Small Animal Surgery Resident The University of Illinois Champaign, Illinois
Working dogs may sustain either degenerative or acute traumatic injuries that require orthopedic surgery using metallic implants. The purpose of this study is to determine the rate of complications following orthopedic surgery using metallic implants in working dogs. Medical records of dogs that underwent surgery with orthopedic implants between 1999 and 2022 were reviewed. Dogs were included if they belonged to a police or sheriff department and if follow up information was available. Information recorded included signalment, original injury, complication and associated clinical signs, revision surgery, and culture and sensitivity results. Complications were documented in 8/9 dogs with available follow up, and in 7/7 dogs that required surgery for a traumatic, non-degenerative injury. The most common complication was implant-associated infection requiring explantation and the most common isolated bacteria was Staph pseudintermedius. Primary limitations of this study include its retrospective nature and small sample size. The results of this study suggest that working dogs may have higher post-operative surgical complications requiring additional surgical procedures. Handlers should be prepared accordingly for the possibility of multiple surgical procedures and prolonged leave of the dog from working service.
