Marv's Marvellous RecoveryShare on

Tom Cox

Dogwood’s Case Digest

  • Fractures of the fore-limb are common in toy-breed dogs
  • Fractures of the fore-limb in toy-breeds are not suitable to bandaging or casting
  • Surgery can be tricky due to small bones and issues with healing
  • Prognosis is excellent

Meet the adorable Marv!

Marv snuggling up to our nurse Jenny

Marv was spending time out and about with his family when he fell. Marv’s owner immediately knew something was wrong and took him straight to his local vets who diagnosed Marv with a broken left fore-limb. Knowing the specialist knowledge of the Dogwood Referrals surgeons and the added security of their fixed price surgeries, his vet gave Dogwood Referrals a call and referred him over for assessment and surgery.

Marv's broken bones

 X-rays showed that Marv had  broken both bones in his fore-limb (radius and ulna). Thankfully there weren’t any further injuries and so Marv was taken to surgery to repair his broken limb. Surgery can be tricky in dogs Marv’s size (he weighs the same as the average newborn baby) and have historically been associated with healing issues meaning they aren’t suitable for a bandage or a cast. Similarly when fixing radius/ulna fractures in toy-breeds we need to be carful not to make them too weak or too strong as both can lead to the bone not healing.

The experienced surgeons at Dogwood Referral were able to realign Marv’s radius and stabilise the fracture using a suitable plate and screws. As the radius is the weight-bearing bone, the ulna can be left to heal naturally.

Post-op Xrays showing the plate and screws used to stabilise Marv's fracture

Marv recovered in style and was walking without a problem within a few days. Marv returned to Dogwood Referrals six weeks after surgery for repeat X-rays which confirmed healing of the fracture, meaning marvellous Marv could get back to playing with his family.

Six weeks after surgery, Marv's bones have healed well