Surgery on a cat's hip joint. How to determine a broken paw in a cat: treatment at home

If your beloved pet suddenly becomes lame, the most obvious diagnosis is a dislocation. It doesn't matter which leg your cat is limping on, or whether she's limping at all, but a "dislocation" is the most common injury for animals.

Let's take a closer look at what a “dislocation” is?

Let's figure out what the causes of dislocations are, how often they actually happen and what to do if it does happen. “Dislocation” is a term that refers to a pathological change in the location of an organ or part of the body. It is most often used in relation to joints, but dislocations of the eyeball also occur. Let's take a closer look at joint dislocations.

First of all, you need to understand that during dislocations the soft tissues of the joint structure are damaged: the ligaments of the joint and its capsule are torn, as well as the blood vessels and tendons of the adjacent muscles. That is, a “dislocation” is a violation of the structure of a joint, the cause of which may be displacement of the bones, but without changing their integrity, which form this joint. All this can lead to serious problems of dysfunction of the organ - both the joint and the entire limb.

What is the cause of “dislocations” and why does this happen to our pets?

There are different reasons. But initially it is necessary to distinguish between traumatic dislocations and congenital ones. The most common causes of traumatic dislocations are car injuries, falls from great heights, excessive play, fights with other animals, collisions with objects while moving, and paws getting stuck in various places. Most often, traumatic dislocations of the hip, elbow, wrist, temporal and mandibular joints occur in cats.

Genetic changes and abnormal joint structure are the causes of congenital dislocations and subluxations. These pathologies can be identified already at the age of 6-8 months, and sometimes chance helps to recognize them.

What are the symptoms of dislocations and how to recognize them?

With a traumatic dislocation, the main symptom is the complete absence of supporting abilities on the limb. With congenital dislocation - lameness. When a paw is injured, the animal moves on three paws; an external examination reveals swelling of the soft tissues, asymmetry and changes in the contours of the injured joint compared to a healthy paw. Misalignment of teeth may indicate a dislocation of the lower jaw.

Also, with traumatic dislocations, palpation (palpation) is difficult. When trying to move and palpate, very severe pain can be observed. A characteristic symptom is elastic fixation of the joint. A specialist can detect bone friction, clicking, grinding, and displacement of anatomical landmarks.

What to do?

If the symptoms still confirm that your beloved pet has a dislocation, under no circumstances should you try to straighten it yourself. This is not only dangerous for your cat, but also very painful.

Before taking the animal to the doctor, try to fix the sore limb and immobilize the animal. A cage or box is suitable for this, which will help limit the space and ensure that the pet is inactive. Avoid putting any stress on the injured paw and do not touch, pull, or move the animal.

It is advisable to apply something cold to the damaged area for 20-30 minutes; any item from the freezer, wrapped in a towel, will do for this purpose.

Your pet may need anesthesia, so it is best not to feed it.

Take the animal to the veterinarian as quickly as possible. If there are alternatives, it is better to choose a clinic where there is an x-ray, an experienced orthopedist and an operating room, where your pet will be provided with qualified care.

How to determine the reliability of the diagnosis of “dislocation in a cat”?

The correct diagnosis can be made after a set of studies: medical history (if there is a serious injury), palpation data and external examination. X-ray examination is the most reliable way to detect dislocations.

How to cure a pet?

Reduction and fixation are the main methods of treating traumatic dislocations. Reduction can be closed or open - surgical. Reduction of the dislocation must be done as quickly as possible given the animal's condition. If reduction is not carried out within 24 hours, contracture will begin to develop, i.e. muscle contraction, a dense blood clot (fibrin) and scar tissue will begin to form in the joint cavity. All this further complicates closed reduction, and sometimes makes it impossible. Also, due to the delay of this procedure, the articular surfaces and soft tissues around the injury are significantly damaged. If closed reduction is not possible, open reduction is used. With open reduction, surgery opens access to the damaged joint and removes blood clots, as well as destroyed parts of the joint structures. After all this, the joint is returned to its original position. To reduce dislocations by any method, it is necessary to use general anesthesia and complete muscle relaxation.

