Spaniel Peeps...elbow fractures

[JoG]

Hello, sorry long time no speak (am back at work ) and am asking for help as always.....

My poor Archie spaniel is hopping lame, non weight-bearing on his left fore. It came on suddenly when walking in the woods on Saturday and initially the vet thought it was soft tissue but has been no improvement.

He was x-rayed today but our vet (useless, will be changing) can't really read x-rays so needs to wait to speak to the orthopaedic surgeon on Thursday before she has a definite answer but she thinks he may have fractured his humeral condolyes - apparently it is common in male spaniels????

Have googled it and he does have a history of intermittent lameness on that leg so it does sound possible....does anyone here have any experience of it? And long term problems?

Thank you muchly, fresh banana toffee muffins for all

 

[kirstyhen]

Not sure if it was the same place, but my mums old cocker broke both his elbows a year apart. It was clear from the outset both times he had broken his leg, he was making a horrific noise! They were quite bad breaks and the vet said he hadn't seen that particular bone break before.
Both times the elbows were pinned and the first one healed well and he went on to work another season. The second one didn't cope so well and it fused completely, but he still did the odd bit of work and dispite being lame he could still run with the best of them!
He was on a joint supplement, but he eventually developed arthritis in both elbows and his back end from redistributing the weight.
Of he had only had the one break I think he would have recovered fine. Sounds like a positive prognosis for your boy, but fingers crossed for soft tissue damage still!

Now about those muffins...

 

[Bearsmum]

Not quite the same but a friends Springer forgot to use the stairs when she was about five months old and badly broke her elbow on the tiles below. A trip to Newmarket and a pinning operation later she was as right as rain.

She does have quite a noticeable lump on that elbow but there are no other side effects, we dog sat her recently and she would happily run all day. They do have her on a joint supplement to try to future proof any issues with movement and obviously you never know but at the moment she's as mad as any Springer can be.

The only real downside to this was the enormous vets bill - thank goodness for insurance, though I think her dad would have happily sold her mum to fund the treatment if necessary

JDx