Canine Broken Toe

Have a small Tibetian Terrier/Poodle mix, 7 years old, 13 pounds that suffered a broken toe. Vet put him in a full length leg cast that they say should be re-wrapped ever 7 – 10 days. Our little guy is miserable. I keep worring that the cast is wrapped too tight or theat the paw is rubbing. he is having trouble walking and doing his business. Very lethargic and not a happy puppy. I am looking for information and feedback.

I have a 1 year old heeler at the moment who has a broken toe so I know what’s going on for sure.My vet said He could send us to a specailist or we could just wrap it…not cast it wrap it. We change it every week.We use a cushiny under wrap matterial, then vet wrap, and tape the foot part and the top, sometimes we tape around the whole thing, I bought a splint on the enternet too, she wears it for a few hours then we take it off, depends how much she’s outside.Our dog acts like do big deal she’s a happy camper, to personality changes at all.

You do not need a cast for a non weight bearing toe. My dog recently had a broken toe–non weight bearing (one of the side toes). I went VCA Animal Hospitals who completely took me to the cleaners on this. (K-Ching) They put a full length cast on him, and the dog was completely miserable; He was in a lot of pain with the cast, hated going to the vet to put it on and take it off, developed dermatitis under the bandage, and could not walk on the foot. The whole run around was horrible. I started wondering what dogs do in the wild….and then I remembered that my mother, who lives in a different state, has a friend who has had a very successful veterinary practice for many years, (friend of the family). I called this vet and she said she never wraps toes if it is non weight bearing (important), and that this proceedure and “run around” that VCA was putting me through, and the stess on my animal was ridiculas and counterproductive. She told me to cut the cast off, and just make sure he takes it easy. I took the cast off, my dog walked on all four feet, limped a little at first, but it gets better every day. He is sooooooo much happier. My advice to everyone is this: use your critical thinking skills in dealing with these vets. Though there are good vets out there, frequently it is more about lining their pockets with over the top treatments than doing what’s really best for your dog. With all the X rays office visits, etc…they soaked me for about 700 bucks, but the worst thing of all was what they put my dog through. I will avoid them in the future. Hope this info helps if your dog should have a broken toe. —But please make sure that it is a non weight bearing toe—side toe—since since this is what my dog had and I can’t attest to a weight bearing toe or middle toe.

We just took our boxer to the vet last night for xrays and found she had a broken outside toe on her front foot. Fortunately, we had an honest vet who told us pretty much exactly as the previous comments by Sabine. No wrapping, no splint…just pain meds (Rimadyl) and leash walking for weeks (don’t know how many weeks…)
Chris

I wish I would have researched this BEFORE I took my dog to the vet! I have a 9 year old pit bull who just fractured her front pinky toe. I took her to the vet and put my trust in him that he would do what is best for all of us but instead I feel like I totally wasted my money. After 10 days he took the cast off to let it air out for 3 days before rewrapping it and my dogs foot isn’t even swollen or causing her any pain. My fiance and I were considering just leaving it off and having her take it easy and using the leash when we take her out-just like everyone says to do! I’m glad I found this site-my instincts were right on!!

My mastiff just broke her left hind middle toe. They say it’s her walking toe and needs to be casted and changed weekly. This cost me around 700 for the intitial and they want me to come in weekly so they can rebandage…I did that last week and it was 30 bucks… I can’t pay 30 bucks weekly for approx 4 or more months (yes, they said 12 weeks or longer due to her age…she’s 10). I think I am going to just start wrapping it myself?!

I wish I would’ve taken Sabine’s advice from May 12, 2007. I have a 9 year-old, 70 pound, choc lab. She broke her front index toe and the vet put a splint on her and a full leg cast. She was miserable. She hated the cast and detested the bonnet. I came across this site and actually decided to cut off her cast after a week or so. Afterall, humans don’t wear a cast when they have a broken toe. Because we were travelling, my partner insisted we have it recast so her toe wouldn’t get bumped or injured more. We did, and had it changed each week. One thing the vet didn’t tell us was that moisture collects under the cast causing the skin to become smelly and very soft. By the 4th or 5th week, one of her toe nails dug into her skin and caused an infection to the foot. They showed us how bad it was and said she could possibly loose her foot to the infection! We were furious and upset. After spending nearly $800 on the cast and follow-up visits, the vet soaked us for another $425 for a culture and anti-biotics ($210 for 2 week supply). The cast finally came off for good yesterday. We clean the foot daily with an anitbacterial soap, put neosporin and a footpowder on the infected part and between her toes. We’ll continue to give her the anitbiotics until they’re gone, and she’ll weat the bonnet for a few more days until the foot is completely healed. She wouldn’t walk on her foot while she had the cast, but she’s walking on all four without the cast. I’m sick about what we had to put our dog through, but want to believe we were looking out for her best interest. Future pet problems I will research first and go with my instinct.

We just took our dog to the vet yesterday for a broken toe. They put a splint up his whole leg that is wrapped and told us not to get it wet and that he would have to wear it for 6 weeks. He is getting around fine with it, but you can tell he is miserable. He is doing nothing but chewing on it and I have a strong feeling he will get it off very soon. He is an 8 month old puppy and I am wondering if it won’t just heal on its own after a few weeks. Anybody have advice for me?

I took my 2 year old St. Bernard/Lab mix to the vet a month ago with a broken (inside) toe. The vet did x-rays and put a full cast on her. He did NOT tell us that casts should be changed weekly ($100 for the cast) but he did warn us about infection. She has been on antibiotics the whole time. Today my son came home from school and she had ripper her cast off (yes she had a cone on) and now there is a huge gapping sore on her leg. The vet said it was from tearing the cast off, but we feel differently. He was kind enough (ha ha) to say that when we bring her back in 2 days he won’t charge us. So far this has set us back $1500.00. He should have charged me for todays bill of $300.00I thought taking my dog to the vet was the best thing for her but I guess I will think again next time. The vet told us she has to wear the wrap from today for another 2-4 weeks.

My brittany just broken (I think) his outside toe on the rear left. He’s hobbling around, obviously in discomfort, cries when I touch the area. My theory was to give him a few days to see how he does then if not improvin gto take him to the vet (afterall, they don’t usually cast broken human toes sometimes just splint it). After ready all of the above, I think I’ll continue to follow my gut feelings and not go to the vet for bandaging or casting., but will ask for pain meds.
Thanks Everyone!