After any reduction, the joints must be fixed and the animal must be limited in movement. You can use various dressings for this. In some cases, surgical fixation of the joint is used. For dislocations of the hip or wrist joints, special pins are used; for elbow and ankle dislocations, screws and wires are used. When the lower jaw is dislocated, a cruel but effective method is sometimes used for fixation - the mouth is sewn up for 50-10 days. In very rare cases, after timely reduction of minor injuries, the animal does not require immobilization.

If you do not take any measures either after 2 days or after 20, the consequences can be unpredictable and disastrous. The animal may develop insurmountable muscle contracture.

The joint elements are not properly fixed by scar tissue. Articular surfaces are subject to destruction. In such cases, it is not always possible to preserve the joint; to help the animal, arthrodesis (fusing the bones that form the joint) or resection (removal of joints) is used. Treatment of congenital dislocations is much more difficult than traumatic ones and always requires surgical intervention. Only in some cases it is possible to do without treatment (for congenital dislocation of the patella in dwarf breeds of dogs).

We hope that you use this information only for general development! But if suddenly your pet is injured, do not waste time searching for information on the Internet, go to the doctor.

Let your beloved pets always be healthy!

Mobile and active pets are often exposed to various types of injuries to the musculoskeletal system. Dislocation is a violation of the anatomical location and change in the physiological function of the joint. The main symptom of the disease is various types of lameness and loss of supporting function of the injured limb. Most dangerous consequences for a furry pet has a dislocation of the hip joint - a complex organ in structure.

In veterinary medicine, it is customary to distinguish between congenital and acquired (traumatic) forms of violation of the integrity of the joint. Congenital dislocations are usually the result of a genetic predisposition and are most often diagnosed as impaired mobility (dysplasia) of the hip, elbow and wrist joints.

Congenital disorders of the musculoskeletal system most often appear by the age of six months. Persian, Himalayan and Maine Coon cats are predisposed to the disease.

Acquired dislocations in pets are most often caused by injuries of various kinds. In this case, the mechanical impact can be not only in the joint area.

For example, when a cat has a bruise or injury to the occipital bone, its jaw dislocates.

Often the cause of the development of joint mobility is the result of rough or inept handling of the animal. This happens with young kittens when there is improper contact, when the baby is dragged by the front limbs. The disease can also develop during active games, when the cat swings its paw and receives a retaliatory blow.

The most common causes of dislocation in furry fidgets are: falling from a height, unsuccessful attempts to climb up and down from a tree, fights with relatives and other animals, and getting a paw stuck. Quite often, dysfunction occurs when a car hits an animal.

The cause of dislocations of a wide variety of joints can also be chronic diseases, as a result of which destruction of joint and bone tissue occurs (osteoporosis, osteomalacia). Experts include paralytic dislocations in a separate group with the development of severe convulsions, paralysis, and paresis.

Types of dislocations in cats

Pathology on the part of the joint is a displacement of the bones that form the organ from its anatomical position. In this case, damage occurs to soft tissues, blood vessels, ligaments, and adjacent tendons.

Complete dislocation of the hip joint

In addition to congenital and acquired forms of the disease, veterinarians distinguish between complete and incomplete joint pathology. With complete dislocation, the end parts of the bones involved in the formation of the joint do not touch each other.

With an incomplete form (subluxation), the bones retain the ability to touch.

If, when the joint is damaged, there is no violation of the integrity of the skin, then experts talk about a simple dislocation. The pathology is complex, accompanied by intra-articular fractures, ruptures of ligaments and tendons.

Symptoms of a dislocation in a cat

It is not so difficult for an attentive owner to suspect a traumatic joint injury. As a rule, the animal experiences a loss of support function of the injured limb. The cat does not step on the injured paw and holds it up. If an injury to the masticatory joint is suspected, there may be a discrepancy between the teeth on the front and lower jaw.

Hip joint

Damage to such a complex joint is, as a rule, a consequence of the load on the round ligament, and is accompanied by the exit of the femoral head from the anatomical (acetabulum) socket of the pelvis. This is one of the most common pathologies of this type.

