If this happens to your dog, here’s a quick first aid tip: carefully put the lower leg into a roughly normal position, wrap it in a t-shirt until it’s a thick roll and then sticky tape it. If you can’t do this, just keep your dog as quiet as possible. This will stop possible damage to soft tissues caused by excessive motion across the fracture site. Then go straight to a vet.

Leg fractures in Italian Greyhounds are common. If you’re looking to buy a puppy, or take out insurance you might well ask, “yes, but how common?” The answer may affect what you do next.

Frequency Of Leg Breaks

I went though our files and looked at the Italian Greyhounds we’ve known. There are 7 fractures in around 30 dogs, although many files only cover part of a dog’s life.

Applying a very rough and ready adjustment for how long we knew each dog, it looks like the rate of fracture is between 25 and 45% of Italian Greyhounds. That is, less than half, but possibly not by much.

It’s also important to know that two of those dogs broke both forelimbs at different times. Strange, isn’t it?

Why Italian Greyhounds Break Legs

The break for which this beed is famous is in the lower forelimb just above the wrist. We call this a fracture of the distal radius and ulna. It mostly happens as puppy or young adult, but we’ve also seen it in an eight-year old.

Pictured here for comparison is the lower foreleg of a medium-sized dog breed. The pointer shows the outer (white) layer of the radius called the cortex. Inside it is the medullary cavity containing a fine latticework of trabecular bone.

Now look back at the pictures of Italian Greyhound broken legs at the start. What you’ll notice are three things:

1. The cortex is comparatively thick
2. The medullary cavity is very narrow
3. The overall width of the bone is reduced

All three factors are likely to decrease bone strength.

Prevention of Broken Legs

These changes are almost certainly inherited traits. So the first thing you can do is try to avoid lines with known issues. You’re unlikely to be able to find this out, but if you see a scar or swelling on a forelimb like the picture, that would be a good clue.

Before I go on, let me say that it’s not only a problem of Italian Greyhounds. Toy Poodles, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers and some other toy breeds also suffer the same fate, although it seems less common.

What I don’t believe you can do is restrict exercise enough to stop it happening. I would certainly advise you to avoid running play, or jumping from furniture, but most dogs seem to do it just running in the house like any other dog. That’s what happened to Dante, despite his owners already trying their best.

Some of the advice seems to just be making dog owners anxious without really changing the outcome. To some extent, if you have this breed you need to have accepted the risk and already thought about what you would do.

Being Prepared

The first thing vets would ask anyone getting any dog is to be ready for the unexpected. Repairing these fractures requires the placement of a compression plate or external fixator, usually by a specialist surgeon. In Australia this might cost around $4000. As common as it is in Italian Greyhounds, it can happen to any dog.

Too often, breeds that are expensive to maintain end up being surrendered when things go wrong. Other examples are Shar Peis and French Bulldogs. None of this should happen with decent insurance or savings.

So don’t let the risk stop you getting an ‘Iggie’. They are a lot more than just their legs: adorable, affectionate, intelligent, fun. Not one of these owners who were prepared ever regretted their choice.

Related: The costs of insuring different dog breeds. You’ll see that some are much higher than others, which gives you an idea of health care costs.

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

I’ve gone back through our records, found the top 20 with pictures. The list below is sorted into ‘puppy’, ‘adult’ and ‘common’ problems. Visit this page to see which problems happen in the front or back legs and how to tell which leg is sore.

Causes of Limping in Puppies

If a puppy starts limping, you may need to act fast to prevent a lifetime of problems. All these problems need to be identified and treated quickly in growing dogs. See also the common causes of limping discussed later and the cost of X-rays.

Fracture

Fractures in growing dogs are a lot like breaks in children. Most of the time they are either:

• Growth plate fractures, or
• Greenstick fractures

Growth plates are the dark bands you see in puppy xrays where new bone is forming, and are natural weak spots. The picture shows the repair of a tibial crest avulsion in the knee, a sort of growth plate fracture. The small piece of bone that’s now fixed down was pulled off by the force of the patellar tendon.

