Case Study: Bindi

r Chris was called in to check Bindi’s foot. Although her owners had pointed out that it was a toe that was causing her pain, Dr Chris performed a thorough general physical examination before focusing his attention on the affected (left back) leg. This is to rule out the possibility of multiple injuries resulting from the one accident or other unrelated health conditions that Bindi’s owners may not have been aware of.

Once satisfied that there were no other physical concerns, Dr Chris agreed that Bindi’s fifth digit (‘little’ toe) was quite swollen and tender. Suspecting a ligament injury or ‘sprain’, he prescribed pain relief and rest for three days; after the second day however, Bindi had not responded to the medication and was still quite painful. Dr Chris immediately booked her in for X-rays to assess the extent of her injuries.

he following day he collected Bindi before her owners left for work and took her to the clinic. Bindi was sedated to ensure that the X-rays were taken correctly to allow proper diagnosis. The X-rays revealed a fracture in her toe, as indicated by the arrow in the X-ray.

Luckily for Bindi, the ends of the fracture were not too displaced (out of alignment), meaning that she was able to go home with a support dressing and further pain relief. Most simple fractures, like this one, take approximately 6 weeks to heal if the bone is suitably immobilised. This can be tricky in pets as they don’t understand the concept of ‘rest’ or ‘putting their feet up’ – especially in young working dog breeds like Border Collies!

The other toes also provided support while the fractured toe healed. Bindi’s owners happily report that she is now back running again, eight weeks after the initial incident.