The disease is characterized by pronounced lameness. The animal experiences severe pain when moving. The limb becomes shortened. The animal holds it in a half-bent position, brought towards the body.

An attentive owner can hear clicks and crunches when the pet tries to move. When examining the contour of the joint, swelling and deformation are observed.

However, such symptoms are characteristic of complete dislocation. Incomplete damage to the joint is often asymptomatic in cats and is detected only during x-ray examination.

Congenital dysplasia manifests itself in the form of permanent lameness. Disorders of musculoskeletal function are most often observed in purebred representatives of the cat family and are associated with the inheritance of defective genes.

Front or back paw

The clinical symptoms of a dislocation of the fore or hind limb are practically no different from pathology in the hip joint. The disease is accompanied by impaired motor function and pain. The animal moves on three legs, trying not to lean on the affected limb. A careful examination can reveal asymmetry, disruption of the anatomy of the damaged area, and swelling.

Tail

Cats often get tail injuries during fights with relatives and enemies, or being hit by vehicles. Even the most careful owner can accidentally step on a limb or get it pinched in the doorway.

Such factors often lead to dislocation of the caudal vertebrae. Visually, the disease is observed in the form of curvature. There is also a noticeable decrease in the mobility of the organ at the site of injury.

Providing emergency assistance by the owner

In case of traumatic damage to a joint, veterinary specialists strongly do not recommend self-medication and resetting the dislocation of the animal. This can lead to unpleasant consequences and complications. Having discovered a joint dysfunction in a cat, the owner can take the following measures before providing qualified assistance:

Immobilize the injured limb. To immobilize the joint, planks and a short ruler are suitable.
Place the animal in a limited space: box, carrier, basket. The cat should be kept inactive. You should not touch the sore paw, causing discomfort to your pet.

In the first half hour, applying a cold object to the site of injury is effective. For these purposes, wrap something from the freezer in a towel. Cold acts as a pain reliever and reduces swelling when a joint is damaged.
When reducing a dislocation, the animal is usually put into a narcotic sleep, so it is better not to feed the pet before the visit to the clinic.

The owner’s task is to immediately deliver the injured cat to a specialized facility. Delay threatens scarring of damaged tissues and the inability to reduce.

Diagnosis of the problem in the clinic

When examining a furry patient, a veterinarian will ask about the nature of the injury and palpate the damaged joint. The most reliable way to diagnose injuries to the musculoskeletal system is x-ray examination.

X-ray of left hip dislocation

This method allows not only to detect pathology, but also to determine the direction of dislocation, establish the condition of the ligamentous apparatus, and assess the degree of destruction of the joint and periarticular tissues.

Reduction of dislocation in hospital

Treatment for a joint injury should be carried out as quickly as possible. Immediate assistance consists of closed reduction of the dislocation, which is carried out with subsequent x-ray control. The procedure usually requires general anesthesia for the animal, as it is very painful. Often during manipulation, muscle relaxants are used - muscle relaxing medications.

In order to ensure the success of the procedure, the reduced limb is bent and unbent, and rotational movements are performed with the paw (moved inward and to the side).

After reduction, the damaged joint is fixed with special bandages to prevent relapse, which the animal wears for 10 to 14 days.

Reduction of a dislocated jaw in cats

A dislocated jaw is corrected by placing a stick across the mouth. A successful manipulation is characterized by a click of the articular head of the jaw. After adjustment, the cat is prescribed a gentle diet of wet food.

If a pathology of the hip joint is detected in a pet, veterinary specialists use surgical needles. With dislocations of the upper and lower limbs wire and screws are used.

After the assistance, the animal is prescribed complete rest, a balanced diet, and vitamin therapy. On the recommendation of a doctor, anti-inflammatory, painkillers, chondroprotectors and immunomodulators can be prescribed.

Operation as the only option in advanced cases

Often, a furry patient comes to a veterinarian too late, when a lot of time has passed and the joint tissues have healed. If contracture develops, the animal undergoes arthrodesis (bone fusion) or joint resection in a specialized clinic.