Greenstick fractures are just like the name suggests- cracked but not fully broken, and heal very well if supported. The most common cause of both sorts of fractures is when puppies are dropped or fall from furniture.

Patellar Luxation

This is the most common cause of limping on and off in dogs, where a dog will walk normally, pull the leg up, then walk normally again. It’s caused by the kneecap slipping out of the joint, and happens due to abnormalities in the growth of the leg. Patellar luxation usually starts before a dog turns one year old.

The picture shows my dog Loki just before his surgery. You can read more about patellar surgery here.

Hip Dysplasia

HD is still the most common and feared cause of a progressively worsening limp in a puppy. It is just as often seen as a ‘quiet’ puppy who sits a lot and appears reluctant to rise.

The xray shows the classic poor ‘fit’ between the ball and socket of the hips. If identified by 16 weeks of age hip dysplasia can be improved and sometimes even eliminated by a simple procedure called juvenile pelvic symphysiodesis.

Angular Limb Deformity

I see too many dogs whose owners didn’t know the seriousness of a leg that starts turning out. This is an emergency and requires rapid intervention to avoid permanent deformity. It’s caused by the fact that the forearm is made of two parallel bones: the radius and ulna. If one of the four growth plates is damaged, the other bone keeps growing and the leg starts to bow out.

Believe it or not, treatment requires us to cut the bone that stops growing so the other one can grow straight.

Elbow Dysplasia (FCP)

Fragmented Coronoid Process is the most common of the three conditions we call elbow dysplasia. The coronoid processes are tiny shelf-like projections easily fractured in puppies. These dogs need arthroscopic surgery to avoid a rapidly worsening elbow arthritis.

Elbow dysplasia is partly genetic and is screened for in susceptible breeds, usually large dogs. It is probably made worse by overfeeding and excessive exercise in the first 12 months of life.

Ununited Anconeal Process

UAP is the second of the elbow dysplasia conditions (more than one can occur at a time, too). In UAP, a growth plate does not fuse with the adjacent bone and leaves a loose fragment. I removed this example surgically and the dog went on to live a normal life.

Osteochondrosis Dissecans

Although this is the third condition in the elbow dysplasia group, OCD also causes lameness and pain in other joints. The picture shows the subtle signs of osteochondrosis in the shoulder- can you see the damage? It’s the flattened area on the head of the humerus.

OCD occurs when a piece of cartilage and bone flakes off the joint surface. The loose fragment then needs to be removed and the joint surface smoothed by a vet skilled in arthroscopy.

Panosteitis

Honourable mention must also go to panosteitis, a common cause of lameness in dogs such as German Shepherds and other young, large-breeds.

Panosteitis is characterised by limping that changes from leg to leg, comes and goes, and responds to antiinflammatories. Its cause is poorly understood, but it usually disappears by 18 months of age.

X-rays of this condition, while necessary for diagnosis do not do it justice. The patchy densities arrowed are typical for an ‘average’ case.

Why Adult Dogs Limp

Once the body is fully grown, different leg problems become more common.

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease, is the most common cause of limping after sleeping or rest. It becomes more common with age so that by 12 most dogs experience it. The picture shows an unlucky four-year-old dog’s left knee, with the normal right knee for comparison. Read here how we treat arthritis in dogs.

Arthritis can also be caused by infection or auto-immune disease but in Adelaide, these are much less common.

Cruciate Ligament Rupture

Probably the most common cause of a middle-aged dog who suddenly starts limping on a back leg is a ruptured cruciate ligament. The loss of the ligament causes the knee to become unstable and painful when the dog attempts to put weight on it. In nearly every case these dogs require surgery to return to full function.

Pictured is the TPLO procedure we perform on dogs over 15kg in weight. Read here about cruciate problems in dogs and the options for treatment.

