My dog broke his toe, will he walk normally again after healing?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Summitt. Sometimes a dog's gait will be different after a splint is removed. This is due to the fact that muscles have not been used as much while it was on. It can take some time to rebuild some strength. However, if she is not making progress walking more normally, she needs to see her veterinarian. Most of the time, I see the normal gait return within several days. I hope this information helps!

The toe could be broken or dislocated, or it might be a soft tissue injury. The fact that he is limping means that he does have some level of pain even if he's not crying. I would recommend having your vet examine the toe - they might feel confident that it is a soft tissue injury once they are able to feel the toe and the joint or they might recommend an x-ray. They can also prescribe safe pain medication for him.

That really depends on how the fracture heals. If the splint/bandage falls off then you could take him to an orthopedic surgeon who could pin or plate the fracture internally so he wouldnt need an external splint/bandage.

Poor Otto! In general puppies heal very well. The only thing to watch for is that a splint can cause temporary laxity in the joint ligaments but this typically resolves. It is very important to keep up with the splint to care as described by your veterinarian. Hopefully his healing will be uneventful. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Romeo. I would advise to not wrap the toe. I have seen too many owners who applied the wrap too tightly and caused damage to the foot by cutting off the blood supply. I do recommend to significantly restrict his activity. He should not be allowed to walk around the house, go for walks, climb up and down on furniture or run or jump. If he is still limping beyond two days or if he seems extremely painful, I recommend to have him examined sooner. If you notice any swelling on the toe then I would also advise to have him seen sooner. A broken or dislocated toe can get worse if it is not splinted quickly. I hope he starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Yes, it's pretty clear that Louie's right fourth toe is visible longer than his other toes. Normally, the third and fourth digits are pretty comparable in length. As you mentioned, yes, it's possible that this is a tendon injury, but other issues like bony or soft tissue masses, osteomyelitis, or other injuries are certainly possible. For now, I would carefully feel the "longer" toe to see if there is any swelling (soft or firm) relative to the other toes. If there's any asymmetry between the fourth toe and the others, then it's definitely worth having Louie examined by his vet, potentially with some x-rays of this foot. However, if it feels perfectly normal, he continues walking normally, and isn't showing any other signs of discomfort or sensitivity, then yes, it's perfectly reasonable to continue conservative management and monitoring at home. I hope that everything goes well!

Hello. If you follow all instructions from the surgeon & there are no unforeseen complications, then Sophie should have a complete recovery. She will be uncomfortable for awhile, but she is young & young bones heal very quickly. She will probably need to take things easy for 6-8 weeks, but if the break did not penetrate the skin nor involve any joints or growth plates, she should do great. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.