My pet's leg is swollen. Is it sprained or broken? How long to heal?

I really feel that Lexi needs to have a full veterinary exam to determine what has happened. From the pictures, one possibility is that she is adjusting how she sits to extend the injured leg out - if she is not putting any weight on that leg then she may have broken it, or injured a ligament. There are also a couple of illnesses that can occur in a young growing dog, thses can be diagnosed with an exam and xrays. If she is limping she should have pain relief - Do not use any human medicines as these may be toxic to her.

It still could be broken even if you can touch it, there may be a fracture in the bone. The only way to rule out a broken bone is with an x-ray. It's quite serious Layla's leg has been swollen for 8 days and she can't stand on it. That means she has been in pain for 8 days. I would take her into a vet immediately.

With a broken bone, Biko should not be walking around at all. You need to keep him in a kennel to allow the leg the best chance to heal. He should also be in a splint, not a supportive wrap. He may need sedatives. I recommend to call the veterinarian and tell them what is happening. They can provide a splint as well as sedation for Biko. It will take 6 to 8 weeks for the bone to fully heal. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, sorry to hear about Royalty. It is actually. difficult to know if he has any fractures without an x-ray of the foot and wrist. However, signs of a fracture will include non-weight bearing lameness on that leg, pain, persistent swelling, and severe bruising. If he is walking on the leg comfortably, it would be less likely that he has a fracture. But if you think he is having the above mentioned sings, the recommended next step is to have his veterinarian seen him so that he can have an x-ray. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Sorry to hear about poor Oreo. The swelling that you are describing is most likely due to a seroma. This commonly happens after trauma is just an accumulation of fluid under the skin. These are not harmful and do take a week or two to subside. Sometimes they can persist and need to be drained. Unfortunately, without being able to evaluate the swelling in-person, I can't tell exactly what this is. It could also be due to a hernia, or abscess and the only way to tell for sure would be a physical examination and needle aspirate. The best option is to have your vet reevaluate Oreo to ensure all is OK. I hope that helps and Oreo gets better soon.

Thanks for reaching out about Abby and including photos. The only way to definitively determine if it is fractures is to have a radiograph taken. It could heal on its own, but unlikely to be straight and could become more complicated if left un-stabilized. A veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

Poor Theo. Unfortunately I cannot tell you if he broke or sprained his wrist without an x-ray. I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian for an x-ray. Sometimes the bones do not feel broken but a hairline fracture exist and is only seen on x-ray. Please restrict his activity until he is seen.