# Broken bones-Pin or splint?



## lilacminx

Hi all,
I have a 9 month old gorgeous little Chihuahua girl and yesterday she fell off settee and managed to break the two bones in her front left paw just above where it connects to the paw.Took her to a vet and was x-rayed,sedated and then they put a splint on her,They told me as she was only 9 months old that they would just splint it and I'd have to go every week and they would re-dress and splint it then after 4 weeks they would x-ray her again and see if it is fusing if not then she'd have to have it pins or plate put in.They sent me home with pain medication and told to take her back if dressing came off otherwise they'd see me on Thursday for redressing.
Well got up this morning to find the whole dressing had come off complete,like it had just slipped off,nowhere on it had been pulled at.Tried to phone the original vet but got no answer so phoned vet I used for my other chihuahua last year,got an emergency appointment and went to see him.He immediately said it was broke and put a splint on it and then said it would need pinning as in small dogs they don't fuse properly once broke.Even got a vet medical book out where it stated in a red box that in small and miniature breed dogs the bones do not fuse together properly so you must pin or put plate on as soon as possible.He did say he would just resplint it every week if that's what I wanted but that it wouldn't work.So now I am soo confused as what to do for best!
Has anyone else had this happen at a young age and what did you do and did it work?I just want to do whats best for my baby and where the vets are concerned the second vets has the
best reviews and highest recommendations and today he only charged me £50 for what he did including the appointment even though it was an emergency appointment and the vets is usually closed sunday.The first vet was the most expensive with £100 just to splint and bandage her up.What would you do?As I just want my little girl better again.Thanks to anyone who replies


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## Wiz

I'm not really sure as this has not happened to my boy but gut feeling says go with the second vets advice seems he looked into it far more than the first. Hopefully you have insurance and everything goes ok 


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## Kelliope

Is she very small boned? How much does she weigh? I had this happen with a rescue pup who is long legged and fairly fine boned. She did heal with a splint but it took six weeks longer than anticipated. She nearly had to have an amputation. My vet told me that chihuahuas and other small, fine-boned dogs don't have enough marrow to facilitate healing. I was lucky...Daisy got to keep her leg. If it were me, I would consider a very well respected university or orthopedic vet and see what they say. Sending my best wishes and healing prayers for your little doggie!!!


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## ChiChiLove

My Chinese crested broke his front right leg when he was around 10 months old. The emergency clinic splinted him, but told me that I HAD to get the orthopedic surgery done immediately. Well, I asked my vets what they thought. We reshot X-rays with the splint on and, since the bones were almost perfectly aligned, we left it splinted. We did bandage changes weekly and he remained on very strict cage rest for about 10 weeks. In the end, it worked just fine! If you look closely, his right foot turns out a TINY bit more than his left, but otherwise, you would never know it had broken. And I saved about $2,000 in surgery bills! I was warned though that he will likely develop arthritis earlier than "normal" in the right leg since we didn't surgically fix the break. But good quality, daily joint supplements keep my mind at ease. 😉


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## lilacminx

She is tiny but long legged and her bones a re similar to chicken bones as she's so thin boned.They did weight her but to be fair just knowing my baby was hurt made me feel so ill I was in between crying and feeling faint when took her to first vet so didn't register everything bar the basic facts.and I know she's on Metacam but due to her weight is to have only two drop a day on her food so guessing she's around a kg but not much over at most as maintenance doseage was 2 drops per kg.The second vet is going to get copy of x-ray tomorrow then send it to his orthopaedic surgeon and see what he suggests and if he could do it.The second vet said if splint comes off I can go back and he'll redo it for free for me.
I don't mind just leaving it in splint and going back every week for it to be re-done or having the operation I just want to do best by my little girl.I've got her confined in small cat basket with bedding and a puppy pad which I change if she wee's or mess on.I've fed her boiled chicken and her dried food plus water during day plus I had her out every few hours just for a cuddle for half an hour or so,just allowing her to lie on me whilst I stroke her.
I


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## ChiChiLove

It sounds like your doing everything right so far. I would definitely be interested to hear what the orthopedist says about the X-rays. Specialists are almost always the best route to choose when determining treatment plans. And don't worry about waiting to get the best opinions for treatment. Think things through and do what you feel is best. It sounds terrible, but if there is mild fusing if/when your baby goes in for surgery, the surgeon will be able to re-brake the bones and then reset them.


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## Lisa T

So sorry about your little ones accident, I'm going through a similar thing with my Bella at the mo although luckily she has not broke a bone she has torn ligaments. If you need a recommendation for an amazing ortho vet just PM me, hope your pup feels better soon.


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## Kristal+Lolly

My chi recently snapped her leg in half the other week, and has a cast on, I got told that in chihuahuas there legs are more difficult to re connect when broken but my vet said my chi had a very clean brake and fit back perfectly so she has the best chance with the cast on. Sorry to hear its a horrible thing to have happen to ur baby  


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## felix93

It depends on how the fractured bones is, but A LOT of vets in the UK actually recommended to have surgery with pins to fix the bones. 

