June Bug's Story - Rehabilitation following a fractured femur

Meet June Bug Hummer, a three year old spayed female golden retriever. She was running to catch a ball in early January and caught her leg in a picket fence, breaking the right femur (the large bone extending from the hip socket) in numerous pieces (see x-rays below).

Her owner, Penney, initially took June Bug to a nearby emergency clinic for stabilization, but she was transferred to Care Animal Hospital for fracture repair by one of our roving orthopedic surgeons.

Dr. Randy Willer of Front Range Mobile Surgical Specialists came in to Care Animal Hospital and performed the surgery. He had to use both wires and a plate to stabilize the leg, since it had a long, oblique fracture and two separate bone pieces floating freely. It was a very difficult fracture repair but Dr. Willer was up to the challenge (see x-rays of the leg following repair below).

Following surgery, Dr. Donna Harris took over primary care of June Bug, helping her through some post-operative nausea as well as controlling her pain.

June Bug stayed at Care Animal Hospital for another day prior to discharge. She went home on antibiotics, pain control drugs, and a plan to be able to rehabilitate the leg at home using physical therapy directed by Dr. Willer.

She has to be tightly controlled through the entire healing process, with the owner using caution and having her on a leash at all times when outside. She has also had to be watched closely indoors, with no running, stairs, jumping, or rough housing with other dogs until fully healed. It has been a little over a month and June Bug appears to be getting stronger every day. She will be x-rayed in another month to be sure the bone is healing. The x-rays will be reviewed by our board certified radiologist, Dr. Chuck Pugh, and both Dr. Willer and Dr. Pugh will determine when June Bug can return to normal activity.

Fractures of the long bones can be very painful and, when pieces are floating freely, are a tough surgical challenge. In general, the plate and wires are left in place unless down the road JB has problems with them.

Here are some pictures of June Bug using her repaired leg!

Owners stand behind their puppy as she battles severe health problems

Submitted by Dr. Paige Garnett

Meet Beans, a female Boston terrier owned by Carmen and Walter Orbach. Beans was purchased at a Metro Denver pet store. The couple fell in love with her and added her to their household with their other adult Boston terrier, Boo.

Soon after purchase, Beans developed a significant respiratory infection and when she presented to Care Animal Hospital, she had pneumonia. Using high powered antibiotics and with a strong will to live and dedication by the owners, Beans responded and recovered from her pneumonia.

At about the same time as that diagnosis, on a fecal check for diarrhea she was experiencing, the technical staff found a very unusual intestinal parasite known as strongyloides, (the first time Dr. Garnett had seen this parasite) that can be passed to human beings as well, along with giardia, a common one celled organism seen frequently in Colorado dogs. Again, through the use of proper medication and with the diligence and perseverance of the owners, Beans was able to surmount the strongyloides infection. Giardia has recently been eliminated after many, many attempts at control.

Thinking she was finally coming out to see the light, Beans developed significant neurologic impairment, and the diagnosis of hydrocephalus was made. Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) is rather frequently seen in dogs with a domed head. Her skull had not formed correctly, leaving an opening that suggested this diagnosis. Each day she became more and more confused and finally could not walk. Drug therapy was utilized that had the potential of harming Beans, but it proved to help the fluid drain from her skull and day by day she recovered more abilities.

Her final hurdle has been a skin mite known as demodex, which is non-contagious but common in dogs with immature and debilitated immune systems. Since drugs were used to lower her immune system to treat the hydrocephalus, it is thought this might have lead to her mite condition. She was started on a 2 month long regimen to treat this mite.

Beans had an ovariohysterectomy 2 weeks ago and the staff is happy to report that her skin scraping did not show any Demodex parasites. So, after numerous hurdles, and owners that went far beyond above and beyond for her, she now is enjoying her life with her owners and brother Boston terrier, Boo.

Three cheers for a very special dog and very faithful family.