Yorkie With Broken Leg

[storm]

I have a yorkie that broke his leg in Nov 07, spent 10 weeks in plaster, checked every 3 weeks under general and replasted. He has been out of plaster now for 3 weeks and today wouldn’t walk on it again, back to the vet and he has rebroken it have no idea as to how. Vet isn’t sure if it just hasn’t healed correctly in the first place or not. Now they want to pin and place screws to hold it together on a more permanent basis.

When he broke it the first time he broke both bones ulna and radius.

Just wondering how successful this will be as it was hard enough keeping him confined for 10 weeks before, I know hes only little but he hated being confined

Has anyone had to have there dogs leg pinned if so what was the outcome like, any health issue for your dog etc.

Also have been quoted $2000 but could be more, does this sound about right?

Also have concerns about a little dog having so many generals in such a short space of time. He weights 1.5 kilos

He has his leg currently in plaster until tomorrow when he will be operated on.

Edited January 28, 2008 by storm

[wylie]

Have a bitch who broke every metatarsel in her foot.

She has a plate and 10 pins in her foot. Her foot is fused in one position.

She spent 12 weeks in plaster and confined. She coped as did I.

She can run, jump and play and keep up with her mates.

The biggest plus is she has stopped her climbing antics.

[Kavik]

Diesel broke his right hind leg when he was 6 months old. He needed pins, screws and an external fixatur. Was very expensive $2000 sounds about right unfortunately

I crated Diesel for the 6 weeks needed - it was very hard with a 6 month old pup, but the best way to keep him confined to heal. He only got out for toilet walks and cuddles on the couch.

So far the leg has been fine. He still has a screw in it, and when he walks the joint does not look quite as stable, but unless you are really looking you wouldn't notice. He runs, jumps, plays, wrestles with other dogs no problems. He is now 4, so I don't know how it will affect him as he gets older.

Good luck with your Yorkie, sure is a cutie

[Jed]

If the vet is capable, there should be no problem with the anaesthetic.

May I ask you what he is eating? Sometimes diet can play a part in healing of bones. And it may be worth looking at his diet, and perhaps adding things for general bone strength. I would also consider comfrey, which has an excellent reputation with healing breaks.

[morgan]

Sounds like he's having trouble healing.

After he comes home from the vet it is extremely important that he gets vitamin C every day to reduce healing time - it has been proven to be very effective in speeding up the healing of fractures. I should think that a dog of his size wouldn't need a lot - humans need the dose in grams rather than milligrams for fractures.

Find a homoeopath or homoeopathic pharmacy and buy some Symphytum in a 30x strength. This is made from comfrey, or "knitbone" as it was commonly called. Comfrey tea and poultices were always used for broken bones, but unless you grow your own it is difficult to access.

I would also recommend plenty of sunshine so that he can make his own vitamin D to help the bone heal and some dolomite powder each day in his food to give him the magnesium and calcium he needs for new bone. Many people make the mistake of keeping a confined dog indoors most of the time to keep it quiet, but sunshine is essential for healing. If it is too hot for much sun, give cod liver oil each day - probably not a bad idea any way.

[storm]

Thanks everyone for advice,

Jed, he gets raw chicken neck, wings, frames, lamb flaps, shanks etc what ever I have on hand and has a Hills yorkie dry food.

I also give sardines, barf patties.

Good to hear about the anaesthetic.

Morgan,

I was only given calcium 1.5mls twice daily to give to him after the first break and didnt think to question it.

I didnt think to crate him outside for a while in the sun

with the Symphytum in a 30x strength, cod liver oil and dolomite powder how much and how often? Dont want to over dose him

Will also get some vit C

Appreciate everyones advice. Its heart breaking to see him so flat and uncomfortable

Just goes to show I should have asked the list for advice first time as everyone has a wealth of information and it might have helped stop this happening

[Caesars mum]

Storm

good luck today I really hope all goes well and Jed is on the mend soon. He looks like such a little treasure.

lots of healing vibes and hugs for you both

[morgan]

Was thinking about the availability of Symphytum, and remembered that Diana Hayes does a great combination homoeopathic remedy for bone problems, including fractures - it also helps with pain relief apparently, and comes complete with directions. They have a toll free number if you have any questions. If you get plain Symphytum, a fe drops or pillules several times daily is fine - you can't overdose on homoeopathic remedies.

http://www.holisticanimalmedicines.com/bone-formula.html

The dolomite would probably be fine with a teaspoon twice a day for the first week then halve the dosage - I use several dessertspoons daily for a 10-15 kg pup.

