My Puppy has a Fracture. What Should I Do?

Your puppy might be unlucky and have a broken front leg. It might be due to an injury or an accident. If you follow a good management programme, your dog can start the healing process and will make a full recovery.

Follow These Steps

1. Take your puppy to your vet
2. You might et referred to a orthopaedic specialist centre
3. You might need to cast the leg or use a temporary leg splint, see splints here
4. Your dog will be put on minimal exercise or crate rest
5. Get them some games to play with
6. When the cast or splint is taken off, you must still support the leg with a firm support wrap, find support wraps here

In More Detail

Firstly, take your dog to the vet for a confirmed diagnosis. It's possible you'll be referred to a dog orthopaedic specialist referral centre for the best care and advice.

When it comes to fractured legs, puppies are different to treat compared to a full-grown dog. As a puppy is still growing, the orthopaedic advice might be not to cast the leg. Or if they do cast the leg, they might need to change the cast a few times throughout the six-week recovery period. Often, a vet will be able to make and set the cast themselves.

Your dog will be put on minimal exercise or crate rest. The cast can be tickly and irritating for your puppy to wear, so think about different ways you can keep your puppy entertained. There are a variety of games you can play - we recommend looking online for some ideas.

As your puppy starts to heal and the cast comes off, your vet might recommend a brace. It's good to look at a rigid splint. When the splint has served its purpose, you might want to use a front leg wrap for support over the coming months, in the final stages of healing. You can use this when out on walks or in the house. This will reduce the chance of further injury.

You can follow these same steps with a puppy with bowed legs.