My dog was bitten. Could his leg or tail be broken and need a cast?

Hello, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I have to defer your question about Leo specifically to the vet who is treating him and took the x-rays, since they will have access to all the information from his exam that I don't have, but I can tell you that in general I do not usually recommend casts or screws for broken toes. Most of the time broken toes heal very well with strict rest alone, especially in young patients. The "strict rest" is very important - I usually encourage owners to use a crate as much as possible until the bone forms a callous and stabilizes the fracture.

The best way to evaluate for a tail fracture is with an additional x-ray, but again the tail is another area that usually heals well with rest and pain control. However, if the foot fracture was due to a bite wound, it is important to make sure that the pain isn't related to an infection, which would require oral antibiotics to treat.

I hope this helps!