Fractures

Once common, the advent of good fencing and dog control has made fractures a rare event in adult dogs. I looked back through our files and found these are now the common fractures:

• Toe fractures, usually easily managed by a supportive dressing.
• Metacarpal and metatarsal fractures, such as from a heavy object landing on the foot. These usually require surgical pinning.
• Italian Greyhounds with distal radius and ulna fractures. That’s two in the picture above that we went on to repair surgically. The keen observer will note that the one on the right is actually a puppy with open growth plates.

Warning: we do still see occasional dogs hit by cars and it’s now often caused by visitors or tradespeople leaving a gate open. I keep my dogs inside when workers are in our yard just for this reason.

Dislocations

Dislocations occur when the parts of a joint become separated. It’s important to realise this usually happens together with significant damage to the supporting ligaments.

Most dislocations are as a result of trauma, but some (especially of the shoulder) can happen due to congenital laxity (looseness) of the joint. The picture shows an elbow dislocation as a result of a high-speed collision between two dogs at a dog park. The second image is the same joint after Claire ‘reduced’ (fixed) the luxation under general anaesthetic.

Bone Cancer

Tragically, not all limps are easily fixed. Bone cancer is especially common in large breed dogs from middle age and is often the main reason we will want to xray a gradually worsening lameness.

The picture shows the characteristic bone loss and new bone formation of an osteosarcoma in the humerus near the shoulder. Treatment of these dogs is primarily aimed at reducing pain levels, and improving quality of life, and occasionally chemotherapy for selected cases.

Read more about bone cancer in dogs here.

Neurological Causes

Diseases of the brain, spinal cord or nerves can look a lot like a limp. Many of these are life-threatening, like tick paralysis which is thankfully not endemic to South Australia. The video shows a dog with disc disease which I hope all dog owners will commit to memory.

You can read all about Ricky and the treatment of spinal disc rupture here. In the article are also listed the other similar neurological conditions.

Biceps Tendon Injury

Biceps tears, avulsions or sprains are a surprisingly common cause of an ongoing limp in the foreleg. They heal badly and are prone to reinjury and relapse. The picture shows a reactive area where the biceps tendon attaches and focal calcified areas in the biceps groove.

Making the diagnosis allows us to set the correct level of exercise restriction for the right duration to allow healing to occur.  This dog went on to full recovery with rest and anti-inflammatory treatment.

Other Common Causes Of Limping

Despite this section appearing last, it’s where you’ll find the majority of limps in dogs.

Skin Problems

The skin between the toes and pads is very prone to dermatitis. This can become very sore and infected especially if it is licked. A feature of these dogs is that they are usually more uncomfortable on grass than smooth floors due to the leaves pricking the soft skin above the pads.

Read more here about why dogs lick their feet.

Nail Problems

In order from most to least common, nail problems include:

• Broken or loose nails
• Nail bed infections
• Ingrown or over-long nails
• Tumours of the nailbed
• Auto-immune nail diseases

The picture shows an unusual fungal nailbed infection that required amputation to stop it spreading to the bone. Read more about nails and nail clipping here.

Pad Problems

Limping due to paw pads can be caused by:

• Overexercise causing loss of the hard layer of the pad
• Foreign material such as glass
• Diseases of the foot pads, often nutritional or metabolic

Foreign Bodies

The more that people know about preventing grass seed problems, the better for their dogs. A weeping sore between the toes during spring and summer is almost always caused by a migrating grass seed awn. At this stage, the dog will require an anaesthetic to have it removed but it is very easy to check dogs’ feet after walks.

Sprains

Active dogs, especially when overweight, often suffer ongoing sprains in their forelegs. A particular culprit is the tennis ball, which I’ve written about before. The solution is reducing high impact exercise and controlling weight, plus judicious use of anti-inflammatories.

