Treatment in traumatic cases consists of tendon stitching and temporary immobilisation of the hock, which has a good prognosis. It is important to mention that some medical conditions can cause both hocks to drop (such as diabetes in cats). In a similar situation to the wrist issues, this could be the result of a traumatic event affecting the Achilles tendon (road traffic accident or sharp object cutting it) or more commonly a degeneration of the tendon where a swelling progressively develops at the level of the tendon insertion – with time this will result in a progressive ‘dropped hock’. You can see the plates and pins which have been used to achieve this Can the hock be affected by hyperextension?ĭropped hock is normally associated with Achilles tendon problems. Kittens don’t suffer from flexor tendon laxity (looseness).įig 4: This x-ray shows a dog’s hock following surgery to fuse the joint together. A recent study showed that cats cope well with fusion of the wrist although they may experience some mild difficulty climbing and it is likely that they will have a reduction in their height of jump. Some concern was raised in the past regarding the functional outcome that this procedure would have in cats, based on the perception that they have more movement in the wrist joint compared to dogs. Treatment is similar to dogs, and fusion of the wrist is the treatment of choice. Can cats be affected by carpal hyperextension?Īdult cats can suffer from carpal hyperextension as well, and usually this is associated with a fall from a significant height. If the hyperextension persists, surgical fusion of the wrist should be considered once the growth potential of the puppy is minimal. In my personal experience this works in 50% of cases. Improvement should be noticed over 4-8 weeks. If we are dealing with a puppy flexural deformity case, the aim of the treatment is to improve muscle tone with a regime of short and frequent walks, normally on a hard surface with good grip. You can see the plates and pins which hold the wrist in place Fig 3: This x-ray shows a dog’s carpus after arthrodesis surgery.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |