Tag Archives: broken bones

Recipe for Disaster

Wet paws and a tile floor created a recipe for disaster. I landed with a massive crash. My eye blurred. My head started to swim. I couldn’t make up my min if I was going to faint or be sick or both. In the end I did neither. Mick helped me up and into a chair. From that point on he was wonderful as he got me dressed and to the hospital. All the time we were both praying it wasn’t going to be as bad as it looked. After all it’s only last year I broke my wrist on … Continue reading →

Them’s the Breaks!

How quickly and easily life can change! It did for me 7 weeks ago. All it took was our pup’s four wet paws to make the tile floor slippery, and next minute I was seeing stars. When I could eventually get up to sit in a chair, I suspected I’d broken my arm. I’ve had enough broken bones in my life to know how it feels. I hoped and prayed that wasn’t the case. That was before I looked down and saw the bone sticking out at a peculiar angle. Even then I thought perhaps it was just dislocated. Mick … Continue reading →

The Fracture Triangle

You’ve probably heard of the Bermuda Triangle… but have you heard of the Fracture Triangle? Your likelihood of breaking a bone after a fall is determined by three things: The fall itself The force and direction of the fall (how hard you fall, and what you fall on) The fragility of the bones that take the impact Falls are serious at any age, and breaking a bone after a fall becomes more likely as you age. Often there is a link between breaking a bone and osteoporosis — a disease involving the loss of bone tissue or bone density. If … Continue reading →

Pet First Aid: Fractures

Do you know how many bones are in a dog’s body? In a cat’s body? Dogs have around 319 bones; cats have around 244. Any of the bones in an animal’s body can be broken, and it usually happens as a result of some kind of trauma — like a car accident or a fall. If your pet breaks a bone, he or she may have other serious injuries too. Watch for signs of pain to clue you in to where the break is. Your pet may favor a leg, have difficulty breathing, or refuse to get up. There are … Continue reading →

Preventing Falls and Fractures

Once you reach your forties and fifties, your body’s bone production slows down. You may be starting to lose more bone than you are regrowing! If your bone density is decreasing, you are at risk for serious injuries from a simple fall. So what can you do to prevent falls and fractures? In the bathroom: use a rubber bath mat in the shower or tub. Install grab bars in the shower or tub to help you get in and out safely. Pick non-skid bath mats. Soak up extra water outside the tub or shower so you don’t slip. Around the … Continue reading →