The picture shows a typical carpal (wrist) sprain, showing increased soft tissue density around the joint. Only an x-ray can distinguish this from a fracture.

Soft Tissue Injuries

The advantage of xrays in most cases is that they neatly separate the dogs that need intervention from the dogs that can be managed conservatively. Until dogs learn to talk, we’re going to need to use tests like these to know which dogs need help. For example, muscle tears don’t show up on x-ray and that’s fine.

The idea is simple. If a thorough radiographic study fails to identify any cause of the lameness, then 99 times out of 100 the dog will get better with rest and anti-inflammatories. However, the key word is ‘thorough’. The x-rays above are a craniocaudal view of the shoulders of a dog, an exceedingly difficult area to do well. It was almost our last image in a long series, and thanks to the diagnosis the dog went on to make a full recovery.

Now it’s your turn. Can you spot the difference and find the crack? Leave me a comment if it’s driving you crazy.

NOTE: comments are now closed, but you should be able to find answers to all the common questions in the previous replies

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here. The information provided here is not intended to be used as a substitute for going to the vet. If your pet is unwell, please seek veterinary attention.

I have to tell you, there are certainly people like that here in Adelaide, and the new laws on dog breeding can’t come soon enough to help get rid of them. But there’s another side to this story. Some of the best-bred dogs in Adelaide come from backyard breeders. And it’s not just me saying it; sensible dog trainers say the same thing.

Pros and Cons of Breeding In The Home

Positives:

• Puppies grow up in a rich, social, family environment
• People who breed for love often have very high standards
• Good homes can usually be found in the breeder’s social group

Negatives:

• Mistakes occur from a lack of experience or knowledge of dog breeding
• Puppies bred only for money rarely get adequate care
• Undesirable traits like anxiety or aggression can appear
• Genetic diseases like hip dysplasia or skin diseases may not be managed
• Inbreeding from accidental matings can occur

You’ll need to be ready for a lot of criticism from purebred breeders. Many have the opinion that breeding should be done to ‘improve’ breeds and that their testing and assessment skills are essential to achieving this. While to some extent this is true, especially from a breed standard point of view, practical problems other than changes in appearance aren’t common.

Is Breeding Crossbreeds OK?

There is particular debate around creating crossbreeds. However, most vets agree that a cross-bred dog can be healthier than a purebred. Personally, as much as I support and admire the purebreds, I have no problem with deliberate cross-breeding for family pets if the sire and dam are selected with care. You can read more about in-breeding and out-breeding here.

I’ve written before about how to avoid buying puppies from bad breeders. Now I want to tell you how you can be an excellent breeder and avoid the common mistakes. Be warned though: dog breeding can be very rewarding but there are high financial and emotional costs as well. From August 2018, you will also need to be registered as a breeder in South Australia if you intend to sell the puppies.

Planning The Parents

Before you get set on breeding, discuss your plans with your vet. Your vet will support you if it’s in the interest of the puppies and the mother. Ask if the two dogs you plan to breed are compatible, or if they have any genetic faults that prevent breeding. Be prepared to take ‘no’ for an answer if the vet says it’s unethical or thinks you aren’t ready.

If possible, ask if your breeder is happy to help. You might find they will support you in exchange for first pick of the litter, and that’s probably a good deal. They might have a preferred sire you can use if you have only the female.

Then ask about or research the genetic diseases of your dog’s breed. In susceptible breeds, your vet may recommend genetic tests or hip dysplasia xrays. Most breeders now screen their dogs for a range of genetic illnesses before choosing which dogs to breed.

Getting Pregnant

Dogs, like most animals, are built to breed and can’t be judged on human ideas of morals. A mating, whether wanted or not, almost always results in a pregnancy. You’ll often hear unwanted matings called ‘misalliance’ which to me sounds hilariously old-fashioned. It can just be a matter of happening when it wasn’t planned, but serious problems can result. These include:

1. Brothers & Sisters Breeding

One of the largest causes of unplanned litters is people assuming siblings won’t breed. They will. If this has happened to you, it’s far from ideal, but don’t panic. A single ‘inbred’ litter doesn’t usually have major problems or birth defects. Just don’t do it again and don’t sell two of these puppies together!

