My dog's leg broke again. Is it weak bones or an underlying issue?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Cesar! What a scary time! I am glad he will be okay. I would feed him a commercial puppy food since he is under 1 year of age. I like Royal Canin, Hill's Since diet and Purina Proplan or Focus. There isn't anything extra needed just balanced nutrition for a growing dog. Good luck!

Yes, I agree with your vet. Supplements often do more harm than good in these situations. If the fracture is a non-union/non-healing the supplement is not going to help. If you could post photos of the x-rays showing the fracture we may be able to help you better.

Hello, and thanks for your question. Yes, senior dogs can heal fractures, though their healing will definitely be slower compared to young dogs. A 15 year old dog will definitely require some extra healing time, and some extra tender loving care! The fracture must be well aligned, and well stabilized (with a cast, splint, or surgical stabilizer such as a plate or external fixator, depending on the type and location of the fracture) until the fracture is healed. Pain control is very important during this process. Hope this helps and Rayna feels better soon!

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.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Muneca is limping. Based off the radiograph, it looks like her fibula, the smaller bone in her lower leg, may be fractured. It is difficult to know for sure without an orthogonal view, but that may be the reason for her limping. I recommend restricting her activity to cage rest and leash walks only, do not let her run or play for at least 4 weeks to allow time for the bone to heal. I recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian who can perform bloodwork and see if it is safe to prescribe her anti-inflammatory pain medications to help her feel more comfortable. NEVER give human pain medications to dogs as they can be markedly toxic. I hope this is helpful!

Thank you for more information on your pet! Your dog should be getting a high quality dog food such as Royal Canin or Hills Science diet. I would also have him seen by a vet, as there could be a medical illness behind him being so thin such as intestinal worms or an inability to digest nutrients properly. The vet can diagnose if there is a medical illness causing him to be so thin, and can prescribe treatment for him.

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.