Asked on the Dog Forum by Alyeskas Mom on 1/7/2006, 4:44 pm
Q: broken leg?
How can you tell if a dog's leg is broken. Alley will put a little weight on her leg and let me touch it and rub it but there's a swollen knot on her upper leg and she is limping badly. She hurt it outside and cried very loudly for a minute or so but I did not see what happened. I am unemployed and can't afford a vet, but would find a way if I could tell that it was as serious as a broken bone. How long is it safe to wait to see if she recovers, I don't want her to be lame.
Answered by Swoozie on 1/8/2006, 6:59 am
A: broken leg?
There is no lenght of time that's acceptable to wait and see if she recovers on her own. It's cruel and against the law to allow a dog that's hurt and in pain to suffer. She needs a vet and she needs it now. Your dog could have anything from a broken leg to osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and the knot you're feeling could very well be a cancerous tumor in the bone. If you don't want your dog to be lame, you need to get it to the vets. The longer you put off treatment, depending on the injury, the worse it can get which in itself can result in lameness.
The only way to tell if your dog's leg is broken is to take her to the vets and have them examine it and xray it. Vets will set up payment plans for people who are short on funds, plus there's finance companies that will lend money for veterinary expenses.
http://www.carecredit.com/
> How can you tell if a dog's leg is broken. Alley will put a
> little weight on her leg and let me touch it and rub it but
> there's a swollen knot on her upper leg and she is limping
> badly. She hurt it outside and cried very loudly for a
> minute or so but I did not see what happened. I am
> unemployed and can't afford a vet, but would find a way if I
> could tell that it was as serious as a broken bone. How
> long is it safe to wait to see if she recovers, I don't want
> her to be lame.
>
Answered by Alyeskas Mom on 1/8/2006, 8:42 am
Q: broken leg?
I wish you'd have read my question first. Dogs don't get bone cancer in 5 seconds. She hurt her leg outside and is not in any pain now. In fact, she's playful, happy and wants to go for long walks. She just isn't using the leg for walking. Kids hurt themselves all the time and don't need professional care, as do animals. It is not against the law and it is not cruel to use good judgement and not fly to the vet for everything. Thanks for trying but I need some good information not some radical thoughtless blameful answer. Anybody else who is thinking rationally out there?
> There is no lenght of time that's acceptable to wait and see
> if she recovers on her own. It's cruel and against the law
> to allow a dog that's hurt and in pain to suffer. She needs
> a vet and she needs it now. Your dog could have anything
> from a broken leg to osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and the knot
> you're feeling could very well be a cancerous tumor in the
> bone. If you don't want your dog to be lame, you need to get
> it to the vets. The longer you put off treatment, depending
> on the injury, the worse it can get which in itself can
> result in lameness.
>
> The only way to tell if your dog's leg is broken is to take
> her to the vets and have them examine it and xray it. Vets
> will set up payment plans for people who are short on funds,
> plus there's finance companies that will lend money for
> veterinary expenses.
> http://www.carecredit.com/
>
>
>
> > How can you tell if a dog's leg is broken. Alley will put
> a
> > little weight on her leg and let me touch it and rub it
> but
> > there's a swollen knot on her upper leg and she is limping
> > badly. She hurt it outside and cried very loudly for a
> > minute or so but I did not see what happened. I am
> > unemployed and can't afford a vet, but would find a way if
> I
> > could tell that it was as serious as a broken bone. How
> > long is it safe to wait to see if she recovers, I don't
> want
> > her to be lame.
> >
>
Answered by Swoozie on 1/8/2006, 9:30 am
A: broken leg?
It is considered cruelty an inhumane for anyone to withhold medical care for an animal knowing an animal is injured and hurt in pain and needs medical care and, cruelty to animals is very much against the law.
> I wish you'd have read my question first. Dogs don't get
> bone cancer in 5 seconds. She hurt her leg outside and is
> not in any pain now. In fact, she's playful, happy and
> wants to go for long walks. She just isn't using the leg
> for walking. Kids hurt themselves all the time and don't
> need professional care, as do animals. It is not against
> the law and it is not cruel to use good judgement and not
> fly to the vet for everything. Thanks for trying but I need
> some good information not some radical thoughtless blameful
> answer. Anybody else who is thinking rationally out there?
>
>
> > There is no lenght of time that's acceptable to wait and
> see
> > if she recovers on her own. It's cruel and against the law
> > to allow a dog that's hurt and in pain to suffer. She
> needs
> > a vet and she needs it now. Your dog could have anything
> > from a broken leg to osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and the
> knot
> > you're feeling could very well be a cancerous tumor in the
> > bone. If you don't want your dog to be lame, you need to
> get
> > it to the vets. The longer you put off treatment,
> depending
> > on the injury, the worse it can get which in itself can
> > result in lameness.
> >
> > The only way to tell if your dog's leg is broken is to
> take
> > her to the vets and have them examine it and xray it. Vets
> > will set up payment plans for people who are short on
> funds,
> > plus there's finance companies that will lend money for
> > veterinary expenses.
> > http://www.carecredit.com/
> >
> >
> >
> > > How can you tell if a dog's leg is broken. Alley will
> put
> > a
> > > little weight on her leg and let me touch it and rub it
> > but
> > > there's a swollen knot on her upper leg and she is
> limping
> > > badly. She hurt it outside and cried very loudly for a
> > > minute or so but I did not see what happened. I am
> > > unemployed and can't afford a vet, but would find a way
> if
> > I
> > > could tell that it was as serious as a broken bone. How
> > > long is it safe to wait to see if she recovers, I don't
> > want
> > > her to be lame.
> > >
> >
>
Answered by Nicole510 on 1/8/2006, 7:24 pm
A: broken leg?
I understand that you may not have the money to get her into the vet but it really is a necessity. Do some searching on the 'net...there are many organizations who offer discount certificates for pet care, your local human society may offer vet care to the disabled or unemployed, you may even find that your vet will give you a payment plan.
The problem is this. A dog is wired to not show pain because it is a sign of the weak. So because she's walking on it or using it is not a sign that everything is ok. Besides having broken a bone there are other injuries that are possible in this situation. She could have torn a ligament or a tendon, pulled a muscle, torn a muscle, the possiblities are endless. If it's not fixed, you run not only the risk of lameness but arthritis and joint problems later in life due to the injury not healing correctly.
If nothing else, at least get her in for an initial exam and diagnosis. Depending on what the injury actually is, your vet can give you an approximate figure for the treatment necessary. You can then decide what it is that you're going to need to do.