2. Size Mismatch

If it wasn’t so serious it’s be funny. Just because you have a Maltese and a German Shepherd doesn’t mean they won’t work it out. When the female is the smaller breed it’s best to terminate this pregnancy before she gets into big trouble. If the male is smaller, it should be OK.

3. Breeding Too Young

Female dogs should not be bred on the first heat. If this happens, there are usually problems giving birth, and young bitches (still being puppies themselves) are often not emotionally equipped to care for their litter of puppies.

When Do Dogs Go Into Heat?

The ‘heat’, season or oestrus is the time when female dogs are fertile and accept the male. Dogs come into season roughly every 6 to 9 months starting at 6 to 9 months of age. The exact timings vary depending on the individual.

Each heat usually lasts 2 to 3 weeks and is recognised by drops of blood-tinged fluid, vulval swelling and increased interest from males. The first heat is often ‘silent’ to you or I (but not other dogs!) but is still fertile if mating occurs. The only way to prevent mating is complete physical separation. Sending the male on a short ‘holiday’ is a good idea both for you and him.

Breed Problems With Birth

Many professional breeders of high-risk breeds get caesarian sections done routinely at their due date. I think this is just one example of what can be wrong with dog breeding practices. By not selecting bitches able to give birth naturally, dogs become entirely dependent on vets for successful breeding. If you have one of these breeds (mostly those with large heads like Bulldogs and Pugs) please make a plan with your vet early.

Can Dogs Take Contraceptives?

Yes. There is an excellent, safe male contraceptive implant called Suprelorin, containing deslorelin. It provides a choice of 6 or 12 months of fertility suppression. There is no equivalent safe method for females; hormonal contraceptives in bitches often lead to severe side effects and are no longer recommended. Female dogs not intended for breeding, or those at the end of their breeding life should be desexed.

Terminating Pregnancy

Sadly, some pregnancies in dogs are better stopped before they cause problems. If this has happened to your dog, ring your vet to discuss the options. The best way for early pregnancies is usually an injection called Alizin (algepristone) which causes a gentle and usually unnoticed loss of pregnancies at up to 20 days gestation.

It’s generally successful but we recommend an ultrasound examination 2 weeks later just to be sure.

Now read: Pregnancy Testing, Care For Pregnant Dogs & Counting The Puppies

Then you may like: How to help dogs give birth and look after newborn pups.

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here. The information provided here is not intended to be used as a substitute for going to the vet. If your pet is unwell, please seek veterinary attention.

When A Dog Has Sudden Back Problems

1. Sudden loss of control of the hind legs is a life threatening emergency
2. Keep affected dogs as still as possible until a vet can examine them
3. Home care or surgical options exist, & dogs can go on to live normal lives

Now dive deeper…

Have a look at the video below and pay close attention to how Rickey is walking. That’s not a limp caused by a sore leg. To a vet, that’s an emergency. If your dog ever starts walking like this, especially after a jump or fall, keep them very still and see a vet immediately. Their life may depend on it.

What Is Ataxia?

Rickey is ataxic. That means he’s lost some control over how his legs are moving, and it’s a hallmark of neurological disease. Something is interfering with his nervous system’s ability to move his legs.

There are many possible reasons for hind leg problems that you can read here, but for Ricky, one cause stands head and shoulders above the rest…

Intervertebral Disk Disease

Intervertebral disks are the flexible pads that sit between the spinal vertebral bones in the back. They act both as joints and cushions, and are yet another marvel of nature. IVDD is when the disk fails, and although it’s often called a ‘slipped disk’, that’s not really what happens in dogs.