Harmonee has fractured 2 of her front legs last June. The first leg she has surgery with 2 pins and a hard cast on, the second leg which she broken a week later has only hard cast on. She is a very long skinny Chi with long legs, but I have non stop problems with the second leg while she has the cast on. The cast moved, twisted and constantly problems even I have to take her to the vet to have the check up every week. She has so many casts on her second leg because the vet told me she is too skinny and nothing can grasp on her leg. 

I also have 2 vet friends told me the same thing, little breed dogs have problems with bones healing for some reasons, the fracture bones if not put back properly in the first few weeks can become non union, and there might be a chance of the bone not looking straight like how it was before fracture. 

Have to say Harmonee's both front legs are healer now, but I can see the leg with pins on look perfect and the second leg I can see it's broken before even there's not much noticeable. If I were you, I would choose to have surgery and get the bones pinned, to make sure it heals properly and less problems during the healing. It's because no matter how careful and calm you keep your chi, there's still an odd chance. I was told at the vet hospital it happened so many times with little breed dogs have to recast all the time.

edit: When Harmonee fractured her legs, she was almost 10 months old.


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## lilacminx

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE REPLIES!I had a call from the second vet today and he got the first vet to send the x-ray's over and he then sent them to his orthopedic surgeon who said yep she needs it pinned.So had to take her down tonight to stay overnight ready for the op tomorrow,I hated taking her down as she's so soft and gentle and can be quite a nervous dog at times so knew she'd hate it but I also know I need to do the best by her.

The surgeon will re-check the x-rays tomorrow then ring me to tell me exactly what he is going to do and how much it should cost then he'll operate on her tomorrow and depending on when he operates she could be back home tomorrow night,God I hope so as I just want to cuddle her right now!Have already rung tonight to check she's okay and the nurse said she's fine abit nervous and I said yes I said she was when I brought her as it's just in her nature for some reason.Just want to get her back to fit and healthy and give her lots of kisses and cuddles.x


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## Kristal+Lolly

That'd be hard, sure was had for me, was weird that even tho my baby's leg was so mangled that the break was clean. Did u say urs jumped of a chair? Mine jumped outa my arm in a chair n this happened was horrific so I no what ur going threw 
View attachment 19922


Hang in there your baby will be home soon, and back to herself in no time!! Xxx


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## lilacminx

Phoned up the vets she was having op at all day yesterday,the lady on reception said I can tell your worried as I said to her she's my baby.I have a son and I have my babies which are my dogs.She didn't have the op till around half three but I rang at 6.15 and they said if you can get here before 7 she can go home tonight as she's come round fine.So in car I jumped and managed to get there with 5 mins to spare!She's had 4 pins put in and a plate and he said 1 bone ws 1mm thick and the other is 4mm thick so the pins and plate he had to work with are tiny.As soon as she saw mt and my son she was wagging her tail-I hated the thought that she'd think we had just abandoned her.
Anyway she's got antibiotics and pain killers and we go back Monday to have the bandages changed and he said in four weeks she should be moving round better and to just limit her space to keep her off it as much as possible.I was given a dvd with pictures of the x-ray they've done on her showing the splint and plate so will upload it for you to see later.I'm just happy she's back home and she seems so happy to be back,my other chi's keep going over to her crate and crying trying to get in to her.Think they just want to check she is okay and to let her know there glad she's home.x


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## felix93

Glad she is back home with you and you have done a great job by having the surgery. It won't be long until she has her cast off even it will seem like years these few weeks. Mine have less than 4 weeks in cast and she started to walk the very next day despite she has fractured 2 front legs. 

Give her lots of fuss and I am sure she will bounce back in no time. Get better soon little one x


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## Evelyn

Glad she is back home and now on the mend.


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## susan davis

So glad she is doing OK. Now is the hard part---keeping her relatively quiet. The pain pills will help. After knee surgery for mine, I carried her to her pee pad for a few days. I carried her food and water to her! She really got demanding!


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## maj

this may not help anyone but cumfrey which is a herb heals broken bones --My sister had a horse that when we were trying to box it reared up and broke free on the headcollar - she trod on the rope as she was running and it broke jer pedal bone in her foot - vets said she must be destroyed - gypsies told us to feed cumfrey leaves in her feed and then we made a comfrey ointment - within 6 months she coulld be shod again and returned to light work - cumfrey has amazing healing properties - this might not be appropriate for such small dogs but i thought it was worth mentioning


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## LilBambi

Kristal+Lolly said:


> That'd be hard, sure was had for me, was weird that even tho my baby's leg was so mangled that the break was clean. Did u say urs jumped of a chair? Mine jumped outa my arm in a chair n this happened was horrific so I no what ur going threw
> View attachment 19922
> 
> 
> Hang in there your baby will be home soon, and back to herself in no time!! Xxx
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


This just happened to my Bambi this week. Her leg looked the same after she jumped out of my husbands arms. Did you get pins in your babies leg or just a splint? How did the healing process go and time?


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