What is a broken leg?
Our pets can easily fracture their front or back legs. Dogs are no different from humans. They may accidentally fracture their leg bones during exercise or play.
The structure of the dog is like this: The front leg consists of the radius and ulna (with the radius being the main weight supporting bone), and the humerus (forms the elbow and shoulder).
Long, heavy bone fractures are the most common. Not all events lead to fractures. The legs can also be dislocated or leg bone cracks (small cracks in the bones).
Symptoms of a broken leg in a dog
If you walk your dog frequently, in many cases, the pet owner will witness the event leading to the fracture. But sometimes, our pet has a broken leg without knowing it. If your dog shows any of the following symptoms, be sure to send it to the clinic immediately.
Raise leg
Swollen limbs
pain
Unwilling or unable to walk
Causes of broken legs
Whether you accept it or not, the dog’s leg may break. Your dog will be very painful and may feel very anxious and scared. When going to the clinic for medical treatment, keep calm to avoid disturbing your dog, which may make the fracture worse.
Vehicle trauma
Play and exercise
Primary disease
Diet (insufficient calcium)
Bone cancer
Hereditary collagen defect (fragile bones)
Age (Puppy’s bones are not fully formed)
Variety
Treatment of broken dog legs
Once your dog comes to the veterinary clinic, fracture treatment will be performed. The following treatments are usually given. Fix fractures to relieve pain and prevent further damage to muscles, blood vessels and nerves
The options will be non-surgical or surgical in nature. In the case of a simple closed fracture, it may be cured with only splints or casts. When using casts or splints, you must focus on maintaining the injured area.
Other surgical fixation methods (such as metal instruments) may be better choices. The decision will depend on the extent of your dog’s injury and your economic options in terms of treatment.
Recovery of a broken dog leg
The length of hospital stay depends on the method of treatment. The length of stay may vary from one day to two weeks.
Home care is a very important part of the recovery process. If it is a splint or plaster, the condition of the bandage or covering needs to be carefully monitored. Prevent your dog from licking the cast or pulling the splint. So as not to cause secondary damage.
In the case of internal and external fixtures, some metal fixtures may need to be removed in the future. You need to pay attention to the cleanliness of the wound.
No matter which treatment method is used, X-ray examinations are required within 8 weeks to reassess the rest time.
At the same time, continue to use painkillers or antibiotics as prescribed. Do not perform strenuous exercise before removing the fixture.
