[Idahoe]

My doeling broke her front leg above the "ankle" on July 4. I put vet wrap around the leg, and then that mesh casting material you see nowadays, get it wet, roll it on, let it set hard.

Doeling is now five months old, and is putting SOME weight on that leg, using it SOME when she trots around, but definitely isn't using it normally. She lips the top of the cast, but it doesn't seem to bother her so that she's focused on it.

Her hoof is normal sized (was terribly swollen for two weeks), warm, and nontender. It was a NASTY break, her hoof/ankle wiggled sideways :Bawling: before I casted it, so I expected to leave this cast on for six to eight weeks.

Should she be using this leg close to 100% before I remove the cast? Wouldn't that indicate the bone is fairly stable? I'm a little concerned about it getting tight, but I didn't wrap it too tight with the hard mesh. Just enough to keep it on and keep the leg straight.

Any thoughts or experiences to share? Thanks in advance

 

[Idahoe]

Hey guys THANKS for your replies! My durn satellite has been off and on and haven't been checking in.

Good then, I'll just monitor her and worry about removing the cast toward the end of August. The break was a couple inches above the fetlock, and the way her hoof jiggled sideways told me it was at least a very serious break, and so swollen, lots of bleeding into the tissues.

Pookshollow, that thickened part of her leg is likely the "callous" that forms around a broken area, the bone over produces itself at first, but then "trims" down after a few months.

Also I was reading the more weight bearing she is, the more the bone will try to heal itself, so I'm really glad she's setting the foot down and using it, looks like about half the time.

Thanks again for the replies and sorry I missed them