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Trauma in Dogs

The energetic furry balls are the inquisitive enthusiastic and expect only love from their human and love to wag there in return for it. The dogs love to explore the areas where they love to play, jump, hop and run. The cute cuddly dogs are fearless strong powerful enjoy every moment in their life. The energy comes with minor injuries as well manifests in the form of sprain, muscular pain, sometimes leading to bone-joint related trauma too.

Accidents happen suddenly and are aware of the events, but if it does, we should be well prepared in advance. Let us try to understand more about injuries in muscle-joint bones concerning trauma.

TRAUMA:

Trauma refers to any form of injury which could be physical [for instance sprain, wounds, lacerations] or mental/emotional [pain, hurt following any sad event]. Some of the most commonly encountered types of traumas.

1. SPRAIN:

A sprain refers to stretching, twisting, or tearing of ligaments, muscles, etc. Ligaments are the connective tissue structures that help connect two bones. These are rather tough bands of fibrous tissues that connect the two bones in joints. Any sudden twisting action in the joint area, there is a chance that the ligament could end up exerting itself, stretching beyond its normal position thereby eliciting a pain response due to sprain. Sudden landing, falling, and overusing too can cause a sprain. There is one particular ligament that as compared to others is rather more prone to getting hurt/ damaged, i.e., injury to the cruciate ligament located in the knee area. It is one of the most common limb injuries seen in dogs. It may get ruptured or injured which will elicit knee pain and instability

You may notice-

1. Sudden change in walking behavior

2. Limping on one particular leg

3. No swelling noticed

4. Reluctance to place the affected limb on the ground.

5. Pain in the affected area.

The sprain can be traced back to muscles too known as Muscle Pull or Muscle Sprain caused due to direct or indirect trauma. Direct trauma to the muscle is as common as indirect trauma due to trauma of the nearby regions.

Reasons for Muscle Pull:

1. Overstretching of Muscle

2. Excessive activities such as athletic activities, running, jumping [on high sofas/beds]

3. Pushing physical limits while training

4. Bone related issues such as Fracture or External Deep Lacerations

You may notice:

1. Limping and Lameness

2. Trouble in walking

3. Painful on touch

4. Unwillingness to walk/run/do physical exercises

5. Swelling of the affected area

6. Bruising may or may not be noticed.

2. CUTS:

It is one of the most commonly encountered trauma or injury in dogs and cats. It is not uncommon to see pets with cut wounds after playing in areas with thorny bushes or due to some fencing wires. Cuts can also be due to sharp-cutting objects such as glass pieces or bottles discarded near the community bin. This injury is termed a laceration where the tissue continuity is lost and there may/may not be bleeding from the affected site.

You may notice-

1. Bleeding if the cut is deep enough

2. Loss of fur from the area and skin too

3. Loss of tissue integrity

4. It may or may not be painful when touched

3. BITE WOUNDS:

Dogs may end up getting in trouble due to fighting or quarreling with other dogs. Cats on the other hand too can have a bit of an anger issue especially non-neutered tom cats who let’s just say would not like another stray kitten or dog wandering in their areas. Although it is a natural phenomenon to protect one’s territories it may be dangerous and unwanted. Dog bites required an immediate visit to the vet as we may not know the immunization status of the stray [dog or cat] against the deadly rabies virus.

You may notice-

1. Pain in the affected area

2. A deep penetrating wound or hole is noticed

3. There may be bleeding

4. In case it is a stray dog that you look after, there may be a good chance of maggots infesting the hole of the bite wound if not treated aptly and properly.

5. Flies may end up getting attracted to the wound site in strays thereby initiating a maggot wound which would again worsen the situation.


4. SCRATCHES

Cat’s sudden encounter may react by scratching your pet. They may end up scratching your pet’s body (apart from the face) which is not as scary as a scratch on the face. Cat nails are like hooks which may cause a great deal of damage sometimes as severe as lacerations near the eye. Kindly note that not all dogs or cats are dangerous and no animal will attack unless provoked. Puppies and kittens being innocent approach bigger cats and may get scratched. Bigger dogs might attack younger kittens and puppies.

You may notice-

1. Straight line or crossed line

2. A slight reddening of the area of the scratch

3. Bleeding may not be as evident

4. It would be painful to touch

5. Ligament Ruptures:

Ligaments are tough fibrous bands located at the joint surface which provide stability and support to the joint. A ligament connects two bones and belongs to the family of connective tissues. One such important ligament in a dog is the cruciate ligament, providing the stability to the knee joint. Rupture of this ligament is possible and is a painful process. If your pet dog is holding its leg up or has its toe touching the ground, you might want to get it checked out immediately.

6. Lameness/Back Trouble:

Lameness refers to an unwillingness to walk or rise due to some ongoing bone-muscle disorder. Most often small dogs with long back, for instance, dachshunds, corgisare prone to Intervertebral Disc Disease due to their skeletal anatomy. In particular, if they tend to jump down from a bed/sofa/chair too often and too quickly may cause them to acquire a slipped disc or some spine-related affection.

You may notice-

1. Pain in the back region along the spine

2. Paraplegia or paralysis could also be a feature

3. Unwilling to walk or run

4. Lameness is a typical feature

7. Broken Nail:

Broken nails are a common type of trauma associated with pets having long nails. Due to uneven nails, there is improper grip as well as a chance for nails to get broken. Broken nails tend to bleed a lot if the vein area is affected and may also cause a tremendous amount of pain. On walks, pets may accidentally cut their paws with glass which may again lead to more pain and bleeding episodes. The bleeding can be controlled by packing it with cotton or some styptic powders however, pain needs to be either controlled with pain meds as prescribed by your vet and an emergency visit to the vet is warranted.


PREVENTION AND CURE

Trauma cases can range from minor affections such as a scratch or wounding due to sharp objects to as major as accidents, fall from heights, and violent blows.

The Goel Vet Pharma has thought for your pets and feels the pain they undergo. For dog pain relief the homeopathy medicine Trumate Drops for Pets is ideal.

For sprains, minor trauma such as wounds, joint associated disease coupled with pain, or muscle trauma due to violent running, or jumping. TRUMATE DROPS for pets help treat conditions of Accidental injury, Sprain, and Trauma with exceptional improvement in immobilizing conditions.

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