Rickey’s disk didn’t slip, it burst after he jumped off a chair. In Type I IVDD, the disk itself degenerates and the ring of fibres that holds it together weakens. Eventually it gets weak enough that a sudden compressive force, usually from jumping off furniture, causes the outer fibres to split and the inner disk content to be violently expelled.

The bad news is that when it ruptures, contents of the disk often travel towards the spinal cord. That’s Rickey’s xrays showing which disk is the likely culprit. You can see that the spinal canal containing the cord runs just above the disk. What we can’t see on the xray is that some of that disk material is now pressing on the spinal cord hard enough to stop the flow of nerve signals.

Which Dogs Are At Risk

IVDD is mostly associated with certain dog breeds. These include:

• American Cocker Spaniel
• Basset Hound
• Beagle
• Bichon Frise
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Chihuahua
• Corgi
• Dachshund
• Dandie Dinmont Terrier
• English Springer Spaniel
• French Bulldog
• Jack Russell Terrier
• Pekingese
• Poodle (Miniature and Toy
• Scottish Terrier
• Shih Tzu

What all these breeds have in common is a genetic defect called chondrodystrophy. The same thing that causes their cute body shape also causes premature degeneration of intervertebral discs. IVDD is always more common in overweight dogs of these breeds.

In our clinic, IVDD also occurs in very excitable and energetic dogs of any breed. This may explain an increased prevalence observed in male dogs. There is a higher risk in desexed (neutered) females that could be explained by increased weight.

Why Is IVDD Serious?

Rickey was lucky; his cord injury was only partial, his owner brought him straight down and he responded well to treatment. All three of these factors can easily go the other way.

• Disks can rupture with enough volume or force to totally and permanently disable the spinal cord
• Movement of the spine can cause more and more disk material to press on the cord until paralysis ensues
• Some dogs don’t respond and need advanced referral surgery

If a dog has lost all voluntary movement and pain sensation to the hind legs, there’s still a chance that rapid surgical decompression can save them. However, if paralysis can’t be reversed there’s not much hope for quality of life. I know from bitter experience that no matter what people say about how good their dog is on a cart, the reality of their life is very different.

Dogs with IVDD often have back pain at the time of the spinal injury, shown by arching of the back, shivering and lethargy. It’s especially important to be aware of signs of the disease in susceptible breeds such as the Dachshund, Beagle, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso or Pekingese. Sometimes the main problem is pain from nerve root compression, not neurological dysfunction.

Confirmation of the diagnosis is only possible with advanced imaging such as CT scans or MRI. However, in most cases the combination of the history and examination plus plain x-rays are enough for vets to be confident. X-rays such as Rickey’s often show a narrow disk space and/or calcified disk material visible in the spinal canal.

There are two options for treatment:

1. Conservative Treatment

For dogs with mild to moderate signs, and no further worsening, conservative treatment is often very successful. However, I have personally seen too many dogs get worse with poorly managed conservative treatment.

The theory behind cage rest is that if the dog is kept extremely still, the disk material will stop moving and the body is able to wall off and repair the damage. Dogs must be confined in a cage that is only just big enough to fit their bed plus food and water.

The only times a dog should be allowed out of the cage for at least the first two weeks is while being held to go to the toilet. Yes, it sounds cruel, but if the dog is near the owner, they are usually happy enough. The consequences of failure are just too serious to take chances.

A vital part of conservative treatment is close monitoring by the owner and vet, with the readiness to change course quickly if necessary.

2. Surgical Treatment

Surgical referral is best if a dog is severely affected, has repeated episodes, or fails to respond to conservative treatment. The option of referral is always available even in milder cases even if only for a second opinion and advanced imaging.