My Shepherd was initially diagnosed as tearing a tendon or whatever. I saw the xrays after the 2nd visit and I swear my poor girls inside back leg toe is broke. Yes, I paid big $ only to learn the real problem. Rimadyl only hides the pain and gives them false courage to run around! Tramadol doesn’t work either. I have her on baby non-aspirin and Glucosomine now (besides lots of prayers). Thanks for letting me know about the $ I could of spent!

hi guys, i just wanted to say that my french bulldog broke his back inside toe about 3 breaks actually i got to see the xray….. he couldnt put it on the ground although he tried as they are a tough little dog…id have to say my vet was amazing he actually operated and removed the broken bones in his toe and he has stitches and a bandage…. well after the removal of the bone you would never know he broke his toe he was running around with the bandage on ( i wouldnt let him of course) we have had no troubles at all, his had one bandage change which only cost me $6.00 and the operation cost $650 including all medication… his stitches come out next week i think his going to wear a cone this week … he has been the most active dog since taking out the broken bone (removal of the toe) i can highly recommend as he has had no trouble now putting his foot on the ground —— one happy little dog minus the toe!!!!

I have a 3 year rottie that I compete with in agility and she has a broken toe as well. Not sure when or how she did it but I took her to an Orthopedic vet. He indicated the best course of action is to leave it alone and let it heal on its own which takes 4 to 6 weeks. I my case it is on the 6 week side because of where the brake is. He also indicated that to do any kind of surgery or what not would cause more damage. Just leash walk and endevour to keep your dog as calm as possible so it does not aggrivate the toe.

My Siberian Husky managed to get her back right rear paw caught in the bottom of my door as I was taking her out to do her business. She let out a yelp, limped a bit, then was walking ok. I had to go out for about two hours later on, but when I came home she was screaming in pain so I believe she did brake her toe. I’m not sure which toe though. I put ice on the paw for five minutes and gave her some baby aspirin. I also wrapped her paw and leg in an ace bandage which seemed to help and which gave her some support. I’m going to try to wrap it either in gauze or just keep the ace bandage on and continue with the baby aspirins and see how she does. After reading these comments, the vet visit will be the last resort.

Thanks for the advice- should have used my common sense. Quality care costs less.
My Weim just fractured his rt front rt toe. He limps on it and is ok with touching it. I went to Alameda East.Aurora/ Denver, CO area. I did the X ray, saw the fracture and they told me they would wrap it., No big deal right. Ka Ching- extra $100-He came out with a full leg splint wrapped nearly to the socket. This could easily cause major joint / socket damage. They told me I needed to come in every 10-15 days for bandage changes,KaChing -Extra $200. He could no longer use the dog door and go outside. They could have provided quality vet service for less. but couldn’t have justified the extra profit that way. Beware!

Our 7 year old golden retriever broke a middle toe 3 and a half wks ago. First, they put a hard splint on her, but within a wk, she was limping and licking the splint- bottom line: back to the vet, where it was dx that she had developed pressure sores and infection from the splint. The vet gave us antibiotics, changed from a hard splint to a soft cloth splint, and we come back for weekly splint checks and changing of the splint. Next week will be 4 wks, and they will re-x-ray the paw. If all goes well, the vet said that that might be the end of our pup’s splinting, and activity restrictions period. We have had to limit activity to just walking her on the leash to do her business, and otherwise, no jumping, playing, etc, which has made her and her sister golden miserable, (as well as us)! What I think is interesting is that no one has commented on the necessity of giving the dog sedatives during their activity restrictions. As much as I hated the idea, I agreed that we needed to give our very active, lively pup sedatives to help keep her immobile, not knock-out secatives, just something to help quelch her desire to run and jump. The vet gave us Valium, which caused a terrible, idiosynchratic reaction of over-stimulation, anxiety, aggression, which some dogs have with this drug. We stopped that and were switched to acepromazine, 1 tab 2x day. This has been fine. We have radically changed our lifestyle for these 3+ wks, sleeping on a mattress on the floor next to our dog, so she won’t jump on the bed, taking her everywhere we go in the car, never leaving her alone. The alternative would to crate her, and that would make her miserable. All in all, this has been a major undertaking, but for our dog, will are willing to do it. Vet bills have totalled so far about $1500

My 18 mnth old Boxer is hopping lame after chasing deer in the woods. The pain is from her inside front toe and I decided to leave it a few days and see how it progressed as I’d decided it was either a fracture or a ligament/tendon sprain and in both cases 6 weeks restricted exercise/rest would most likely be the answer. There’s no swelling or heat. I was feeling guilty about not going to the vet with her but I feel better now I’ve read all this and 3 days on she is weightbearing and improving and staying calm and quiet. I will stick to the lead rest for 6 weeks though even if she is sound. Thanks

My 2 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback is 115 lbs. She broke her front left index toe playing in the yard. We took her to the vet – we got the X-ray and the splint and were told to bring her back in every 2 weeks for a change (only $260 so far). She is limping – won’t even put weight on it. I’m pretty sure that this is a weight bearing toe, even though it’s on the outside of the foot, between the dew claw and the middle toe. She’s just so big and active. It was helpful to hear about the sedatives, thanks. What I would like to hear is how it worked out for the people who didn’t take the dogs to the vet. Also, what was the extent (it seems like most dogs were just limping and not completely staying off of the hurt paw). If anyone has a large heavy dog and their results, that would also be helpful. Thanks.

My rottie, a 6 month old pup I believe broke his toe on April 7th. It is either his last toe or the one before that. I have wrapped it up and given him aspirin on his worse days. The first 2 days he was not putting weight on it but then he started to walk on all 4. I am reluctant to take him to the vet because of many horror stories I have heard and because I have seen improvements. He is particularly sore in the morning but then gets better in mid morning. He has ups and downs but has not gone back to keeping his leg up which should be a good sign. If he will not put weight I will immediately take him to the vet. I am restricting his activity but boy is it challenging with his sister wanting to play. I had to separate them becasue i think she accidentally stepped on his toe yesterday but he is till putting it down so I hope she did not do any damage. I will keep updated on his condition. I am hoping he will heal totally by week 6. I am at 2 weeks and a half right now. Keeping fngers crossed!

