after a hernia without injury?

wastelands — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:54:35 -0800

I am fairly certain I have an inguinal hernia. How do I get back into intense exercise while avoiding injury? Back in 2006, a sudden start to a new exercise regimen -- from barely exercising computer geek to joining a gym and doing multiple intense sessions a week -- set off an inguinal hernia. Several doctors misdiagnosed it as epididymitis at the time (pain just above my left testicle area). I haven't since had the intense pain that I had in 2006, but it does flare up now and again from certain exercises: pushups, long walks (esp. on hot days), etc.

I'd really like to get back into martial arts (BJJ/MMA), because I remember having a lot of fun doing it when I was a teenager. But I'm scared of suffering the major pain of 2006 again. Some questions:

1. Is surgery necessary in my case? If so, what should I watch out for? Any special questions to ask of the doc? How much recovery time?

2. Are there any exercises I should go easy on, and conversely, are there any I should do more of? Does abdominal strengthening help or hurt?

3. Are there ways to prevent recurrence of the hernia? Obviously I fucked up when I started intense exercise too quickly last time. I think the weightlifting in particular set it off. So this time I'll get back into things more gradually. But is there any other advice?

My current exercise consists of lifting 20 lb dumbbells every morning, forearm strengthener squeezer thing, and 1-5 miles of walking per day.

Thanks!

Rehabbing from surgery.

caveat empress — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:56:18 -0800

Has anyone out there had to rehab severed extensor tendons in your thumb and/ or index finger? After going one on one with a kitchen knife I severed both extensor tendons in question. Yeah, it never turns out quite like you hope. Anyway, both were surgically repaired. At this point post-op I will not start rehab for a few more weeks and am still in a monster splint.

What can I expect?