LEG BREAK

One of the most terrifying things that can happen to your IG (and to you) is a leg break. Leg breaks, while not the norm, are a very real possibility with your dog. A few precautions can help prevent this injury, but there are no guarantees with a dog that thinks it can fly.

We have found that it's very important NOT to allow a young dog to jump on and off furniture until their bones, joints, and muscle structure are relatively mature. This is generally the time under one year of age. It is also important to supervise their actions while on the furniture until they get the idea that the back of the sofa isn't a good launch point for a free fall to the other side of the room.

Don't allow your dog on a raised deck or porch unsupervised. For some reason, these dogs have no fear of heights, and many a dog has been broken jumping from decks, porches, and high rock walls.

Check your yard for gopher/mole holes and divets. Fill these, and smooth rough areas whenever possible.

IF a leg break occurs, following a few simple guidelines can make this trauma go a bit easier.

Calmly pick the dog up, cradling the dog under the chest, and placing a hand around the broken leg to support it. The dog may try to bite you in it's fear and pain, so be prepared for this to happen. Speak in a low voice, trying not to yell or act hysterical. The dog will feed off of your actions, so the calmer you are, the calmer the dog will be.
If you have someone to help, you can try placing the leg on a folded up newspaper section and taping it lightly above and below the break with tape (any tape will work, other than duct tape or scotch tape). Don't try to straighten the leg. Another option, if you're alone, or don't feel confident enough to tape the leg, is to crate the dog. Call the vet, or emergency vet to alert them you're on your way.
Once at the vet, they will stabilize the leg temporarily, and probably prescribe a pain medication. DO NOT USE Rimadyl as a pain medication on an IG, and DO NOT ALLOW the use of a "pain patch"*. Either of these can be very harmful or fatal to your dog. Metacam is a better option for pain. Your dog may be kept overnight at the vet hospital, or may be sent home once stabilized.

Most breaks occur near the carpel (wrist) of one of the forelegs. In a growing puppy, this can present a problem with the growth plate in the leg, although with proper treatment, this can be kept to a minimum.

Your options for repair include:

Plating (the option of choice in most cases) which involves surgically placing a metal plate over the break site, and securing it with a number of small screws into the bone on either side of the break. These plates are usually left in the leg for the dog's life, unless it starts to pose problems later, in which case it can be safely removed.

Pinning (we've not had good results with this procedure) involves surgically inserting a pin through the wrist joint and up through the leg, and sometimes out the elbow. The drawbacks to this procedure are that the leg can shift around the pin, the pin can irritate the joint and cause it to fuse in a rigid position, the bone can atrophy around the pin. The pin is removed once the leg is healed.

External Fixation Devices (we've not had personal experience with this one) This option usually isn't used unless the dog is fairly good sized. In this method, the leg is set, and then an external device to hold it in place is fixed to the bone. Once healed, the device is removed.

Simply setting and casting the leg. In the case of a "greenstick" or incomplete fracture, this and confinement is often all that's necessary. In some complete breaks, it can be used successfully, but the chances of the leg healing badly are increased. In some horrid breaks, where an entire segment of bone is shattered, it can be the only viable option. In this last case, the leg will heal, but will be shorter than the other. The dogs generally aren't affected by this, although arthritis as they age is a real possibility.

Once the leg is repaired, the amount of pain the dog experiences should be lessened a great deal. These are stoic little dogs, and this helps a lot in this case.

One thing that is CRUCIAL to the healing process is confinement and crating. It's very important that the dog isn't allowed to walk on the leg other than long enough to relieve itself and perhaps have some extremely controlled (on lead) exercise during the initial healing phase, which can last several weeks or even a month or more. A leg isn't generally considered totally healed for about 6 months. Once the leg is healed enough to allow it, increasing the controlled exercise in increments is beneficial. Swimming, if possible, is an excellent way to rebuild atrophied muscles and strengthen the new bone.

It's important that the healing dog receive a very well balanced diet, including Vitamin C and some natural form of calcium/phosphate in the proper ratio. Although it might be tempting to add a lot of calcium, it's important not to overdo it. Adding cottage cheese to the diet is often all that is needed.

Make sure the vet doing the repair is a qualified orthopedic surgeon. Make sure they also have experience with sighthounds and their intolerance of some anesthesias.

The cost of a leg break can be staggering, and often is $2,500.00 or more by the time the surgery and aftercare is done. A good catastrophic insurance plan for your dog can pay for itself with one leg break. Although the entire bill may not be covered, a good portion of it will.

I would also suggest talking about leg breaks with your vet BEFORE you're working in crisis mode. Ask what their procedure is, and give them your concerns regarding pain management etc. Have them put your requests in this matter in your chart (on the front page, preferably) so they're easily seen.

* The "pain patch" that is sometimes used for veterinary traumas is the same medication and strength given to end stage human cancer patients. It is TOO STRONG for a dog the size of an IG.

For additional help with Leg Break information and instructions, PLEASE read and bookmark http://dfollyigs.com/brokenleg . This information was written by my good friend and fellow breeder, Vikki Landes, of D'Folly Italian Greyhounds, and is one of the most comprehensive write-ups I've seen for this situation. Thank you Vikki for once again allowing me to link to your excellent advice!