Dealing with a doggy disability: X-rays show the progression of Hazel's broken femur
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Hazel at 9 weeks and 13 weeks
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Hazel, my Saint
Bernese puppy, is
four months old, and much has changed for this fluffy little spitfire of a
mountain dog. When my partner and I brought Hazel home on March 22, we
noticed that she walked with a limp. I brought her to the animal hospital where
I work the next day and received some bad news- Hazel had fractured her femur
bone in her left hind leg at some point early on in her life. It went undiagnosed and untreated. The first radiograph showed that the bone had completely callused over, causing the left leg to be shorter than the right.
As
I discussed in my letter from the editor, Hazel will walk with a limp, is
guaranteed to have arthritis and hip dysplasia early on in life, and may need major surgery. At that time, I was still waiting for the surgeon’s assessment.
Later that week, I received the news- the surgeon said I should leave the leg for
now, but take X-rays monthly to monitor the growth and watch for signs of pain.
If we saw signs of soreness, we were to put Hazel on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to help with pain management.
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