Long-Term Management

Rickey responded well and will eventually be able to return to a normal life. However, he’s always at risk of a recurrence so we’ve made a few changes:

• Weight loss: he wasn’t fat but we want him as thin as is comfortable
• No high impact activity: walking is good, running and jumping are bad
• No access to furniture: an example would be settling in a crate at night to stop a dog jumping on the bed

Rickey’s case was successful for more than one reason. When his owner rang for a Saturday appointment, we were already booked to 5:30pm and the nurse, to her credit, didn’t hesitate to slot him in, even though it was ‘only a leg problem’. Who could have guessed over the phone how much danger Rickey was in?

Now Read: The Link Between Neutering & IVDD In Dachshunds

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here. The information provided here is not intended to be used as a substitute for going to the vet. If your pet is unwell, please seek veterinary attention.

What To Do If A Cat Is Hit By A Car

1. Do not chase if runs away- follow without adding stress
2. If severely injured, protect your hands when picking up
3. Lift injured cats wrapped in a blanket if possible
4. Take straight to a vet to check for internal injuries

Now dive deeper.

First, how to tell if a cat has been hit by a car…

The Signs Of Road Trauma In Cats

Cats get a variety of symptoms depending on which area has been damaged. They include:

• Frayed nails (see picture)
• Greyish smudges on the hair
• Poor leg use or limping
• Breathing heavily from chest trauma
• Hiding or lethargy from pain

These three stories might help explain better how cats can get injured by cars.

Lily

Lily came to us after arriving home one evening unable to walk on her hind leg. Somehow she’d managed to get over a high fence to get home.

Like most cases, the car injury was not seen, and she didn’t seem too bad at first.

We examined her and apart from a very painful hip region she was in reasonably good shape. We placed a drip and took two full-body X-rays.

The half-serious name we give this view is a ‘Cat-o-gram’. It quickly shows in two views a survey of all the important structures likely to be damaged in road trauma. These are: spine, pelvis, hips, thigh bone (femur), lungs, abdominal wall, bladder and diaphragm (see below).

We took extra views of her hip confirming a dislocation. These can usually be easily put back in so we anaesthetised her to do just that.

However, in this case the hip just wouldn’t stay in and kept coming straight out again. She needed surgery.

The next day we operated and found the soft tissues around the hip had been so badly damaged there was no way of reconstructing the joint. The only option was what we call an “excisional arthroplasty” or “femoral head and neck excision”. We removed the top of the femur, and made an artificial soft tissue joint.

It won’t be perfect, but she’ll have normal mobility and will be pain free. Once she heals you’ll have a hard time telling she isn’t like other cats. Here she is after surgery.

Charlie

Charlie is a sadder story. He came in one morning after being missing for a while. He didn’t seem too bad but his owner thought he wasn’t himself and brought him in for a check.

When we examined him two things struck us straight away. His tail was paralysed, he was leaking urine and his bladder was too large. Fearing the worst, we anaesthetised him to take this X-ray.

There is a fracture (arrowed) diagonally through the sacrum (the part of the spine attached to the pelvis). The amount of separation, and his symptoms told us that the spinal cord nerves had all been severed at this point.

The saddest thing was knowing that although he looked OK, and despite a paralysed tail being no big deal on its own, he would never be able to urinate by himself again.

I’ve tried in the past to keep these cats going, but the nursing care is nearly impossible to do well. I always regretted not making the right decision early enough. I advised immediate euthanasia to spare him any further suffering, and thankfully his owner agreed.

His owner, who loves his cats, has since rescued a cat from a local shelter. I hear he’s an inside cat now.

Tux

Tux is a kitten who was found by one of our clients on a local road. We started looking after her and she seemed fine at first. She had a good appetite, put on weight and generally enjoyed her lucky break.

After a few days we noticed her breathing was becoming laboured so we took the X-rays you can see here. When you compare them to Lily’s earlier images you can see that there is no clear division  between the chest (black) and the abdomen (mostly white). In other words, you can’t see the diaphragm and it all looks a mess.

