My dog's bone grew over a surgical pin. Is it safe to leave it?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In general, pins and plates can safely be left in the body indefinitely. There is always a small risk of infection, in which case the pin/plate would be removed. The risk of infection will be present life-long but is less than 5%. If you are worried about it, head into the vet for an x-ray and to discuss if it is worth taking out. (A pin that exits near the surface of the skin can sometimes be removed quickly under sedation.) Best of luck to you and Rocky!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is normal for pins to be placed so that they stick out the other cortex (side) of the bone, as this ensures they have a good hold on the fracture fragments to prevent any movement of the fragments. As long as Toby does not develop an infection in his bone around any of the pins, and he is not exhibiting any discomfort from them, he will likely be able to have the pins in for the rest of his life. If you notice that the pins seem to be protruding more than usual, or if Toby is lame/painful on the affected leg, it is possible the pin(s) could have migrated inappropriately and/or could have become infected. This would require a visit to your veterinarian for an exam and repeat x-rays, and potentially surgery to remove the pins. I hope this helps :)

No, being in more pain now is not normal after that surgery. It may be damaging her joint or hitting nerves that is causing her more pain. I would have her rechecked to see if that can be cut a little shorter and to make sure it has not migrated out a little and slipped. Having the pin removed is an option and it varies upon the dog and healing as to if it is taken out. If it is completely healed and not bothering the dog, then they typically leave them in. If she is healed and doing well, then suddenly seems bothered, then the pin can be safely removed with out compromising the break

Joy needs to go back to the vet ASAP. Depending on the type of surgical fix, the pin may need to be removed if it is backing out of the bone. Or it may need to have another surgery to repair the skin.

Hello and thank you for your post! It does look like there is weakening and loss of bone around the pin. I would definitely have this pin removed and then place Pashi in a splint for several weeks until the bone recovers. The first thing I noticed with this is that the pin is quite large in diameter and may be taking up too much space which could have led to this happening. I would schedule a recheck with your vet to possibly have it removed. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions or concerns.

If it was his distal tibia that was fractured and the pins are near the growth plate, the pins can sometimes affect the way the bone grows in a young dog and lead to limb deformities with time. If there is concern for this on the x-ray it could be why your vet wants to remove the pins. Sometimes hardware can also break or become infected and require removal. Since your vet knows the details of the case you may want to bring up your concerns with them and they may be able to better explain the reasoning.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Cleo. Yes, in rare cases pins can migrate after a surgery. Other times as the body heals and swelling subsides, the pins are more easily felt. If she starts to act painful, her lameness increases or she refuses to eat, then she will need to be seen today. If she is otherwise acting normal, then I would contact her surgeon on Monday. You can describe her condition and see if a recheck appointment or x-rays are warranted. In the meantime, follow your surgical discharge instructions. I hope this information helps!