In veterinary practice, there are many techniques and modifications of open methods for the treatment of chronic dislocations (closed reduction with a pin, open reduction with suturing of the capsule, endoprosthetics, corrective osteotomy of the bone, etc.). The choice of one technique or another depends on the specific case.

When congenital hip dysplasia is detected, veterinary specialists use surgery as the most effective method fight the disease. Conservative treatment in the form of anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors often does not bring the expected results.

Joint dislocation in pets is not a rare occurrence. The owner must understand the need to urgently seek professional help and not make independent attempts to straighten the joint. Effective treatment Congenital and chronic dislocations can only be treated surgically.

Useful video

ABOUT surgical treatment Watch a dislocation of the hip joint in a cat in this video:

Many pets are overly active. And just like people, they also have injuries. In particular, joint dislocations. There is no need to panic in this case; the injury, although painful, is not fatal. You need to see a doctor as quickly as possible, since the animal is in pain and if the joint is damaged, other pathologies may be detected.

Symptoms of a dislocated joint are:

Lameness.
Visually the paw appears shorter.
Loss of support on the injured limb.
Visible soreness.
Restriction of movement.
Pain on palpation of the affected limb.

Surgeons examine the pet, but the diagnosis is made only on the basis of an x-ray.
After the picture is fully clarified, treatment of the animal begins. Treatment for a dislocated paw involves moving the joint back into place. This procedure takes place under anesthesia (in order to completely relax the muscles). If you contact a specialist right away, then, as a rule, such a dislocation will be reduced into place quickly, without any problems. If the dislocation of the paw occurred a long time ago, then the reduction operation occurs during surgical intervention, since inflammation in the muscles, fusion, spasms, and so on could occur. Applying splints and fixing bandages will not help here. The surgeon has two treatment options - either complete fusion of the joint as is, or cutting off the damaged area. The original appearance of the limb can no longer be restored.

Is there first aid for an animal with this type of injury? Firstly, you should never adjust the joint yourself, otherwise you will cause even more harm to the sufferer. Secondly, you need to immobilize the paw by fixing it and apply cold to the sore spot (for example, you can wrap ice in several layers of fabric). Thirdly, run to the veterinary clinic!
Dislocation in dogs, for example, is a fairly common injury.

If you do not consult a doctor, you can get not very pleasant results and consequences:

The dog is in pain, this will be expressed by excessive disobedience and aggression.
The paw will not heal properly, which will greatly harm the animal in later life.
Swelling and inflammation may form at the site of the dislocation, which will subsequently lead to blood poisoning and amputation of the paw (at best).
With a serious dislocation, ligament rupture, muscle atrophy, and paralysis occur.

Dislocation in a cat.

As a rule, it occurs after a jump from a height. There are two types of paw dislocation: complete (this is the case when the bones of the joint do not touch each other) and incomplete (when the bones of the joint are partially in contact), it is also called “subluxation”.
A dislocation in a cat is treated by reduction under anesthesia. Reduction begins with stretching the paw and ends by bringing the bone to its normal state by flexion-extension. At the end, a fixing bandage is applied and worn for ten days.

It is difficult to imagine a modern house or apartment where an eternally active, constantly moving beloved furry and constantly purring pet would not live. But, unfortunately, it is the restless and omnipresent nature of cats that becomes the cause of various injuries.

Dislocation of the paw in cats, as shown by veterinary studies, is most often observed, both in the front and back paws. The injury in question is very painful, so loving owners must constantly monitor the pet’s habits in order to promptly deliver the purr to a veterinary hospital, where specialists will be able to determine the cause that is bothering the animal and relieve the fluffies from pain.

Causes of injury

A restless cat can easily damage its paw, because one incorrectly calculated jump or failed maneuver can provoke a dislocation.

Even inappropriate play can injure a limb, so adults should be sure to explain to children the rules for handling animals, and before bringing a small kitten into the house.

Experts divide dislocations into 2 categories:

Congenital.

Acquired, that is, received due to injury.

Congenital dislocation occurs if the animal’s joint structure is naturally formed incorrectly; in veterinary medicine, the pathology in question, which manifests itself in kittens after 6 months, is called “dysplasia.” Most often, this disease occurs in Himalayan or Persian breeds.

