- If your pet collapses, is unable to walk or get up, or experiences severe trauma, these are considered “RED” – or true emergencies – on our Fast Track Triage system. We advise you to seek immediate veterinary care. Please call ahead of your arrival so the veterinary team knows to expect you!
- If your pet is limping, has a small wound/laceration, or has a broken toenail, these are considered “YELLOW” – or semi-urgent cases – on our Fast Track Triage system. We recommend having your pet evaluated by your family veterinarian or local animal emergency hospital within 24 hours. Call ahead of your arrival so the veterinary team knows to expect you, and if your pet’s condition worsens, call the team back to inform them of the status change.
Stairs. They may seem like just another part of everyday life, but they can quickly become a serious hazard—both for humans and our pets. A sudden slip, misstep, or unexpected tumble can lead to injuries that require immediate medical care. Unfortunately, Nova, a 1-year-and-10-month-old gray tabby, discovered just how dangerous the stairs could be when she accidentally fell at her family’s home. What might seem like a minor incident quickly turned into a terrifying emergency.
Arriving at the ER
The moment Nova landed, it was clear something was very wrong. She was in excruciating pain, unable to bear any weight on her left front leg. Her humans wasted no time, rushing her to our St. Paul ER. As soon as she arrived, our team recognized the urgency of her condition and jumped into action.
During the exam, Dr. Sikes quickly noticed this wasn’t just a minor sprain – Nova’s left elbow was severely swollen and immobile! Our team immediately administered medication to ease her pain and anxiety, knowing this was just the beginning of a critical journey to get Nova back on her paws.
When pets arrive at our ER for limping, there can be several possible causes. If there’s been a known trauma, the most common culprits are acute soft tissue or orthopedic injuries.
- Soft tissue injuries involve trauma to the muscles, ligaments, tendons, or skin—similar to a strain or sprain in humans.
- Orthopedic injuries tend to be far more painful and can include fractures or joint luxations.
Determining the Severity of the Injury
To determine if an orthopedic injury has occurred and identify its type, our team needs to see beyond what’s visible on the surface—and that’s where x-rays come in.
For a soft tissue injury, x-rays aren’t as effective since soft tissues don’t show up clearly. While minor soft tissue injuries often heal on their own, more severe cases may require advanced imaging to diagnose and guide treatment.
Given the severity of Nova’s injury, our team suspected it was an orthopedic issue. The next step was clear: taking x-rays of her left elbow to get a closer look.
Nova’s x-rays revealed an elbow luxation – which is when the bones that make up the joint of the elbow are not in the right spot anymore.
An elbow consists of three bones – the upper arm bone (humerus) and two lower arm bones (the radius and ulna).
- The ulna sits at the back of the humerus and is responsible for the hinging motion of the elbow.
- The radius sits in front of the ulna at the level of the elbow and allows for the internal and external rotation of the lower arm.
- Think of holding your arm straight out from the elbow and rocking your hand in seesaw motion!
So, in Nova’s situation, her lower arm bones were displaced to the outside edge of the upper arm bone. Fortunately, there were no fractures!
Treatment
Sometimes, we can fix a luxation without surgery—this is called a closed reduction, which basically means popping the joint back into place. But if that doesn’t work, surgery is usually needed.
Because this process can be very painful, we put Nova under general anesthesia. This helped control her pain and relaxed her muscles, making it easier to get her elbow back where it belonged.
Once Nova was asleep, we gently moved her elbow back into place and took an x-ray to make sure everything looked right. She woke up from anesthesia without any issues and went home a few hours later with pain meds to help with swelling and soreness.
Thankfully, Nova’s family got her to our ER quickly. If they had waited, the swelling and pain would’ve gotten worse, making it harder to fix her elbow. If left untreated, she wouldn’t have been able to use her leg properly again.
Update on Nova:
Nova is doing much better a few days later, and is now back home cuddling with her sisters, Stella and Stormy.
Our “Fur-tunately: Stories of Animal Survival” series features real pets treated by our team at Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota. All images and information have been shared with the owner’s permission.
Case content provided by Latasha Sikes, DVM.
