My dog broke their humerus. Is surgery always necessary for healing?

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A broken bone does not necessarily mean surgery is required. It depends on the type of fracture present. Some fractures can be casted and splinted, others require surgery or surgical placement of pins and plates if severe enough. The first step if you suspect Ace has a fracture is to have him seen by a veterinarian ASAP. Your veterinarian will need to take x-rays of the limb to determine whether or not it is broken, the type of fracture present, and how severe the break is. Your veterinarian will then put together a treatment plan for Ace based on what was found. I hope this helps!

That looks like a pretty nasty fracture. My first recommendation would be orthopedic surgery. The surgeon may recommend plates or other devices to get the bone back in alignment so that it can heal. If that is not an option in your area, then amputation would be my next recommendation. Due to the location, a cast or splint will not provide enough stabilization to allow the edges of the bone to knit back together. If the bones can be re-aligned, a hobble can be attempted, but the failure rate is quite high.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Max! Sadly the X-ray pictures didn’t attach. Personally I would recommend surgical repair of a fracture of the humerus. Please feel free to repost with pictures. I wish Max the best!

They can definitely heal on their own and they heal especially well with puppies. However, it may heal at an angle, which can cause a life-long limp and issues with arthritis. This particular fracture involves the growth plate, which can increase the possibility that it won't heal correctly. The advantage of surgery is that the fracture can be aligned appropriately, which will shorten healing time and reduce chances of future complications. This would not be an easy surgery though and would likely require an orthopedic specialist to do it; which can get quite expensive. If you want to pursue surgery, then it's best to ask your veterinarian for a referral to an orthopedic specialist. Otherwise it's possible for it to heal fine with casting/splinting and time. I hope that helps and Ice gets better soon.

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.!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, Dolla has a broken femur. The best treatment is a surgical repair. I recommend discussing the surgery with your vet. After surgery she will need 6-8 weeks to heal. Luckily she is young so she should do well with the procedure and recovery. Good luck and kisses to Dolla!

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!