Cast Care

If your dog or cat has a cast on a limb it is probably the traetment of a fractured leg or other serious injury.  This means that proper care of the cast can mean the difference between success and failure of treatment.  Often due to the traumatic nature of the injuries there is a lot of swelling or open wounds on the affected leg.  This may necessitate changing the cast completely on several occasions.

There are a few reasons why casts on animals are not as straight forward to care for as casts on people

·     both front and hind legs on companion animals are like an upside down cone

·     the hair points downwards

·     their legs tend to be straighter than human limbs

·     they cannot tell you if they have pain, irritation or numbness

·     you cannot tell them to rest and only use the leg  in a certain way

For these reasons we must have your co-operation in maintaining the cast for optimal effectiveness.

Generally we recommend a recheck of the cast, at the clinic, at least once every fortnight and mostly once weekly for the first few weeks.

We recommend the following regime

·     do not get the cast wet

·     check the toes daily for the first fortnight and twice weekly after that for numbness (by pinching), swelling, coldness ( in comparison to the other toes) and discharge.  If any of these are a concern either call us or come straight in

·     keep your animal as quiet as possible

·     Any chewing or constant licking at the cast, or any smells need to be investigated immediately by you vet

·     a check up by your vet at least every fortnight

The complications of improper cast care may range from mild dermatitis on the affected limb through to loss of toes or even the limb.  The condition being treated may well not be successfully treated.  It is essential that if you have any concerns you call or bring your dog to the vet ASAP.