Lola Has A Fractured Wrist

[tra708]

Has this ever happened to anyone here?: a week ago I took Lola to the vet with back end/legs weakness, and got her on a daily dose of Metacam. She improved immediately with that. Then all of a sudden, she was limping horribly and would not put weight on her front left leg.

She could not walk at all! X-rays showed a possible fracture of the wrist bone. (no bone cancer)

 

Now she has a cast on, and is pretty immobile. I have to help her outside to pee, and she pants and shakes a lot. Walking is difficult.

Has anyone's dog broken a bone in the front leg because their arthritis in the back made them start depending too much on the front??

 

By the way, she is almost 13. in just a few short days, she has gone from being healthy and energetic--to seeming like she's 100 yrs old!!

 

I feel so bad for her. Can anyone share a similar experience?

 

Much thanks,

tra

[macoduck]

I am so sorry to hear this about your girl.

Are you confident in your vet's reading of the films? Can they be reviewed by a veterinary radiologist?

[tra708]

Yes, they took thorough X-rays of her entire body and sent them to their radiology specialists, just in case there was anything our vet missed. You might think they missed something, like osteo? Anything is possible, but for now she's in a cast, on tramadol, and we are waiting to see if she improves.

[XTRAWLD]

I know through going to chiro with Ryder how much our pups can compensate with another limb when one is not operating correctly. To fracture it though...hmm I'm not entirely sure. Maybe if she took a bad step at the same time?

[robinw]

Loca had a similar injury. The toughest thing was keeping the bandage and her foot dry. She made a full recovery at age 11. It wasn't due to osteo; it happened while she was at playgroup.

Edited November 5, 2016 by robinw

[tra708]

thanks for replies. i just want to keep her comfortable. it's hard to know whether panting and shaking (only when standing up) is pain, or just muscle weakness.

[Walliered]

I had to keep DaVid's foot dry one time for 6 weeks..my vet cut the bottom out of an IV soft plastic container and I taped the top and bottom..wonder if you could use one without the bottom cut out and just vet tape the top to her leg?

[FiveRoooooers]

So sorry. Very good info above. Just adding that panting can often be a side effect of Tramadol. Also, you may want to look into getting Lola a Help'EmUp harness to help her with potty trips. It was a godsend when my girl was down with a neurological event. Best of luck, hang in there.

[tra708]

[macoduck]

Like Jan said, tramadol can cause panting.

[Walliered]

Wonder what your vet would say about changing to Gabapentin? DaVid takes 200 mg three times a day (along with 150mg of tranadol)..just a thought.

[dmswartzfager]

I can honestly say I've never seen a splint like that for a wrist fracture. It looks like her wrist is still able to flex, and that could certainly cause panting (pain) while she is standing and putting weight on it and flexing the wrist as she moves/walks.

 

I assume she is continuing the metacam along with the addition of tramadol?

[greytpups]

poor baby, hope she heals quickly

[Guest Sportingfields]

That is an unusual looking splint. When do you go back for check up? With their thin skin, abrasion rubbing a raw spot has always been a concern of mine. Paws crossed for quick healing.

[GeorgeofNE]

I can't see how that "cast" is supposed to do much.

 

Honestly, if my dog were 13 and in obvious discomfort, and I'm sorry, the odds that her wrist just broke and it ISN'T osteo are slim. I am not sure I'd take her home with me--but that's just me, and I don't mean that to sound harsh.

 

Panting could be a side effect of the meds, or it means she is in significant pain.

 

Only you know the right thing, but at a minimum, I'd ask to increase the pain meds and also why her "wrist" isn't actually imobilized.

[tra708]

You are not being harsh at all. Honestly I am in agreement with you, but my vet said to at least give her a chance to improve for a week or two.

I am trying to make the best decision without being paranoid about others' judgement (real or imagined). It's hard, and seeing her unhappy and

not enjoying life, is crushing. I've now been through this kind of situation twice before this, and one comforting thought afterwards was that I did

not wait too long. I never judge anyone else on this, but I tend to be in the "day too soon" camp.

About the cast on the leg...her wrist cannot bend in it.

Anyhow, thank you so much for your input.

[macoduck]

If the tramadol is causing the panting then ask about gabapentin. That said, my worry about pain meds with fractures is that my dog would try to be too active and re-injure the area. I'd want my dog to not be in pain and would have to be super vigilant about their activity level.

 

Hoping your girl Lola feels good today.

[juliemac]

beautiful girl ... I'm sorry for the struggles you're both going through. Gentle hugs.

​Riley doesn't react well to Tramadol (well, it may help his pain, but I can't tell because of the panting and pacing, so I only use it immediately after an acute injury, until other pain meds kick in). In addition, at 13yo, your sweetheart may have some back end weakness, which would make it even hard to adjust to problems with a front leg.

 

I think you already know that you can't make a bad decision here, but if there isn't any evidence of cancer, I would TRY to treat this like an injury and watch for signs of healing.

[tra708]

She isn't panting as much now, and although she still can hardly walk, she seems to be in better spirits. She does have a little arthritis in the back end, which means she only has one good leg at the moment. The back end is what the Metacam was for, and it was working well before this happened.

When at rest, she seems comfortable, and she still eats enthusiastically. So, there's that.

Monitoring closely for now. Thanks!

[Guest Sportingfields]

and healing wishes