My dog has a broken elbow. What are the treatment options?

I am having a little trouble determine what is going on in the elbows. It looks like they are both fractured if these are pictures of different legs. The pelvis is also fractured. Treatment options would depend on the current condition of the pet and the cause for the injuries. Pelvic fractures often heal with strict cage rest for 1-2 months. The fracture of the elbow appears to have affected the joint, and it likely needs surgery to fix or amputation of the leg. If it is in both legs, surgery to fix the fractures is the best option.

The bone appears broken to me but without an x-ray it is impossible for me to know for sure. Your vet should sedate him, try to put the bone back in alignment as best he can and then put on a spoon splint (from the elbow down to the toes) to stabilize the bone. That is the best chance at having the bone heal as straight as possible if x-rays and surgery are not possible. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzSIvv5g83E )

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly that type of fracture should be treated surgically. There is are tendons that attach there and a tension band wire is needed for an avulsion fracture of the olecranon. I would suspect it will not heal. If it has been 3 weeks you should have another X-ray taken to see how it is doing. I wish you the best!

Yes, surgery is required, the bones cannot heal as the leg is unstable and the ends are not touching. The bones could be manipulated back into place and secured with pins or amputation could be considered

The best way to make the right decision is to send the xrays to an orthopedic vet specialist, by looking at the xray he will be able to tell you what needs to be done. it's very important to do the right decision now as it will be more complicated to repair it later if it doesn't heal properly.

Hi, it is impossible to keep an elbow still enough to allow healing of the fracture.. being a joint there is always the tendency to move. So yes I agree that surgery would be the way forward. Hope Rubble makes a speedy recovery.!

I am so sorry to hear about Brandy but happy that she seems to be doing well. Your options will really depend on the type/severity of the break. Some breaks can heal if bandaged/splinted without surgery if the bones are aligned well enough. If that is the case, you may be able to manage her under supervision of your vet with strict confinement and pain management and regular rechecking. If the leg is shattered into too many fragments for the leg to heal this way, you may have to make the tough decision of going ahead with surgery knowing that there is a risk. Even though she is an older dog, if she is otherwise healthy and has no known kidney/liver/heart disease she may do fine with surgery as long as she has good monitoring during anesthesia and supportive care after. If your vet isn't comfortable with this you may ask for a referral to a hospital that does more surgeries or a veterinary college that handles this type of case.