This plus the fact that she was found on a road led us to the diagnosis of a diaphragmatic hernia. This happens when a cat is run right over, and the abdominal pressure ruptures the diaphragm, forcing abdominal organs into the chest space. Cats can usually breathe well enough at first, but fluid and adhesions form making it harder and harder.

This is the main reason why all cats suspected of being in a car accident must have X-rays. They also get ruptured bladders and abdominal hernias at the same time.

Despite Tux’s tiny size and the high risk, Dr Claire successfully operated. Tux’s liver and intestines were put into their rightful place in the abdomen and the tear in the diaphragm was sutured.

Update: Tux came in one year later, this time with a tail degloving injury, which required tail amputation. She’s very lucky; most cats with tail-pull injuries also lose urinary and faecal control like Charlie.

This only repeats what we always say: cats who get hit by cars keep getting hit, unless the owners get them away from cars.

Do Cats Have Nine Lives?

Of course they just have one. We say they have nine lives because:

• Cats are curious and exploratory, making serious injuries common
• Cats are very resilient to trauma, and often survive things other species wouldn’t
• There are lots of cats. In the old days people probably never knew which stray cat was which
• They keep getting injured- cats don’t usually learn from car accidents

The most common cause of death in cats is still the motor vehicle. But there is some good news. It’s definitely getting better as more and more cats are kept inside. And not all cats die; amazingly, if cats find the strength to get home, vets can usually save them.

These feline patients were al hit by cars. Their stories are typical of the sorts of injuries and recoveries we regularly see.

To completely prevent car injuries requires cats either staying inside or only going outside in enclosed cat runs. Many people let their cats out during the day, and in quiet streets with unadventurous cats this is usually OK. It does seem that most (but not all)  accidents occur at night.

However, being outside without supervision also puts cats at risk of FIV infection (cat AIDS). Please ask us about vaccinating against this extremely common disease.

Note: Thanks for all the comments. These are now closed but you should find all the common questions answered if you scroll through them.

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here. The information provided here is not intended to be used as a substitute for going to the vet. If your pet is unwell, please seek veterinary attention.

Pippin came to us last week with a history of an inability to use her hind legs, which seemed to happen overnight.


When we examined her, she was unable to walk, seemed paralysed on her hind legs, and as a consequence was heavily urine-soaked.

Closer examination showed she did have some voluntary movement in her hind legs, although they were too weak to use. Her front legs were also affected. It looked like she’d had an injury.

Why Do Rabbits Get Injured?

1. Fractures which occur inside are usually the result of falls from handling
2. Beware also of fights with other rabbits or attacks from other pets
3. If a rabbit is injured or killed while outside overnight a fox is the likely culprit- foxes are common in all suburbs of Adelaide

Trauma was suspected and so we took survey xrays of her whole body to help determine the cause. The chest xray is pictured. It shows fractured ribs on the left side, with subcutaneous emphysema (air under the skin) and disruption of the thoracic wall at this point. There is also a pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs).

Her skull, spine, legs and pelvis all seemed intact.

A diagnosis was made of a bite injury to her chest, causing the rib fractures, punctures with air leakage, and introduction of infection into the chest space. The problems with the legs result from spinal trauma, fortunately more likely bruised than completely severed.

Those who read my recent blog at Myth 5: My backyard is safe at night will already know who is the culprit.

A fox.

On further discussion, it emerged that although the rabbits have lived outside for some time, the owner started keeping chickens a week earlier. No doubt the fox was attracted by the chickens, although they do often find rabbits without help.

We started antibiotics and pain relief. This week, Pippin is now able to move around, is no longer having trouble toileting, and seems comfortable. She still has a long recovery ahead and may take months to regain full use of her legs.

One question remains. How did she escape? We will never know why she was able to get away from the fox and survive. This makes her unique in our experience.

Please also read: Other causes of paralysis in rabbits

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here. The information provided here is not intended to be used as a substitute for going to the vet. If your pet is unwell, please seek veterinary attention.