by Christopher Forsythe, DVM

No one thought he would run out into the street. I mean, he is the smartest, sweetest, and most intelligent dog in the world. So when his owner heard the sound of the bike rack clunking along, being dragged by his pet out toward the street, he was alarmed. Loren was downright shocked to see his magnificent Golden’s leash slip off the rack and see Danu dash out onto a busy Sonoma highway. Calling his pet’s name was no use, and the driver of the large pick-up couldn’t stop in time. God, what do I do now, and who put my feet in quicksand?

Loren’s heart was pounding as he ran from the bike shop and saw his beautiful, smart, nine-month-old healthy pet lying and writhing under the rear wheel of the pick-up, unable to move. Reality stood suspended as he picked Danu up and carried him back to the curb. Thankfully the owners of nearby Sonoma Dog Camp supplied a dog stretcher, calming advice, and help to load the 70 pound pooch safely into Loren’s car for transport to my hospital.

After Danu was whisked in, we assessed his state of affairs: airway, breath sounds, and cardiac function. We administered nasal oxygen and IV catheter. It was clear that he had sustained major injuries to his pelvic region. Through it all he continued to lick us to thank us as we provided treatment, he somehow knowing we were all doing everything possible to stabilize and assess him and minimize his tremendous pain. We gave him IV fluids and treated him for shock, then took samples of blood and gave him pain medication. We then carefully moved him to X-ray to more accurately assess his internal injuries. It was clear he was broken like humpty dumpty, and he would need putting back together again.

“Dr. Forsythe, Danu’s mom has arrived. She is in the lobby now, and she is pretty upset.” When Sarah, my lovely customer service front representative, came back with that news, I knew this was a client who was “on a need to know basis” and needed to know now! Stepping around the corner and into the lobby, I locked eyes with Wendy, and knew in an instant that this was a woman totally committed and in love with her pet. I started my conversation with her by saying quickly that Danu was stable for now, had received pain relief, had been treated for shock, and was currently having X-rays taken. A wave of relief seemed to come over her, then lots and lots of tears. Relief? Frustration? Fear? Guilt? Thanks? I’d say yes to all of those if I were to venture a guess.

As a veterinarian and a pet owner, I spend lots of time talking to people about the way they feel about their pets, about the bond they have. When people are facing catastrophic problems or making life altering choices for their best friends in the world, I often become a confidante and advocate for them and their pets. That afternoon I could see Wendy and Loren go through almost every emotion a person could have as they pondered their pet’s future. They may as well have been riding the big dipper at Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk through all the ups and downs they experienced. One thing was clear and unwavering: they wanted to treat their friend and make him well, no matter what it would take.

Danu’s x-rays revealed multiple pelvic fractures. His X-ray made it look like he’d been run over by a steam roller. The main bones in his left hip, his ilium, pubis and ischium were broken. His right sacroiliac joint was broken. Not only were the pieces broken, there was significant displacement, meaning the broken pieces had also moved apart significantly, a real challenge in terms of treatment. Danu would need orthopedic surgery to put his shattered pelvis back together if he was going to have any chance of being able to move normally again.

Plates and screws and power tools

My colleague Mark Doverspike is a brilliant board-certified veterinary surgeon who has performed numerous complex orthopedic surgeries at my hospital. Because of that, Danu would not have to be transported further to receive his highly skilled surgical services, and that gave his parents extreme peace of mind. The surgery on Danu’s hips required approaches on both the left and right sides. Beginning on the left, we entered with an incision to expose the gluteal muscles and dissected to expose the fractured ilium. Mark placed two screws in the ilial body and fitted a plate to reduce the broken bone, then placed an additional three screws to tighten the plate into place. After tightening the screws and rinsing the area, we closed the tissues and stapled the skin with surgical staples.

Flipping him onto his right side, we made a similar incision to expose the sacroiliac joint, which connects the pelvic bones to the base of the spine. Again, we used cancellous bone screws to compress
the ilium onto the sacrum, locking the pelvis back into one unit and making Danu whole again.

At the bottom portion of the pelvis Danu’s pubis was still shattered into many small pieces that were too small to be repaired, but since this is not part of the weight-bearing part of the pelvis, this area will heal in on its own without plates, screws, or pins.

Walk where? I just had my hip fused!

Three hours after surgery, the sweet, lively, and innocent Danu went out for a walk and a chance to pee, assisted of course by his entourage of adoring veterinarians, vet techs, kennel help, and a towel under his groin area to minimize weight on his back end.

Surprisingly enough, despite the trauma of the car crash, the morphine, and the surgery he was still able to offer licks of thanks, and a tail wag as he hunkered down and urinated after his six hours of surgery. This is one Golden who deserves Olympic gold for courage if not for immense beauty.

Danu will be working out!

Danu, like other pets who sustain considerable injuries to major bones, must go through a considerable period of rehabilitation before they are back to “normal.” Danu is being restricted to his airline kennel for several weeks until his bones have healed. He will be allowed out for eliminations and gradual return to normal activity. He is taking antibiotics and NSAIDS for pain and stiffness. He has a positive attitude and a winning smile. Nothing can keep Danu down, and with his veterinary team supporting him and his family’s love and devotion he will no doubt be back to normal very soon.

Writers note: Danu was walking very nicely, almost unassisted, within seven days of his surgery and is doing beautifully as of this writing. Wendy has almost completely forgiven Loren for tying Danu up in front of the bike shop, and we are hoping that Loren’s nightmares involving screeching pickup trucks will stop soon!