My 2-month-old puppy has a cast. Does he need surgery or just rest?

With a broken bone, Biko should not be walking around at all. You need to keep him in a kennel to allow the leg the best chance to heal. He should also be in a splint, not a supportive wrap. He may need sedatives. I recommend to call the veterinarian and tell them what is happening. They can provide a splint as well as sedation for Biko. It will take 6 to 8 weeks for the bone to fully heal. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I have to defer your question about Leo specifically to the vet who is treating him and took the x-rays, since they will have access to all the information from his exam that I don't have, but I can tell you that in general I do not usually recommend casts or screws for broken toes. Most of the time broken toes heal very well with strict rest alone, especially in young patients. The "strict rest" is very important - I usually encourage owners to use a crate as much as possible until the bone forms a callous and stabilizes the fracture. The best way to evaluate for a tail fracture is with an additional x-ray, but again the tail is another area that usually heals well with rest and pain control. However, if the foot fracture was due to a bite wound, it is important to make sure that the pain isn't related to an infection, which would require oral antibiotics to treat. I hope this helps!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!