My 10 month old female lab broke her back right pinky toe. Just got back from the vet…no cast, no surgery, no wrap just previcox for pain and it will heal on its own. Its never a good idea to give a dog especially a puppy aspirin without talking to your vet. It can cause stomach ulcerations and make them quite sick and queasy.

Hi, My husband and I have been dog sitting our daughter’s 4 month old Lab/mix. She got her toe caught in cage (big wire). My husband said because she has LARGE paws she probably slipped and pushed foot into bottom of cage. Thank God we have her at our house and we were in the next room. I had a grooming business for ten years and I never had a customer’s dog get it’s foot or anything else caught in a cage.

Well we waited a day and she was limping a little and was trying to play with our toy poodle who will have nothing to do with her.
My husband decided we should take her to vet.

They x-rayED and showed us where she fractured her middle toe and said it should be splinted. We just picked her up and paid $139. which I guess isn’t bad after reviewing all the comments on this site. They do want us to bring her back every week to check the bandage. We have to keep her quiet and leash walk her and watch she doesn’t chew bandages.
Also, she is wearing a collar which she doesn’t like. We are going to let our daughter decide if additional vet visits are needed. My husband and I both agree we probably could have left it and it would have healed on it’s own (like people have to do).
We would think twice about a vet visit if
something like this every happened again.
We are certainly at the vets’ mercy.
Hope everyone’s dog is well soon. Charlotte

My beautiful white long-haired dachshund, which I show, got out and got bitten in back feet by coyote hiding in huge blackberry bushes and brambles. I could not get her out, but finally she limped out, bleeding all over. following vet x-rays, she has lost a toe and toenail but not a weight bearing one thank god! Vet was excellent, took some xrays suggested carrying her everywhere which we do (my husband is at home), she is allowed to lick it, which she does, and which seems to be healing, she is on antibiotic. Both feet have breaks in the small outer toe, but he said NO CAST. She is miserable anyway, and possibly 14 days pregnant so there is concern about the antibiotic… but I would prefer she learns to walk on this again naturally as a dog would in the wild, and it will take at least 3 weeks of us carrying her so she can do her business outside. She sleeps most of the time in a kennel and is very peaceful and does not bite herself so far. It has been 6 days. I give extra vitamins, and excellent food, high quality Innova, and home cooked meals too.
Hope this helps.
Rosmri

When my wifw broke her toe the Dr. looked at the xrays and said,”Yep, it’s broke. Don’t kick anyone.” and sent her home.
My Weim broke her toe jumping out of the car window so I am going to the Vet to get some pain meds for her and that is it.

Hello all,

Your comments have been quite reassuring. I have a 12 week old whippet puppy with a broken right index toe (front leg/weight bearing.) this was confirmed today at our vet with xrays. The vet wanted to splint it. I called the breeder (this is a show pup) she said absolutely do NOT spint it. I have been keeping it wrapped with vet wrap and keeping him quiet (no jumping or runing in yard with other dogs) he puts weight on it, but limps.

This is a potential show pup. Its been 5 days… I hope witin the next 4 weeks he is healed!

My 5 month old Boxer puppy (show pup) just broke his toe. (Front foot middle toe) It has been wrapped for nearly two weeks, but this has caused terrible pressure sores on his foot so the wraps have come off. As from tomorrow he will be wearing a collar and there will be nothing on his foot! He will be lead-toileted only and rested for the next two weeks. After reading your comments, I will ask for a sedative for him, but can’t give him ace – thats a no-no for Boxers. Thanks to everyone who has given their experience on this – it has really helped give me confidence to follow my own intuition! Annie

Well,

After 2 weeks wrapped with vet wrap, I took off the bandages to a pretty cruddy foot and toes with no shape to them. He wasnt limping so I cleaned his foot and left the bandages off. he is doing great and much happier. Im just letting him run and jump and his foot looks fine. I will have another xray in 2 weeks for peace of mind, otherwise im leaving it alone.

2 days post no bandage his toes are getting shape again (whew!) and im certain he will be fine.

After seeing what vet wrap can do to toes, I would absolutely NEVER splint a foot of a show pup for a broken toe. his foot would have been RUINED and probably would have had multiple infected pressure sores.

It’s been nearly two weeks since our puppy’s wraps came off, and the pressure sores are healing slowly. We’ve used wound powder to heal them rather than the liquid wash the Vet gave us. I’m now using Camrosa Ointment as well, which acts as a healant and barrier and allows the healing skin to be flexible. It’s brilliant stuff, and I hope that by this weekend all the sores will be healed. I agree with Amy – never again would I have a broken toe ‘wrapped’ or ’splinted’ – it makes more trouble than you started with. I just hope my puppy’s foot regains it’s shape. When the wrap came off it resembled a chicken’s foot – flat with splayed toes. I just hope it recovers it’s original shape. My breed is supposed to have tight-toed ‘cat-like’ feet!

Annie,

my whippets feet were exactly the same as your boxers after 2 weeks of being wrapped with vet wrap. flat and splayed. when i took the wrap off I called the breeder in a panic, and even sent her photos.

after that day he wasnt limping and the swelling was down so i just let him be. its been 4 weeks since the toe was broken and it looks totally normal. i plan on having it xray next week tuesday for my peace of mind. his foot is now arched and beautiful again. i feel i had age on my side since he is almost 4 months and growing rapidly.

It just blows me away that in the first or second line is a comment about how much money it costs to treat their canine friend and everyone is looking for a short cut.
Next time you injure a part of your body you depend on, why not just take the cheap way out and treat it yourself. Let’s see how that works for you in a few years when you have arthritis. Amazing how friends and the internet can replace 7 years of vet school. And no, I’m not a vet.

Kip,

You obviously have never had a dog with a broken toe. Do you know the hazards of splinting a foot for 6 weeks? pressure sores, flat toes (which means the dog will NEVER walk right), and infection. To put a dog though that for a broken toe – which mine was walking on his with no limp and no pain = is cruel.

I would never deny vet care to any of my dogs, and I have been involved with breeding and showing dogs for over 15 years. My puppys toe healed with 2 weeks of light wrapping with vet wrap and minimal jumping / running. i did keep him separated from my other dogs while they were outside to prevent playing.

