What To Do If Your Dog Breaks A Bone

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taking care of a dog with broken bonesDog owners do everything they can to keep their dogs safe, but accidents do happen, and dogs often become sick or injured without warning. As a dog owner, it’s extremely important that you know what to do in every emergency situation with your dog, and this includes knowing what to do if your dog ends up breaking a bone. If you ever find yourself in that situation, the following information will help you learn exactly what to do.

Pay attention to the injured area.
It’s likely that you will know when your dog has a broken bone because your dog will likely yelp in pain. If the break is severe, your dog’s bone may be protruding from their skin. If the break isn’t that severe, you may still notice that the area of the break is lying differently than normal, or you may notice that your dog is not putting any pressure on that specific area.
You should also look and see if the area is swollen, as this is generally a sign of a break. Try moving the area slightly, and if your dog yelps in pain and if you can feel a slight grinding, then the bone is broken.

Stabilize your dog.
You’re not going to be able to treat your dog’s break yourself, so you will need to stabilize them until you can get them to your vet or a local emergency vet. Try to get your dog to lie down on a flat surface, such as a piece of plywood. This way, you’ll be able to carry your dog without adding to the injury.
If you don’t have a big enough flat surface to carry your dog, you want to at least stabilize the broken bone. Try to adhere the broken area to a flat surface, such as a piece of wood. This will keep the bone stabilized and keep your dog from being able to try and move it. Moving the broken bone can add to the injury and make the break worse.

Bring them to the vet or emergency clinic.
You don’t want to wait to treat a broken bone. Be sure to take your dog to the vet right away. You may even want to call ahead to let them know you’re coming so they can be ready to treat your dog immediately. If your vet is not open, you will want to bring your dog to a local emergency vet. Waiting for your vet to open the next day will only put your dog at greater risk or hurting the break even more.

Listen to the vet’s directions.
After the vet treats your dog’s break, they’re going to give you a set of directions to follow. You may have to limit your dog’s activities, you may need to give them pain medication, and you may need to follow up with your vet in a few weeks. In order for your dog to recover properly, it’s important that you listen to your vet’s directions to get your dog back to normal as soon as possible.

Author Bio: Emily Grant is a volunteer for the ASPCA and frequent reviewer of animal training products who loves to write to pet owners with the goal of promoting animal health and well-being.

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