My patients, My life

        I believe that the call came about two days after I posted the last udate on the progress of our hyperkinetic little Muntjac with the fractured leg.  In hindsite, I should have known that I was going to jinx her recovery with my good report.   

    Her keeper, Susie, noticed that her bandage had slipped down and during the subsequent rebandage they found that the wound over the plate had opened. 

Bobbie, asleep during her latest exam.

     We had worried about just that possibility as her leg is so small in diameter there was precious little skin to cover the increase in diameter that the plate and screws added to the leg.  As her bone healed the skin became tighter and finally split along the previous suture line.

     Mike, Susie, Melody and I made a long foggy drive from the Museum to the clinic with a sleepy Muntjac to try to repair this complication. During the drive I contemplated possible stratagies to find the extra skin to close the open wound over the steel plate and screws.

       I elected to make two parallel incisions along the back of the leg at the level of the plate.  These new incisions would free up the skin necessary to advance the skin over the plate and close it again. The new incisions were left to heal as open wounds.  All were carefully dressed and placed under sterile dressings and bandages. 

     Now 3 weeks since all that I am happy to say that all has gone well.  The great staff at the Tallahassee Museum has taken great pain to protect Bobbie and care for her leg.  The day before yesterday she came to the clinic for her latest check-up.  Her X-ray shows very good healing.  We have tentatively scheduled her back in 3 weeks for another X-ray and possible removal of the plate. 

Latest X-ray of the healing fracture

       I hope that she can have the plate removed at that time.  She and the other Muntjacs are here as a visiting animal exibit and are due to move on to their next stop at the end of March. 

     Unless I have jinxed her again with this writing, she and her buddies can all leave on time and walking on all four legs.  I will give my readers another progress report at that time. Thanks for your concerns and interest in this case.

Closeup of a remarkable little animal