This is a blog for people to post their experiences, not get harassed.

Give the flames a rest…I will never take another dog to a vet for anything as trivial as a broken foot. I buried my beloved ACD mix because of a broken foot. I ended up paying over $800 and ended up with a dead dog.

The short story is the vet used a splint and cast. It was too tight on her ankle, and she would not walk on the cast, where she had been doing it previous to the change. I did complain when I saw she couldn’t walk on it; and later in the week when she still wouldn’t walk on it. My complaints were blown off…they would look at it when she came in to have it changed. I’m an idiot for ignoring my suspicions and not hacking the cast off of her myself.

She ended up chewing off her own foot, cast and all. The cast was so tight that she didn’t even bleed…we had no clue that she had performed her own surgery.

She was 13 yrs old, too old to adapt to removal of the entire leg up to the hip (since the remainder of the leg developed necrosis). I loved her too much to see her suffer, so we made the decision to put her down while she was still sedated from the exam. I am still heartbroken.

Y’know, it doesn’t matter “how many times could that happen”…the fact that it happened one time, to my speckled pup, is too many times.

My Italian Greyhound broke her front left middle toe… I am sure it broken. She is not in too much pain and jumps and walks fine… still there is a little swelling after one week. My vet just said to watch it so I am wondering if I should take her to the vet for this or just let it heal…again from what I have read there is little that a vet can do for a broken toe like this. I am opposed to meds since she is not wimpering or in pain. Advice on getting swelling in toe down?

I took my dog to the vet to get advice on a suspected broken outside left paw the vet informed me it was broke and that intead of complicating the matter with a casts it will just need rest which i was toatally happy with,my partner however being overly concearned took her back for a second opinion a few days later, seeing a diffirent vet at the surgery who was actually the owner of the surgery, this so called expierienced vet recommended expensive xrays should be done and a cast applied all at a hefty charge even tho it was not a weight bearing toe,this was done and my dog a 2 year old staffordshire bull terrier bich was in a lot of discomfort but we were asured she was in no pain because if she were she would chew the cast,a week past with the cast on and we took her back for a check up to be told she was fine, but they didnt remove the cast to check.After another week she was taken back again and the paw checked only to find a her paw and lower leg had died inside the cast and she had a massive infection ,she is now sadly going to lose her whole leg ,with the vet claiming no responsibility for this happening, she now has to see a specialist at a massive cost to try and save what they can of the leg, leaving me and my partner devestated financialy and emotionally.

This blog is a god send. I have a 10 month old English Mastiff Pup. She has a broken rear middle toe. She has been splinted for the past 5 weeks now. My current expense is at $1300.00. I confronted the Vet about this cost. They told me it is the only way. I felt differently. I am going to cut off her splint/wrap today and let it heal on its own. She has been misirable! All this for a broken toe! Thanks to everyone who has posted comments. This info has been wonderful.

I have a 4 1/2 year old beagle/border collie mix who broke her right rear pinky toe. The vet has splinted it because of the displacement of the fracture. There was a good bit of swelling and she couldn’t walk on the foot. However, the vet wanted to put her on Rimadyl, but readily accepted my alternative of DGP instead. The vet also wants her in the splint for 4 weeks before a follow up x-ray, but I think I may put her in an open splint or possibly nothing after the first week to allow the bones to set. A non-canine friend of mine just broke her ankle rather severely and she was in a brace and walking on it (gingerly) after one week. So, I think I may follow this example. She’s an agility dog and can’t afford to create back or leg problems by having her leg immobile for too long. Wish me luck!

Just an update on my whippet puppy, now 4 months. His toe was broken at 10 weeks (front right index) after only lightly wrapping it with vet wrap and not letting him run outside with our other dogs (inside he was not seperated and did run and play) his toe is completely healed.

he is a show pup, and his breeder has been in whippets for over 10 years. she shows and lure courses. her vet also has whippets. both have dealt with broken toes and both would NEVER splint a leg for a broken toe. my vet of course wanted 6 weeks of splinting. thank god i called the breeder first. i have been involved with showing dogs for 20 years but this is my first broken toe. my vet still argues with me about it but i know splinting is a disaster waiting to happen. this blog is not the only horror stories i have heard with splinting.

thanks to everyone!

I have a 10 YO Labrador whom I suspect has broken his inside front toe. He will walk on it (limping) and occassionally if he’s bounded up to me will lift it for a few minutes. It happened four days ago and I’ve been contemplating taking him to the vet. However, with the complications I’ve read about here with casting/wrapping I’m reluctant to now and will probably just ensure he has significant rest and does not run around at all.

To D. Hamilton, I am so sad to read your story, I am not a sue happy person, but responsibilty is needed to be taken and obviously the cast was applied to tightly.

I have been in the field for 10 yrs as a cvt and the most common problem we see are clients/owners who are not compliant. When your vet say. Very restricted activity, then they mean restrict activity. leash walk, cage rest etc…. So for ez88uc, if your dog has a broken toe DONT let her jump and run, that will help keep the swelling at bay….

Every dr is going to have a different plan of attack. No I do not think that a cast, in most cases, is ness for a broken toe, nor is plating ( waste of time and money). However it is case dependent. Most often a soft splint, cast padding some kling and a litte vet wrap goes a long way, again with restricted activity.
So to Kathleen, the agility dog owner, if there is a broken toe by not letting it heal properly with time, a callous needs to form before the bone can set and a week does not provide enough time. YOU are creating the back leg issues. and six wks of quiet is not going to end her career.

Finally, re pain medication. a dog is not a human, he or she will not tell you because as much as we have domesticated them, to show sickness or injuries while in a pack can cause more trouble for them. However, their pain receptors are the same as us and if you have a broken toe and have to walk on it,or better yet it is non weight bearing because of the pain, are you going to suck it up or take something. DO NOT GIVE ANYTHING FROM YOU MEDICINE CABINET UNLESS DIRECTED BY YOU VET> NO TYLENOL, ALEVE, ADVIL (ibuprofen). aspirin is ok for dogs however you need a correct dose. also you cannot mix medications. If you give you dog something at home you need to tell your vet, incase they decided to perscribe something. Ex. Aspirin, you need to wait 2-3 wks before giving any other type of nsaid. Most often a phone call costs nothing.

