Fracture Repair in Dogs and Cats

What types of fractures occur in dogs and cats?

Dogs and cats can suffer fractures (breaks) to their bones. Any bone can be affected.  Typically, this is a result of a traumatic injury. Trauma can occur in many ways, ranging from high impact (like being hit by a car) through to crushing injuries or falls at home.

Each patient needs to be assessed for both the fracture itself and other injuries.  Typically, animals that have had a high impact injury will have multiple body systems affected, and when they present to a vet clinic will need to be assessed and treated for many potential things including shock, skin injuries and internal injuries. The patient will need a comprehensive plan to manage each part of their trauma, and this may lead to a delay in repairing a fracture if a more critical problem requires management. Higher impact injuries commonly lead to fractures in multiple body areas (not just the legs) and can also include fractures of the pelvis or spine.

In general (but not exclusively), young animals (less than 12 months of age) can suffer fractures through a part of the bone known as a ‘growth plate’. This is a cartilage plate at the end of a bone that allows the bones to grow. Given it is made from cartilage rather than hard bone, it is slightly weaker and therefore more prone to breaking.

How are different types of fractures repaired?

There are typically multiple options for repair of any fracture. However, there are guiding principles that are used by surgeons to choose the best option for each patient. The goal of fracture repair is to get the bones back to as close as possible to their original state, while minimising the disruption to other body tissues around the bone. 

Most referral surgical practices, such as Veterinary Specialist Services, have multiple options available to treat fractures. These include bone plates and screws; pins and rods (such as interlocking nails) that sit within the centre of the bone; external frames (known as external fixators) that sit around the bone and stabilise the fragments with pins through the skin; small pins to stabilise growth plate fractures; and specialised items such as spinal fracture stabilisation systems; screws that self-compress bone fragments together; and bone cement to connect complex fixation plans together.  For some cases, simpler options like splints or casts are a good choice.

What is the recovery process from a bone fracture?

Most dogs and cats do well once their fracture has been repaired and get back a good level of activity. (Our team can provide information about the chances of success, the likely chances of complications and any long-term health impacts such as osteoarthritis.) There does however need to be a period of rest to allow the bones to heal. Most dogs and cats stay in hospital for a day or two after surgery until we are confident that they can walk around and manage comfortably at home. Animals with multiple fractures or other body systems involved may need longer in hospital or a more comprehensive post-operative plan. All animals that have had a fracture treated will need a pain management plan.

The family will need to create an area at home where the patient can be strictly confined.  Bones take some time to heal, and excessive activity can compromise the healing process.

A follow up x-ray is usually advised around 6 weeks after surgery to ensure the bone is healing well. It is unlikely that the bone will be completely healed at this point, but if progress is good, activity levels of the patient are usually increased after the initial 6-week rest period. The period of rest is often a bit shorter in young animals and a bit longer in older animals.

Depending on the situation, some animals need to have their surgical implants removed once the bone is adequately healed.

For more information on the treatment and management of fracture repair in dogs and cats, or for advice on specific cases, please contact our surgery team on 1800 442 648.