Cod liver oil has vitamin A as well as D, so is very good for healing. Too much of both of these over a long period of time aren't good, so care must be taken. I am not 100% sure of the dose rate for such a tiny puppy, so would recommend professional advice - it would certainly be no more than a quarter of a teaspoon daily. If you contact Robert McDowell in Bathurst he should be able to tell you. He also does a great bone healing mix which includes comfrey.

http://www.herbal-treatments.com/dog_bone_...g_maturity.html

Vitamin C will cause diarrhea if given to excess, so the usual way of finding out how much to use is the "bowel tolerance" method. This basically means to give enough to cause motions to soften, then drop the dose back a little. The body will then get the exact amount it needs. As no two individuals are the same, and different diets provide different amounts, prescribing a correct dose is difficult. In tests on advanced AIDS patients using intravenous vitamin C therapy, it was found that the bowel tolerance level was about 200 grams vit C a day for the first few months, then it gradually dropped over time until a year or so later it was less than 30 grams daily as their health improved.

If the vet is open to new ideas, ask him to put half a gram of vitamin C into the drip when he stops the anaesthetic to reduce recovery time and detoxify the chemicals in his system. This stops the grogginess and reduces pain levels.

As for the vitamin D, medicos don't even think about it to advise their patients, why, I don't know. There are thousands of scientific studies proving the benefits of it, but doctors and vets don't seem to read them. Everyone is so brainwashed that sun is bad for you and death by skin cancer awaits anyone who dares bare their skin in the sun that most people are deficient in this essential element. So of course no-one is going to stop and think that it is so important. Medicos also don't seem to understand that without the correct balance of magnesium to calcium the latter can't be absorbed properly, which is probably why the osteoporosis epidemic is so bad in western society. (Well, that and soft drink consumption) Women everywhere are told to take calcium, aren't told about magnesium and are warned to stay out of the sun - vitamin D is also crucial to calcium absorption.

Hope this isn't information overload

[labsrule]

Excellent info Morgan - you are a wealth of extremely helpful info I also don't subscribe to the "sun is bad for you" scaremongering and it really concerns me that we will have a generation of kids/animals who are Vitamin D deficient. I have been on my daughter's case numerous times about exposing my grand-daughter to more sunlight and after bombarding her with articles to prove that mum "hasn't lost the plot" she is finally listening. As they say everything in moderation

Storm, goodluck with your little one's operation and speedy recovery

Edited January 28, 2008 by labsrule

[storm]

Thank you very much Morgan, I have printed it out and will take it with me as I get stressed and forget to ask questions.

I have emailed Robert McDowell and will see what suggestions he comes back with.

[fbc]

My staffy boy had a nasty run in with a car in july 07.

As a result he had to have pins in his front left leg and foot.

Now the bones (he was left with) are fused and while he won't be winning any beauty shows,

he is more than able to run amok (in short burst) with his 9mth old counterpart.

Was a costly experience but one I would definately do again, verry happy with his results.

Big thumbs up to the vets and nurses at Ballarat Vet Clinic :D

[Blue Fox 001]

Now they want to pin and place screws to hold it together on a more permanent basis.

When he broke it the first time he broke both bones ulna and radius.

Just wondering how successful this will be as it was hard enough keeping him confined for 10 weeks before, I know hes only little but he hated being confined

Has anyone had to have there dogs leg pinned if so what was the outcome like, any health issue for your dog etc.

I would ask for any break to be pinned, plated or screwed right from the word go. I have seen (former vet nurse) many successful breaks fixed with various bits of metal and the results are in almost all cases more successful then plaster. The final product is more stable and gives the dog the very best chance of successful healing. The only exception I would say is a fast growing pup and even then in some instances the results are better than plaster.