Thank you everyone. My Basset Puppet seems to have a broken toe, I was planning to take her to the vet, however will hang in there for another 4 weeks and hope it heals. My heart goes out to all the owners who took their dogs to the VET just to cause more damage / infection to the leg.

18 month old golden. Two toe breaks, both weight bearing on the front right paw. 390.00 for the soft cast splint, pain meds, x rays, etc etc. Cast has to be checked every week but the cost of this is included in the money we paid today for his “urgent care treatment”. Here’s hoping.

1 week ago, after playing at the dog park, my dog (50 lbs, mix adopted from the pound) was slightly limping in his front left leg. I couldn’t figure out where the pain was coming from since he wasn’t reacting while me touching/pressing his leg. I made him rest for a couple of days and he wasn’t limping anymore, so I took him again to the dog park. Same situation: he was limping, I made him rest for a couple of days and today I took him to the dog park again. Unfortunately, he is limping again. Today though he is limping more and he’s showing tenderness on the leftmost toe of his left leg. The correspondent toenail and pad look fine, so my guess is a broken toe. I’m a student and I’m on a pretty tight budget so I’d prefer not to waste money for a useless vet visit. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not being cheap with my dog’s health but from what I read it seems that the intervention of a vet for a broken toe is not needed. But I want to make sure that my “diagnosis” is correct. If my dog has a broken toe, is it possible that he wasn’t in pain anymore only after three days of rest? And, is it possible that the broken toe wasn’t swollen at all?
Thank you for your help

My story with my boxer is almost the same. Broken rear middle toe, the vet wanted to put a splint on for 6 weeks changing it out every two weeks. I had to have the splint changed after only one week. There were already pressure sores and I’m guessing this was also from rubbing. The vet left the splint off for one week to let it air out and see if swelling goes down. I’ve actually seen great improvement but he wants to see my dog again at the end of the week to sedate him and splint his foot for the 2nd time. I cant keep paying that much for a splint that’s only going to be worn for a week at a time and give my dog more pain.I also have a feeling that I’m being taken advantage of. I have seen more improvement without the splint so I’m thinking I’ll just monitor it myself and wrap it when it needs to be. I’m not paying that guy for crappy service ever again. Thanks for your stories. Thay all help!

If it is a weight bearing toe, i.e. middle toe, not treating the toe can lead to permanent lameness and arthritis. All outside toes can be left to heal on their own. But in any case when your dog is injured you should have a diagnosis and not rely on a board opinions to guide treatment.

I’m really appauled that people think they can treat their pet based on perceptions about how you’d treat yourself. Animals are a commitment and if you can’t afford or aren’t willing to get the proper medical attention when injuries occur, don’t adopt!

Would you just let your child suffer with a broken toe and not seek help? Hopefully none of the animals not being treated won’t have long term complications.

I made the mistake of letting my vet splint my dog’s broken toe. The edge of the hard, plastic splint ended up rubbing and digging into my dog’s leg. After just one week in the splint, he had a horrible sore, about one and a half inches by one inch in size. The vet wanted me to leave him in a splint for 4 weeks, checking it and rewrapping it every week, then re-xray. After one week I removed the bandage and splint and the dog is fine, not even limping on the foot, except for the damage that the vet did by splinting his leg.

My 6 year old pit bull broke her outside toe on her rear leg. It was sticking out at a right angle to the foot. My vet put on a full-leg splint and wrapped it. I have to go back in 2 weeks to have it checked and re-wrapped. He strongly cautioned me to watch her and if she starts really chewing at her leg to bring her in immediately since occasionally rocks get in the top and cause massive damage to the leg. She’s not thrilled, but in typical pit bull fashion, she’s making the best of it. I, too, was suprised at the size of the splint, but I have an excellent vet and so am hoping she will be ok.

This blog was just the reassurance I needed. My 10 week old belgian malinois puppy broke his left front pinkie toe. (non weight bearing) We took him in, got x-rays, and got a hard splint up to the shoulder. $300 No big deal to me, as long as this is the right thing for my puppy. it was not.

However, the splinting was obviously very traumatic for a 10 week old puppy in the crucial socialization period being held down and splinted by unfamiliar people. The vet said leave it on for 3 weeks. Did not mention ANYTHING about limiting exercise, weekly changes, possible infection, sores, growth restriction in that leg, or the possibility he would outgrow it and damage the leg. I found this all out on my own. All he said was keep it dry and cut it off after 3 weeks….uh…okay?

I got a copy of the x-rays, clean break on the pinkie. Vet didn’t even have to set it. and was contemplating removing the splint after a week or two. I saw him hobbling around on our tile and couldn’t help but think that if he slipped, he could easily dislocate his shoulder. And if i crated him, he might chew it, damaging his leg in the process…I saw alot of potential problems here… over a pinkie toe?

After 4 days, he got it all wet, so we had to cut it off. Good riddens. Before, he was scraping it along, and chewing it, totally miserable. Now that it is off, he is getting along just fine. We are leash walking, no jumping etc. I looked at his armpit, there are two blisters from the splint and some broken blood vessels, and his pads were already getting pink from the pressure.. AFTER 4 days in the splint?!? I am SO relieved that it got wet, or what would have happened if I had left it on?

Without the splint, he has a slight limp, and puts moderate pressure on it, but is improving rapidly, and can run, walk, jump…(we don’t let him run or jump, but he tries anyway) No sedatives or pain meds, he is as happy go lucky as before. I talked to my breeder, she agreed with me. Splinting was a BAD idea in this case.

HOWEVER, I would definitely recommend taking them in for X-rays and a thorough exam! Don’t try to self- diagnose unless you are an experienced orthopedic specialist. Also, this was a clean break on a non weight bearing toe. So I cannot attest to more serious injuries.

But I will say this. My vet could have caused some serious problems here, just to make a quick buck. So I say, if you are unsure, get a 2nd opinion, and use your head, before you splint.

I will post an update after 2-4 weeks! Good luck!

