Why does my French Bulldog puppy need pins removed from his leg?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is normal for pins to be placed so that they stick out the other cortex (side) of the bone, as this ensures they have a good hold on the fracture fragments to prevent any movement of the fragments. As long as Toby does not develop an infection in his bone around any of the pins, and he is not exhibiting any discomfort from them, he will likely be able to have the pins in for the rest of his life. If you notice that the pins seem to be protruding more than usual, or if Toby is lame/painful on the affected leg, it is possible the pin(s) could have migrated inappropriately and/or could have become infected. This would require a visit to your veterinarian for an exam and repeat x-rays, and potentially surgery to remove the pins. I hope this helps :)

Koby is a cutie! Ideally he just sprained his forelimb/only has a soft tissue injury and will respond well to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (recent blood work showing normal liver values is usually recommended before prescribing NSAIDs such as carprofen/Rimadyl) for a few days along with activity restriction for a week. This conservative therapy may be chosen as long as the limb does not appear swollen, acutely painful, etc. on physical exam/palpation. Re-x raying that limb would be ideal to determine if there has been migration of the pins/a new fracture etc. but could potentially wait if he is putting weight on the limb/it does not appear swollen/ and he responds well to the pain medication. As he has pins in his limb, he will be more prone to arthritis as the years go by and would likely benefit from being on a joint supplement such as VetriScience Mobility Flex or Vetriflex for life. Best of luck!

No, being in more pain now is not normal after that surgery. It may be damaging her joint or hitting nerves that is causing her more pain. I would have her rechecked to see if that can be cut a little shorter and to make sure it has not migrated out a little and slipped. Having the pin removed is an option and it varies upon the dog and healing as to if it is taken out. If it is completely healed and not bothering the dog, then they typically leave them in. If she is healed and doing well, then suddenly seems bothered, then the pin can be safely removed with out compromising the break

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Stella. If the pin is not causing her any pain or side effects (such as an infection) and is not interfering with a growth plate, then it should be fine to leave it in place. If she is suffering side effects from it, then I would seek a second opinion regarding removing it. I hope this information helps!

Joy needs to go back to the vet ASAP. Depending on the type of surgical fix, the pin may need to be removed if it is backing out of the bone. Or it may need to have another surgery to repair the skin.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In general, pins and plates can safely be left in the body indefinitely. There is always a small risk of infection, in which case the pin/plate would be removed. The risk of infection will be present life-long but is less than 5%. If you are worried about it, head into the vet for an x-ray and to discuss if it is worth taking out. (A pin that exits near the surface of the skin can sometimes be removed quickly under sedation.) Best of luck to you and Rocky!

Hello, and thanks for your question about Furgle. If the fracture occurred 2 years ago, then your vet is right that he should do fine without the plate, since a fracture should completely heal within 2-3 months. If he doesn't seem painful, then I wouldn't be too worried. However, if you feel that there's definitely a change happening in the angle of his leg, then it's worth having your vet take another look. You're also welcome to post a picture and we can offer subjective input on the appearance of the photo. But, this doesn't sound likely to be related to his previous fracture. Hope this helps.