My senior dog has a broken pelvis. What are the treatment options?

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.

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.

Unfortunately the x-rays isn't attached to this question, so I can't fully answer your question. Typically, however, I will agree with the vet's assessment because they are the one who can see Floofer in person and make the best and most accurate assessment. Since a fracture pelvis can heal naturally, a vet will recommend trying that if they feel it's a viable treatment option. In this case, if the vet is recommended surgery, then likely a natural healing is not possible. Leaving it without surgery in this case could cause the pelvis to heal incorrectly, it may not be possible depending on the severity and place of the fracture in the pelvis (certain fractures in the pelvis cannot heal naturally and require surgery), and/or leaving it to heal naturally could cause damage to the nerves affecting his ability to walk correctly. If you'd like me or another expert to see the x-ray, please feel free to post again with the x-ray attached. Otherwise, you can take Floofer to see another vet for a second opinion. I hope this helps!

A fractured bone should never cause a fever unless there is systemic infection. Rover may need blood work to see if this is the case. There are many pain medication options available in pets, and it is likely that Rover needs to be on a few different ones at the same time to manage this type of pain. In an older dog without a recent history of trauma, I would be very concerned that the fracture could be due to cancer in the bone (called a pathologic fracture). Sometimes this will show on x-rays. If it is the case, the best way to manage this type of pain is amputation with or without chemotherapy. Amputation is also an option for a simple broken bone as splinting or casting will not help a fracture in the shoulder. As a last resort, euthanasia is preferred over endless suffering.

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!

The alternative to surgery is time, physical therapy, and pain medications. I would recommend starting with an examination by a vet to determine what the issue is and if it is starting to cause neurologic deficits. The vet can help determine the best course of treatment and supportive therapies to keep Buzz comfortable. It is also important to do cage rest (the doggie equivalent of bed rest) if you think that he is having another bulging disc.

First, I just want to applaud you for adopting this pet. You definitely need to be commended for trying to save a life. In terms of the cost of a pelvic surgery, it depends on many factors. Those factors would include what area or location of the country you live in, how bad and what bones are affected in the fracture, and are there any other diseases or conditions that need to be fixed in addition to the fracture. So an estimate is very difficult to get to you in a fairly accurate manner. but I can take a guess And give you an idea of what it would cost for a pelvic fracture only in a healthy dog in the Midwest. This surgery on a small dog could cost anywhere from $850-$3500 depending upon the veterinarian performing it. Sometimes that range depends on whether it is a general practitioner doing the surgery or a veterinary orthopedic specialist. I am sorry I cannot be more exact but at least this gives you a ballpark idea. Thanks a lot for your question. Good luck.