Acquired injury may occur for the following reasons:

Chronic pathology that gradually develops in the animal’s body, for example, osteoporosis or rickets, as it develops, destroys both bone and joint tissue, which can become the cause of the injury in question.

As we noted earlier, improper handling of kittens, in particular play in which the animal is pulled by the paws, causes dislocation of both the front and back paws.

An incorrectly calculated jump, a strong blow against any obstacle, competition with one’s relatives - all of the above actions can cause injury.

To summarize, it’s time to note that a pet’s paw can be injured almost everywhere, and only the owner can help the purr solve this problem by showing his care and love in a timely manner.

What symptoms can you use to actually recognize a dislocation?

The analyzed injury considers the process of displacement of bones, without any damage, relative to each other. If treatment is not started promptly, displaced bones can damage not only soft tissue, but also nearby tendons and even blood vessels.
At home, pet owners will be able to independently recognize a dislocation by some characteristic symptoms:

if a pet develops a congenital pathology, it will begin to limp on a painful paw;

an injured dislocation does not allow the animal to fully step on the limb;

when touching a damaged paw, the purr instinctively tries to hide it, as it experiences severe pain;

the cat’s gait changes, the pet cannot sleep peacefully, constantly tries to lick the painful place;

It is possible to visually determine the location of the dislocation by the bone being displaced from its anatomical location.

If the cat receives a complex injury, hematomas or ruptures may form in the damaged area.

First aid

Experts categorically prohibit adjusting a dislocation on your own at home, but it is mandatory to help your pet at the first obvious symptoms:

First of all, you should try to neutralize the damaged paw by fixing it with a bandage and a small ruler.

The pet should be placed comfortably in a special transportation device to limit its movement.

The damaged area should not be kneaded under any circumstances, but a cold compress applied for 30 minutes will come in handy.

You should not try to feed or water the animal, as when visiting the clinic, the doctor will most likely administer anesthesia to painlessly set the displaced bone.

Medical therapy

The method for treating a dislocation is prescribed by a doctor, who, after examining the animal, will definitely assess the degree of injury.

Conservative treatment involves several stages:

As previously noted, the reduction of the displaced bone is carried out under anesthesia, since this procedure is very painful.

Having returned the joint to its original anatomical location, the doctor fixes the limb using a special bandage or splint. The fixation should not be removed for 10-12 days.

How the further rehabilitation period will proceed depends on the cat’s owner. If all the recommendations and advice of a specialist are followed exactly, both the adult cat and the kitten will recover very quickly.

Surgery will be required if the injury is very serious or if a visit to the doctor is too late.

The operation is performed under general anesthesia; the doctor makes a small incision in the damaged area to completely remove both the destroyed parts of the joint and the fibrin clot. After this, the specialist places the displaced bone in its original position, suturing the incision and fixing the operated limb.

« Dislocation"- the most common diagnosis made by owners of their suddenly lame dog or cat. And it doesn’t matter that sometimes it’s difficult to even understand which paw the patient is limping on. And is he limping at all? But the word “dislocation” is somehow on everyone’s lips and in their minds.

What is a dislocation??

What are its causes, symptoms, dangers? Do dislocations really happen that often? And what to do if there is actually a dislocation? We will try to answer these and other questions in a simple and understandable form.
Dislocation is a pathological (that is, not normal, disrupting the function of an organ), often reversible violation of the anatomical location of the organ. Most often, the term “dislocation” is used in relation to joints, although there are dislocations of the eyeball. We will focus on joint dislocations.
By dislocation of a joint (any) we mean a violation of its structure due to the mutual displacement of the bones that form the joint without violating their integrity. Dislocation is always accompanied by damage to the soft tissue structures of the joint: blood vessels, joint ligaments, its capsule, and tendons of adjacent muscles are torn. All this inevitably leads to serious dysfunction of the organ - both an individual joint and the entire limb.

Why is this happening?

There can be several reasons for dislocations. Basically, a distinction is made between traumatic and congenital dislocations. In order for a healthy joint to dislocate, significant effort must be applied, therefore the main causes of traumatic dislocations are car injuries, falls from great heights, collisions with an obstacle at high speed, getting a limb stuck during movement, and violent games. The most common traumatic dislocations are the hip, elbow, and in cats - the temporomandibular and wrist joints.

