Tools of the Trade

A 14 week old boxer puppy presented with 2 weeks of right rear leg pain. He was partial weight bearing, worse after exercise and had mild but definite swelling on the back of his hock (ankle). This area was painful, although I could flex and extend his hock with minimal complaint.

If you look above the text on the radiograph, you can see a slightly irregular outline to the bone as well as a dark area within the bone. Unsure as to whether this was definitely a bone infection, I posted this radiograph on VIN (Veterinary Information Network), an online forum of practitioners and specialists. Within hours, an orthopedic specialist got back to me with a confirmation of infection and recommendations on antibiotic therapy. Within days, this puppy was doing great!

The point of this story is that modern technological tools can augment clinical skills in a way that benefits patient, client and clinician. Without a thorough history and exam, I might have attributed the lameness to strain, sprain or a developmental disorder. Without good quality radiography, I could have easily missed the abnormal bone changes. And without the experienced eyes of a specialist, treatment would have been delayed. In this case the client benefited from an efficient (and less expensive) workup and early diagnosis and our puppy was able to enjoy being a puppy again!