Hey everyone,
I have a 16 week old Amer bulldog with a fracture of proximal phalangy on the right front fifth digit. As a veterinary technician I know what can happen if they are not splinted and because she is growing I change the bandage every 48 hours. She wears a spoon splint that she can run and play and be a puppy in. It has been on now for going on 4 weeks, and if wrapped properly with cast padding, cling wrap, splint, tape, vet wrap you will not have pressure sores. The problem of not splinting the toes is they always have downward pressure on their feet and a fractured toe could heal forming what is known as a dis-union, not good for puppies who are growing and they now have two bones instead of one. Spoon splints are the way to go, have the technician teach you how to change the bandage at home and save yourself 30 bucks, trust me we like owners that want to learn.
P.S. Breeders are not vets, talk to your vet about your options, pros and cons of both sides and listen.

Our 3 year old pit broke a weight bearing toe about 4 days ago. He also had some bad cuts that needed sutered* on this toe. I’m worried about the splint and the damage it may cause. He’s a very good dog, licks it every once in a while but no chewing and has been getting around ok. Is it better to keep the splint on because of the lacerations (one on top and pad underneath is cut, ouch)or will the splint cause more problems? I love my dog so much I don’t want to do anything to make this harder on him. The vet knows we are trying to watch the budget, we told him that before he decided it’d be best to do the splint and we have gone to him before so I don’t feel like he’s trying to get one over on us I just don’t want something little like this to turn into a huge problem. Has anyone heard of just having that toe removed?

Thank you for all this great information.
My wife and I returned home the other night to find our (approx 7 yr) husky sheppard mix all cut up and limping. It turned out he had been in a fight with a racoon. I treated all of his wounds after cleaning with a vet perscription for open deep wounds i had recently bought for another animal. It appears he may have one or more broken toes. I have kept it wraped and cautios not to let him walk on it. financially, i cannot afford (another) large vet bill. So, I have taken everyones recommendations and caring for his foot on my own. I know if things get worse, then i will deff take him in but for now it seems it just will take time and care.

My 130 lb Great Dane broke his inside toe on his right hind foot. It actually looks like he got his nail caught on something and jerked the toe sideways, because his nail is at a slight right angle to his toe. There is swelling at the joint where it meets the leg along with some bruising. I went to the vet, he manipulated the toe but couldn’t quite find out whether it was a break or dislocation of the joint. We are taking the dog back for an xray in 2 days (8 days after the injury occurred) to see what is wrong. After reading all the comments, I know that I will not allow Bailey’s toe to be cast or splinted, but we will be more careful in not letting him run (almost impossible with a large dog). He walks on the foot, the toe is still swollen, but not as bad as before. MY CONCERN is – will it be OK if it’s dislocated – or does he need an operation to repair it?

Our little shih-tzu had his toe broken two weeks ago tomorrow – on her left foot – the longest toe that takes the brunt/stability of her getting around easily. Her vet (well-trusted) – sedated Swisha and then x-rayed her foot – while she was still sedated her put a “stiff” cast on her left and wrapped it around her body – this is to remain on her leg for the next 6 weeks. She is on medication for arthritis – (previcox and tramnadol – 50 mg but she only takes a 1/4 pill x 2 daily) -she is getting around very well.
We trust our vet and pray that Swisha will be fine SOON

I have a seven year old bullmastiff and I think she may have broken her toe. It is a front paw middle toe. She limps for a couple days and I have given her baby asprin and glucosamine and she seems to get better. I took her for a good walk in the snow today and she is limping again. Not a money problem but I do not like taking her to the vet, its like a walk in clinic, she will come home with some new ailment and since I really do beleive its either a toe (one looks a little distended but not swollen) or she rolled on her ankle, can I wrap her paw with a tensor bandage just to keep it stable? I would take her to a vet if she seemed in discomfort but she doesn’t, just a limp…no whimper or even a slow-down (well, she is a mastiff…pretty slow as it is..lol)

I have a chihuahua that we got from the shelter a few days ago and took her to the vet and the vet said that she has 3 broken toes, They were broken at the middle section of her foot. What the vet did was replace the bones to where they are supposed to be (re-break them) and then put a cast on and hopefully they will fuse back together. The ideal situation was to place pins in each of her toes for full recovery but we will have to see if the cast alone just helps. It was about 450 for the replacement and cast and it would have been about another 500 for the pins if I had put those in.

Just got back from the vet…

My 4 month old pound puppy (which we’ve had for 2 days) fractured his right front index at P1 (the first joint from the “paw”/metacarsals. The vet recommends full blown surgury, with anesthesia and everything. Seems a little excessive based on posts here. Now what? 2nd opinions?

I read these posts and still had 4 vets and 3 breeders that recommended splinting. One breeder did not.

One month later I have been through hell. I did splint, with changes every 4 days or so. Had a pressure sore that needed emergency surgery. The splint was only on for a bit over 3 weeks. Enough damage was done. This 6 month show dog had a rehab vet do a double take yesterday. The vet is not optimistic. The foot is flat, pasterns down extremely bad.

We are rehabing with underwater treadmill and swimming in the tank. We will see if this promising dog can be saved.

My 4 month old lab broke his 4th front toe on his crate. It was displaced so they reduced the fracture and splinted the entire leg. The first two weeks went fine and the second xray looked great. They changed the splint at this point and then it all went down hill. About 4 days into the 2nd splint it became loose. We had two days to go to out next appt and that night, the dog got the splint off in the middle of the night. (with e-collar on). he had sores on his pads and mid leg. We took him to ER vet that night and they gave us antibiotics and told us how to clean the sores daily. they did not resplint as the toe was 3 weeks into healing. At our regular vet appt 2 days later the vet did an xray because the dog was holding his paw up and it looked very floppy (lame?). The toe was still healed nice but now there is a lucency( dark spot) in his ulna which the vet doesnt know what it is. possibly and infection or atrophy from disuse. she Re-splinted over the sores for fear of a new break in this weakend area. this was 5 days ago, the dog got the splint off again this morning. the sores look better and I think his foot is just ichy, but still he wont bear weight. when taking him to the vet this am, they just resplinted to get him back to status quo and will rexray at his tueday appt. I’m thinking that I dont want the splint anymore and he needs to start using the leg or he’s going to lose it. does anyone have advice or opinions? I dont know what the right thing to do is .

Thanks for sharing all your stories. They have however left me more uncertain about the current treatment my vet is prescribing. Two weeks ago my gorgeous show english springer was injured and broke her back hind outside toe.
An xray revealed a break and a small piece of bone splintered. The dog was able to walk without any pain we were concerned because it was also bleeding.

