Rambo’s Dislocated Hip Joint
Rambo is a 9-year-old Shepherd mix dog, owned by Barbara Clauson. Barbara brought Rambo to Bothell Pet Hospital to see Dr. Kovar last month for non-weight bearing on his right, hind leg. He was outside chasing squirrels (no he did not catch any) and when he finished the chase he came back inside lame.
On exam, he would not use his leg and resisted manipulation of his hip. Radiographs were taken and we found a dislocation (luxation) of the hip joint.
The hip acts like a ball and socket and in Rambo’s case the ball was torn out of the socket and was resting in an abnormal position in the pelvis.
Rambo and Dr. Kovar
Rambo was anesthetized and the luxation reduced, meaning proper positioning was obtained. In order to maintain the proper conformation of the joint, Dr. Kovar placed hobbles made of tape on his back legs. This prevented him from splaying out, while giving a chance for scar tissue to develop and work as an internal Band-Aid.
A week later we removed the hobbles, and Rambo was walking normally.
Leave a Reply