November 2011 - Holly Law
Holly VS Tractor
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Holly is a very sweet, lovable and mischievous 5 month old beagle puppy. In early November, Holly escaped from her owner’s garden, and was unfortunately hit by a tractor as she ran into the road. Her owners immediately rushed Holly into the practice and when examined by the vet, it was discovered that her left hind foot had been completely crushed, with Holly not being able to put any weight on it at all!!
Holly was admitted in order to give IV fluids, strong pain relief and antibiotics to help her cope with the shock. She was then placed under general anaesthetic and x-rays of her hind limbs, pelvis and lumbar spine were taken. Due to the severity of the injuries, it was decided to proceed immediately to surgery to amputate both her left hind limb and the tip of her tail. Holly recovered well from the procedure and stayed overnight so that she could be administered intravenous pain relief.
Holly was very bright the following morning and ate all her breakfast greedily.
Over the next few days Holly stayed in the practice so that she could be rested given pain relief, antibiotics, and most importantly cuddles. Holly was encouraged to use her right hind limb, but was finding it hard and preferred to carry all her weight on her forelimbs. Holly’s owners visited on a regular basis, and were delighted when the time came to pick her up and take her home. They were given instructions on how to care for her at home and advised to consult a physiotherapist to encourage Holly to use the right hind limb.
Holly was seen for a post operative check four days later, she was doing very well at home, with her owners supporting her for exercise little and often, she was even managing to use her right hind limb (although not unaided).
A week later, Holly was returned for another check as her owners had noticed a swelling below her stifle, and she was painful and reluctant to use her hind limb. The original x-rays were re-studied, paying particular interest in the area distal to the right stifle. On only one of the 3 x-ray views of this area, evidence of a tiny greenstick fracture could be found. It was thought that Holly’s attempts to walk on the hind limb would have put a strain on this area, destabilising the greenstick fracture. It was vital to prevent further destabilisation of this area, to enable the tibia to heal, so Holly underwent a further general anaesthetic. However, attempts to insert an intramedullary pin into the right tibia were unsuccessful due to the extent of the callus that was forming, so a cast was applied to minimise movement whilst the bones continue to heal.
Holly continues to visit the practice on a regular basis to have her leg checked and rebandaged, she is a very bubbly character and always gives the staff lots of cuddles and kisses when she visits
