Fratura de fêmur bilateral por projétil balístico em guaxinim mão pelada (Procyon cancrivorus) - relato de caso

Abstract

The present study aimed to report a case of bilateral femur fracture caused by a ballistic projectile in a raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) that occurred in Belo Horizonte, MG. A raccoon of the species Procyon cancrivorus, captured on a road, was brought to the Veterinary Hospital of UFMG, exhibiting lameness in both hind limbs. Physical and radiographic examinations revealed a comminuted fracture in the proximal and middle diaphysis of the right femur and a comminuted fracture in the middle diaphysis of the left femur, presumably caused by a ballistic projectile. The procedure involved the placement of a 2.7mm bridging plate with 6 holes and corresponding locked screws on the right limb and the placement of four 0.8mm cerclage wires and a 2.7mm bridging plate with 6 holes and corresponding locked screws on the left limb. Forty days post-procedure, the patient was already weight-bearing on both limbs. Approximately 50 days after surgery, the raccoon, which had been kept in a controlled environment for postoperative monitoring, escaped from the containment area, a behavior associated with the inherent adaptability and wild nature of wild animals, even after undergoing surgical procedures and clinical treatments.