Congenital dislocations and subluxations develop due to genetic defects and abnormal joint structure. Often these pathologies are recognized at a fairly mature age (6–8 months and older), sometimes as an accidental finding.

What does it look like?

The main symptoms of dislocation are lameness (for congenital dislocation) or complete lack of ability to support the limb (for traumatic dislocation). After an injury, the animal jumps on three legs. Externally, a careful examination reveals swelling, asymmetry and deformation of the contours of the damaged joint (compared to the limb of the opposite side). When the lower jaw is dislocated, the misalignment of the teeth is clearly visible.
Palpation (palpation) with traumatic dislocations is usually difficult. When palpating and attempting to make movements, very severe pain is revealed. A characteristic symptom is elastic (“rubber”) fixation of the joint, which normally works like a well-lubricated hinge. You can also feel the friction of bone on bone, grinding, clicking, displacement of anatomical landmarks (for specialists).

What to do?

If your pet is injured and you suspect a dislocation, follow these recommendations:

Do not try to straighten the dislocation yourself - it will hurt!
Before visiting a doctor, try to immobilize the animal and the injured limb. To do this, you can place it in a limited space (cage, box, enclosure, car, leash). It is necessary to avoid using the sore paw, do not knead it, do not tug or shift the animal too much.
It is advisable to place ice in the area of damage (as determined - see above) for 20 - 30 minutes (wrap something from the freezer in a towel and apply it).
Do not feed the animal - anesthesia may be required.
Take the animal to a doctor as soon as possible. If you have a choice, go to a clinic where there is an experienced orthopedist, an X-ray, and an operating room.

How to find out exactly?

The doctor makes a diagnosis based on the entire complex of information: medical history (significant injury), examination and palpation data, and x-ray examination. The latter is the only reliable research method for some dislocations.

How to treat?

The main treatment for traumatic dislocations is reduction (closed or open - surgical) and fixation. Reduction of the dislocation should be done as urgently as possible (based on the patient’s condition). If reduction is delayed for more than 1-2 days, muscle contracture (shortening) develops, a dense, fixed fibrin (blood) clot forms in the joint cavity, and scar tissue forms. All this makes closed reduction difficult and sometimes impossible. In addition, during this time, the articular surfaces and surrounding soft tissues can be significantly damaged.
Open reduction is done when closed reduction is not possible. In this case, surgical access is made to the damaged joint, fibrin clots and destroyed fragments of articular structures are removed from its cavity. After this, with the help of special levers (and sometimes significant physical effort), the joint returns to its original position. Reduction of a dislocation by any method requires general anesthesia and complete muscle relaxation.
After reduction - closed or open - the joint must be fixed or immobilized. For this, all kinds of immobilizing bandages or splints are used. In some cases, surgical fixation of the joint is used - with special knitting needles for dislocations of the hip or wrist joints, screws and wires for dislocations of the elbow and ankle joints. When the lower jaw is dislocated, it is sometimes necessary to sew the mouth shut for 5–10 days to immobilize the joint. It's cruel, but there's nothing you can do about it. And only in rare cases, with timely reduction and minor damage to the periarticular structures, immobilization is not required.
If the dislocation is not corrected either after 2 days or after 20, the consequences can be disastrous. A persistent, insurmountable muscle contracture develops. Scar tissue firmly fixes the joint elements in the wrong position. The articular surfaces are destroyed. With such changes, it is not always possible to save the joint. To help the animal, instead of reduction, it is necessary to do arthrodesis (rigidly fuse the bones that form the joint) or resect (remove) the joint.
Treatment of congenital dislocations is usually much more complicated (than traumatic ones) and is almost always surgical. Although in some cases (congenital dislocation of the patella in dwarf dog breeds), treatment may not be required at all.
We hope that you will never need the information provided. If trouble happens and your pet gets sick, don’t waste time on long correspondence and consultations on the Internet - go to the doctor!
We wish you and your pets health!