The operated at a cost of £600. This although expensive I am more than happy to pay this for my dog to be happy.

When I collected her we were told that the bandage would have to be changed twice a week at an additional cost of £50 per change. At first I trusted the vets judgement but got concerned because after the operation I was told they may have to remove her toe but will first try to encourage it to set on its own (with a soft splint). I didnt understand why I would put my dog through this if it could be removed without any further discomfort to the dog (its not weight bearing).

She has been incredibly good and has not attacked her bandage. She has however struggled with the restriction of the bandage. The way it is bandaged restricts her achilles tendon movement. I raised this with the Vets and they advised they need to bandage this far up the leg as it allows them to be more supportive. I did ask if this would affect her in the future and they were a little vague putting the onerous on us – if we follow there advice their should not be any future problems.

I ignored my instinct and have continued to take her twice a week.

Today however I am so furious at what I see as inflicting unnecessary pain to her. We have done everything the vet has asked of us. We have tried our uttermost to keep an incredibly lively springer calm. Our dog has gone from an extremely active lifestyle to “loo” walks only.
In the UK we are currently in a heavy snow period and it has been olympian to keep the bandages dry to prevent infection. We have also been giving her antibiotics twice a day in accordance with the advice.

Today our vet removed the stitches and the toe looked normal size no longer swollen. The vet indicated that this was a good thing and that the wound was healing well. The vet also said that if it wasnt such appalling weather she would leave it uncovered to fully heal.
The vet then proceeded to remove a scab which covered the wound that the stitches held together to check for any signs of infection. This then reopened the wound. The vet then soaked the wound in iodine dabbed down and redressed. Advising us to continue to keep this dry!!!!
I am now really worried my poor dog is now in pain again due to the open wound. This all seems like a lot of pain for a toe that could be removed but seems to be fine. My dog has only limped since being at the vets.
I have also thought that a scab is a bodys way of naturally protecting a wound from foreign antibodies that can cause infection.

What should I do? My instinct is screaming stop this fallacy but my head is thinking these people are professionals surely they wouldnt put a dog or an animal through unnecessary pain……

Help?

all broken bones are different, and the age of the dog plays a role in the healing process. my whippet puppy broke his toe at 10 weeks (posts about this are above…) i still say i would NEVER splint for a broken toe! every splint story ends badly… from infected sores to loss of circulation and amputation.

just my 2 cents.

My son’s dog broke two toes, one on the front outside and one on the rear inside. The vet recommeneded amputation because they rarely heal. He amputated the front toe (only shows three toes there) and then on the back foot he amputated the wrong toe. Yikes! The vet felt bad and didn’t charge us but we had to come back in 6 weeks to have the actual broken toe amputated. He sent him home in a cast with no direction on changing it. After two weeks I left the dog alone for 45 minutes and came in the house and the smell knocked me over. He had chewed off his cast and ripped out all the stitches. I don’t know what would have happened if I had left him alone for any longer. (So sorry Curisa for the loss of your beloved pet). He was very sick and infected. Bandage changes every 2-3 days and antibiotics. Very scary and lots of money. That was several years ago. He is completely missing 3 toes and has since broken two more. I’m taking him to the vet this week. He needs vitamins, calcium or something. He’s an 8 yo weim and very muscular and active. He lives in the mountains with my son and hikes a lot. Bottom line, we never should have allowed the initial surgeries (ignorance).

Our 3 yr. old blue pit appears to have broken her front outside toe running through the forest about 5 days ago. While she is not holding it up she is limping and has cried when it was accidentally pressed on. She sustained a similar injury about 8 mos ago and we watched her closely instead of running to the vet (as we have done over the last 25 yrs w/ our other dogs). She was walking normally within 2 weeks and we believe the toe healed completely although we never confirmed with an xray that there was a fracture. This injury seems more severe but again since she isn’t holding it up and walks gingerly on it (it is a non weight bearing toe) we will monitor her and only allow leased walks till she appears to walk normally again. I think I have a wonderful vet but have spent many thousands of dollars in the past on our animals (far more than in 20 yrs of raising 2 active sports-minded boys to manhood!). I have found that common sense and close observation is a good start unless the animal is in chronic pain or there is an wound that needs immediate attention.
This blog has been extremely helpful, allowing us to gain some insight and I will post a follow up on our sweet girl’s condition even though I acknowledge every situation is unique.

Well here we are 3 weeks later, the lucency turned out to be ostemyelitis, a bone infection. He’s been on antibiotics and still in a splint (6 weeks now). The infection is improving but still there so doggie has at least 2 more weeks in splint. He hates it, his sores aren’t really healing because we can’t take the stupid splint off. I don’t know how he got this bone infection but I really wish we never splinted to begin with. My dog is unhappy and has to wear his e-collar 24/7 other wise he is at his leg. What a horrible expierience

Hi, this is my first visit to this site and all your comments have been very helpful. My 1 yr old pit mix has had an intermittent limp ever since I found him on the side of the road 6 months ago near death. He was a stray that I found on my way home from work. What a good boy he is. The limping was mild and seldom. Seemed to be only after he would be very active and playing outside, but a days rest would remedy the problem for several weeks again. So I attributed it to muscle strain or possible tendonitis. My vet said to just watch it. Well a couple weeks ago it got worse and he was limping every day. I had him x-rayed and it seems he may have two broken toes on his inner right front paw. The vet seemed unsure however but put him in a splint anyway and sent him home on rimadyl. He was miserable. The splint was the full length of his leg and had been cut off jagged with sharp corners on either side. The thin layer of foam over this had worn through by the time I got him home the same day. When he tried to lay down the top part of the splint pushed into his shoulder and started to wear the hair off by that evening. Also, this happy go lucky pup started to snap and snarl at our other dogs when they tried to approach him to sniff his splint or try to get him to play. This was very much out of character for him. He couln’t sleep that night and was up turning and spinning, getting his splinted foot caught in the bedding. By 2 AM I had the scissors out and that splint was history. He slept like a rock the rest of the night. After reading you folk’s comments I think I will just leash walk him, keep him quiet and give the rimadyl for the next 6 weeks and see how things go.
I just wanted to add that I know there are injuries that require casting and splinting, but please don’t be afraid to listen to your gut instinct that tells you the treatment is being counterproductive or causing even more harm and pain to your pet, such as pressure sores or misshapen toes. Talk to your vet and if he/she can’t work with you to find an appropriate solution, well there are many vets out there.
And, one more comment, however belated, to Kip from Oct, 2008 and anyone else who feels the way he does about people commenting on what their pet care has cost them. I know I have spent a ton of money on my pets, especially this one and by saying that I’m not complaining and am happy to spend whatever I need to keep them happy, healthy and pain free. The thing of it is, is that we just expect better service and our pets not to be in misery because of that service we spend so much on. That’s all.
Oh, and a treat filled Kong will help keep them quiet and at least stimulate their minds even if you can’t exercise them for awhile.

