Bone Fractures

Our guide has been authored by qualified veterinarians, but should not be taken as substitute for medical advice or professional veterinary consultation. If your pet displays any unusual symptoms, we strongly advise seeking guidance from a veterinarian

Understanding Bone Fractures in dogs

Bone fractures can be common in dogs. The bones most prone to breaking are the long bones – the femur and tibia in the hind legs, the radius and ulna in the front legs, the pelvic bones, ribs, bones in the paw’s toe root, and toes. There can also be fractures in the vertebrae that may lead to significant nerve damage if they endanger the integrity of the spinal cord.

There are several types of fractures:

1. Closed fracture – when the fracture line does not break through the skin tissue.
2. Open fracture – the broken ends of the bone pierce through the skin, causing a wound. This type of fracture poses a greater health challenge due to the risk of infection.
3. Simple fracture – a single fracture line extending across the width of the bone or diagonally.
4. Compound fracture – a bone that has broken or shattered into several pieces. These cases are usually more complicated to treat.

In certain traumatic situations, fractures may be accompanied by additional significant injuries and life-threatening conditions such as hemorrhage and damage to the nervous, respiratory, and urinary systems. In such cases, life-threatening injuries are addressed first, and fracture treatment follows only after stabilizing the patient’s condition.

Jazz's story

Like any typical Border Collie, Jazz loves to 'herd' all the animals around him. One day, while playing in the dog park, he decided to jump over a fence to 'herd' a cat he saw on the other side of the road. The moment he leaped onto the road, Jazz was hit by a passing car and was subsequently rushed to the veterinary hospital. There, he was diagnosed with a fracture of the femur and several pelvic bones. After initial stabilization, including pain relief medication and fluid therapy, he underwent surgery, where a pin was inserted to connect the broken parts of the femur and a plate connected two of the pelvic bones. In the following days, Jazz was discharged home with pain relief treatment. Within a month, significant healing in the area could be seen. Jazz still limped slightly on his leg, so he continued with rehabilitation treatments, and soon enough, you couldn't tell anything had ever happened to that leg.

Bone Fractures's Causes: Uncovering Triggers

Traumatic Injuries – In most cases, these are various traumatic injuries. Curious and active dogs are more prone to injuries from car accidents, while toy breed dogs are more likely to fall from heights (sometimes even low heights, like jumping off a couch).
Pathological Background – Fractures caused by diseases rather than accidents include conditions such as bone sickness due to severe joint inflammation (osteomyelitis), infections (osteomyelitis), and bone cancers that can be particularly aggressive (osteosarcoma).

Recognizing Bone Fractures: Signs and Symptoms

Limping: Typically accompanied by holding the leg in the air.
Pain: Often expressed through whimpering during movement or aversion to touching the area.
Swelling: Soft tissue swelling around the affected area.
Crackling Sounds: Resulting from the rubbing of broken bone ends.
Abnormal Appearance of the Leg Structure: abnormal angles or deformities.
Skin Wounds: In cases of open fractures, there may also be skin wounds associated with the fracture, through which broken bone fragments may protrude.

Also, don’t forget to pay attention to additional signs that stem from injuries associated with the event leading to the fracture: difficulty breathing, weakness, paralysis in the legs, and paleness.

Bone Fractures Diagnosis: How it's Identified

Suspicion of fractures usually arises after characteristic injuries, clinical picture including limping, and physical examination by the veterinarian. Following this, several X-rays are usually taken to diagnose fractures in suspicious areas. Sometimes more advanced imaging, such as a CT scan, may be necessary to assess the extent of the injury and determine the optimal treatment for it, as well as to rule out additional injuries.

Treating Bone Fractures: Options and Approaches

During the assessment and diagnosis process, parameters such as the animal’s age, breed, weight, the type and location of the fracture, and whether there are additional injuries are taken into account. These will dictate the recommendation for this or that treatment. The goal of treatment is to reduce the fracture – meaning, maximal approximation and alignment of the broken parts, as well as fixing them for a long enough period to allow healing:

In cases of minimally displaced fractures – external fixation may be an option, such as a cast.
In cases where this is not possible – surgical intervention involving the use of plates, pins, wires, and screws.
In cases of open fractures, there is also a need to treat the skin injury and protect against soft tissue and bone infection. Usually, this process takes several weeks during which the dog must rest, and follow-up visits are made to monitor the progress of healing.

Bone Fractures: Surprising Facts

The younger the animal, the more 'flexible' its bones, and the higher their responsiveness. This means they break less easily.

The average healing time for fractures after external or surgical fixation ranges from 4 to 8 weeks.

Three out of four fractures in dogs are of the hind legs, with more than half being of the femur.

Vet's Tip: Dealing with Bone Fractures

In traumatic injuries, there is always a risk of fractures to the vertebrae of the spine as well. These fractures are sometimes unstable, and although initially, there may be no outwardly abnormal signs, any incorrect movement may lead to severe and irreversible spinal cord damage. Therefore, the general rule is that when handling a dog for emergency treatment after an accident, it is always better to prevent independent movement as much as possible and carry it with the utmost care using a wooden board or a long stretched blanket.