Fracture management in dogs means turning a broken bone back into a working limb: stabilize the patient, describe the fracture precisely, choose a fixation that counters the forces acting on it, and watch for the complications that follow. Most fractures follow vehicle accidents, falls, fights or gunshots, and the prognosis is usually good when the repair suits the fracture. The NAVLE rarely asks you to place a plate, but it often asks you to name a fracture, pick a sensible fixation and recognize a complication.
Key facts
Fracture management at a glance- Species and system: dog; musculoskeletal (trauma).
- Cause: trauma (vehicle, falls, fights, firearms) in most cases; pathologic fractures through diseased bone also occur.
- Classic presentation: acute non-weight-bearing lameness with pain, swelling and crepitus after trauma.
- Describe every fracture by: bone and location, configuration, open or closed, displacement, and physeal involvement in young dogs.
- First priority: life-threatening injuries (shock, pulmonary contusions) come before the fracture.
- Not zoonotic or reportable.
What's inside
13 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Complications
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 8 tables, 3 figures, 3 self-test questions and 24 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.