My dog broke its paw, I can't afford a vet. What are my options?

If his leg is broken, he will need veterinary care. At the very least, he will need antibiotics and pain medication to treat or prevent infection and to manage discomfort. Do not medicate him without the advice of your veterinarian. Many OTC medications can be very toxic to dogs. Discuss payment plans or alternative financing options, such as CareCredit ( www.carecredit.com ), with your veterinarian. Friends and family can also be asked to help out.

I am sorry to hear that your pet has an injury to his leg and paw. Unfortunately, how to treat injuries like this depends entirely on the extent of the injury itself. This would require a more in depth conversation so that an appropriate wound management plan can be devised for your pet and this is not easy to do at home without any medical treatment (pain mediation, antibiotics if needed, or anti-inflammatories). Not to mention it could be a very painful and prolonged situation for your pet. Generally if there are broken bones then a fixture device such as a splint or cast are best used to help keep the bones stable for long enough (typically 4-6 weeks) until they are healed. However this would require splint/cast changes every 1-2 weeks depending on how fast the pet grows. Also the fracture must not be an open fracture (through the skin). If there are no fractures (sometimes can only be ruled out with an x-ray of the leg), then proper shaving of the hair and cleansing of the external wounds using chlorhexidine solution 3% or iodine (diluted 50:50 with warm water) is needed. The hair itself carries a lot of bacteria so clipping it is essential. Then depending on the extent of the skin damage bandaging this area may be needed and changed every 2-7 days. Then once the wounds are seen to be healing well and the top layer of skin is intact the bandages can finally be removed. As I mentioned before typically if there is extensive damage then your pet should get proper medications to a) prevent infection and b)ease discomfort and pain. I just don't see how any of this can be achieved without getting a professional involved unless you are knowledgeable about managing wounds in pets. I do have a couple of financial resources that you can try if the wounds seem too severe and your pet is in need of professional help and guidance so that this is treated appropriately for your pets overall care and well being. Here they are: www.carecredit.com redrover.org www.youcaring.com GiveForward  God's Creatures Ministry Harley’s Hope Foundation Hopefully some of this will be helpful for you to make the best decision for your pets care.

Unfortunately, if the jaw is broken, there is very little you can do at home. Lola is likely painful and may have difficulties eating and drinking. Ideally, she should be examined by your veterinarian. Discuss payment plans or alternative financing options, such as CareCredit (www.carecredit.com), with your veterinarian. You can also ask friends and family to contribute or resort to crowdfunding. Financial aid may also be secured through charities such as Red Rover (www.redrover.org).

Hi, sorry to hear about Penny's injury. Unfortunately orthopedic surgeries are expensive. There is a credit option called Care Credit you can apply for where you get money to use at the vet and pay them back monthly. You can apply on their website. There are many vets in the US who accept this form of payment. Amputation is not a bad option. If you cannot afford the surgery to fix the fracture, the amputation is a lot less expensive. Dogs can do great on three legs! In a few weeks it will be like she doesn't even know there's a difference. She can still run, jump and play like she used to. Good luck, I hope this helps!

It depends wich part of the digital is affected, if it's the nail then it needs to be removed, if it is the bone then the options are either to leave it as it is and giving your dog pain killer or having the all digit removed surgically.

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question. That is quite swollen, and I'm concerned that could be a malignant growth. This is something that definitely have to be checked out by a vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ I hope this helps!

Poor Paris! I agree that she should be examined by the veterinarian. They will palpate her leg to determine where the source of pain is coming from. They will palpate her for any broken bones. They may recommend a radiograph if a fracture, bone tumor or infection is suspected. They can also provide her pain medication to make her more comfortable. I hope she starts feeling better quickly.