How to Care for a Dog with a Broken Leg Articles | Dogs

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A broken leg is the most common fracture in animals and commands immediate attention.  The dog’s leg must be straightened and immobilized.  Anxiety over doing this must be put aside.  Just do it—for the sake of the pet.  A splint is required, and one can be fashioned from a trellis slat, a yardstick, or a tine from a rake.  The leg must be tied both above and below the break to the splint and secured with anything that will hold it in place securely until the dog can be transported to the vet.

A splint should be applied immediately upon suspicion of a broken bone.  If the bone is allowed to move it could sever an artery and complicate the treatment of the injury further.  Splinting a greenstick fracture is just as important as splinting a clean break, as leg movement with a greenstick fracture could break it further.

In the case of broken ribs, it is important to keep the dog quiet.  Broken ribs can easily puncture a lung.  Lay the dog down on the side opposite the broken ribs and keep him as calm and still as possible until the vet arrives.  Do not try to transport a dog with broken ribs yourself.

A fractured hip is slow to heal.  Little can be done to treat broken pelvis bones or to speed up the healing process.  If only one side is broken, the dog may still be able to walk on three legs.  Most hips break in a fashion that prevents the dog from walking at all until numbness develops and acts as a natural anesthetic.  The dog may be unable to raise himself for several days after a break, and will require assistance in getting up. 
The ability to walk will improve gradually, but don’t expect to see a dog with a broken hip running for a month or longer after the injury occurs.  Even after the healing is well under way, the pet may still require assistance in getting up, and you may have to carry him outside and hold him steady while defecating. 

Broken backs in dogs are not always without hope of healing.  Skilled veterinarians are often able to set and wire backs in a fashion that permits near normal function.  If you suspect your dog has a broken back, keep him as immobile as possible and transport him quickly to the vet.  The spinal cord is fragile and damage to the nerve-fiber must be minimized if the animal is to survive.

A common back break in dogs occurs at the point where the tail vertebrae start.  The tail hangs limp in such cases and the animal is unable to raise it to defecate.  These injuries sometimes result in the tail becoming gangrenous which makes removal of the tail necessary to prevent the spread of infection.