MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT - Piper
The county animal shelter contacted us after someone brought in a stray dog with injuries to both front limbs. The Good Samaritan had found this young dog, who we later named Piper, next to a field on the side of the road. We were told she couldn’t stand up on her own or bear weight on her front limbs. From the photographs, we suspected that she was suffering from a double compound fracture as some of her bones were protruding from her skin. We didn’t realize the extent of her injuries until we rushed her to the emergency vet hospital.
At the emergency hospital, x-rays revealed a shocking discovery. Both the long bones (ulna and radius) in her left leg and the metacarpals in her right paw were not only broken but shattered with large fragments missing. Unfortunately, the injuries that Piper suffered were so extensive and the left leg bone so highly fractured, that any attempt to repair the left leg would have most likely failed and created further complications. Our veterinary surgeon advised an amputation of the left forelimb.
As for her right paw, our vet was able to remove most of the damaged tissue and it was sutured to bring the fractures into better alignment. For reference, a dog has 5 metacarpal (or long) bones in each of their front paws. Two are weight bearing. Piper had only 2 metacarpal bones and 1 weight bearing digit still intact, which made it crucial for these damaged bones to heal.
Many people have asked what happened to cause these injuries and frankly, we may never really know. However, there did appear to be metallic debris within both fracture sites. It was suspected that these injuries were caused by a gunshot wound given the trajectory of the open wounds and the multiple small bone fragments at each fracture site. Whatever the cause, she is a very lucky girl to have survived.
After four long months, our vet gave us the sad news that the bones in her right paw were not aligning properly in order to produce a full recovery. However, Piper did a surprising thing. She started to walk, albeit clumsily, and balanced herself enough in order not to require a permanent brace. Dogs truly are amazing!
We wish we could tell you that this was the end of Piper’s medical problems. As fate would have it, it was only an intermission. Right before we were going to have Piper spayed, routine bloodwork revealed that Piper had Heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite, which is blood-borne. It is transmitted to dogs through the bite of mosquitoes, which are carrying heartworm larvae. It was suspected that Piper probably contracted the disease prior to being found.
Luckily Heartworm disease is treatable, and Piper successfully completed Heartworm treatment in November. It was a long and expensive process which entailed several months of medications, anti-parasitic drug injections and rest. It was unfortunate that Piper had to yet again go through such a serious medical condition, yet we are grateful that it was caught in time. If it’s the one thing we know about our girl, is that she is resilient and strong!
We are very appreciative of our supporters and donors that allow us to give dogs like Piper a second chance.
At the emergency hospital, x-rays revealed a shocking discovery. Both the long bones (ulna and radius) in her left leg and the metacarpals in her right paw were not only broken but shattered with large fragments missing. Unfortunately, the injuries that Piper suffered were so extensive and the left leg bone so highly fractured, that any attempt to repair the left leg would have most likely failed and created further complications. Our veterinary surgeon advised an amputation of the left forelimb.
As for her right paw, our vet was able to remove most of the damaged tissue and it was sutured to bring the fractures into better alignment. For reference, a dog has 5 metacarpal (or long) bones in each of their front paws. Two are weight bearing. Piper had only 2 metacarpal bones and 1 weight bearing digit still intact, which made it crucial for these damaged bones to heal.
Many people have asked what happened to cause these injuries and frankly, we may never really know. However, there did appear to be metallic debris within both fracture sites. It was suspected that these injuries were caused by a gunshot wound given the trajectory of the open wounds and the multiple small bone fragments at each fracture site. Whatever the cause, she is a very lucky girl to have survived.
After four long months, our vet gave us the sad news that the bones in her right paw were not aligning properly in order to produce a full recovery. However, Piper did a surprising thing. She started to walk, albeit clumsily, and balanced herself enough in order not to require a permanent brace. Dogs truly are amazing!
We wish we could tell you that this was the end of Piper’s medical problems. As fate would have it, it was only an intermission. Right before we were going to have Piper spayed, routine bloodwork revealed that Piper had Heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite, which is blood-borne. It is transmitted to dogs through the bite of mosquitoes, which are carrying heartworm larvae. It was suspected that Piper probably contracted the disease prior to being found.
Luckily Heartworm disease is treatable, and Piper successfully completed Heartworm treatment in November. It was a long and expensive process which entailed several months of medications, anti-parasitic drug injections and rest. It was unfortunate that Piper had to yet again go through such a serious medical condition, yet we are grateful that it was caught in time. If it’s the one thing we know about our girl, is that she is resilient and strong!
We are very appreciative of our supporters and donors that allow us to give dogs like Piper a second chance.