My 10 yr old golden retriever Duke broke his back leg weight bearing toe 3 weeks ago. Though I read this blog, I still believed it was best for him to go see a vet. Xrays confirmed broken toe. Splint installed. First week goes ok, second week back to vet for rewrap- still ok. by end of third week I notice that Duke is limping more and NEVER putting his foot down. I take off splint. HUGE raw sores on both sides of his paw. Don’t have any antibiotics. I will take him back for that, but never, never again for a broken toe. Wish Duke well!

I have a 3.5 year old boxer who has a hairline fracture in her middle right front toe. My vet gave us anitbotics, Rimedyl, and told us to soak her foot for 5 minutes each day in epsom salts. (sorry I’m a terrible speller). First anitbiotic was Cephilexan (I take that for sinus infections– gave her terrible diahria, so switched to amoxacilin and was fine. No bandaging or anything like that. She will not let me soak her foot, but its not swollen. I think it would feel good if she’d only let me do it- she hates water and weighs almost as much as me so she wins the fight. Gave her pain meds for a couple days, but make her act funny- Its been about two weeks and she occasionally licks her foot. I don’t know if this is a sign she’s in pain??? We were playing fetch in the yard and she stopped short and held her paw up so I made her come in the house. She’s so bored, but I can’t have her hurt her foot more. Not sure what else I can do for her- vet says to rest…. poor doggy- Hope everyone else is getting along ok!!!!

This is a follow up to my post on 2/18/09—Our pup has healed extremely well, although her broken outside toe is still larger than the others and her foot appears to be a somewhat flatter shape. She has no residual pain and I can fully manipulate it w/out her pulling away or acting as if it is still sensitive. We kept her on leash for nearly a month (to avoid her from running after squirrels/birds) and made sure to walk her every day once she was able to walk with out too much difficulty. I started using her backpack which has about 3-4 lbs of weight in it by the 3rd week to drain some of her excess youthful dog energy since we weren’t allowing her to run free in our wooded backyard.
I am grateful for all the blog entries that gave me some insight on others’ experiences.

this is such a useful site. My seven and half year old rescued greyhound broke one of her outside toes two weeks ago – she has a dressing for cushioned support, which has been changed three times. Will probably leave the toe undressed when we go back to the vet in a few days time. We go for leash walks and she seems to be doing fine – biggest difficulty is making sure she doesn’t over exert herself. Time and common sense seem to be the best approach to healing.

My 8 year old Pembroke Corgi broke his toe two weeks ago while competing in an agility match.
My vet soft splinted his foot (soft padding gauze, covered with vet-wrap, taped on the bottom and the top of the bandage with Elastikon. I was a vet-tech many years ago, so I purchased ample supplies of vetwrap, elastikon, and gauze wrap. I remove his bandage daily or every other day, make sure it is clean and dry, sprinkle it with ample amounts of Gold Bond powder, and re-wrap it.
There are no sores at all, and he seems to be healing nicely. He gets leash-walked only and it sequestered in his own room away from my other dogs to keep him quiet. He is also on Rimadyl to minimize swellig and pain.
He is a crazy agility dog with a very high work drive, so we have to make sure this heals properly before he can go back to competition. I’m thinking that at minimum it will be 6 weeks before we even dare to begin a mild exercise program again, but we want to do this right. So far, so good!
we have to keep him quiet

About 20 years ago, my smooth fox terrier broke his toe playing. My vet said to keep him quiet (right;-)but did not splint it. The dog healed and even finished his championship with a barely noticiable slightly askew front toe. Last week my Jack Russell broke his toe and my vet (different state than first time)put his leg in a splint. The dog is depressed…I think I might remove it and keep him quiet.

My active dog (whippet) dislocated his toe and tore his ligaments & tendons. I took him to a general vet and to an orthopedic vet for a 2nd opinion. After an xray, they both advised the exact same treatment: immobilize the area by wrapping the toe/bottom part of the leg with heavy padding (gauze/cottony bandages), secure with a spoon splint, and wrap the split with sticky bandages to keep it in place. Keep it dry and keep the dog as inactive as possible. They recommend that I not wrap it on my own. Here is what I’ve learned:

1. Do NOT self diagnose an issue with your pet. Always see a vet for a proper diagnosis. Even an assumed disclocated or broken toe can really be tendon and/or ligament damage. The wrong diagnosis can result in further injury and permanent damage costing more time, money, and pain for you and your pet in the long run. These injuries need immediate attention.

2. Do not assume any injury has a one time, short term fix. Bandages/splints and injuries need to be monitored regularly and frequently. My dog’s splint has to be checked and changed every 5 – 9 days. He will be in one for up to 8 weeks.

Yes, he was very uncomfortable for the first few days, which was heartbreaking, but he got very used it after that.

3. Be an active participant in your pet’s care. Ask questions, monitor your pet closely, and LISTEN and follow the vet’s instructions. I insist that I see the injury during every visit so that I can also monitor progress, sores, etc. If you don’t trust your vet, find another one or simply get a second opinion.

5. Pain meds and sedatives can mask the pain which may result in further injury. Never self prescribe medications!

4. Pets cost money and require a lot of patience and committment. Unfortunately they get injured. Accept this fact. Shortcuts are not an option!

I hope this helps!

My current dog weighs 75 pounds and is extremely active, similar to Rhodesian Ridgeback, about 3 yrs old. She injured her left front foot and was limping for a day, 2 days later the middle front toe has swollen. I am walking her on a leash for a couple weeks and watching the toe, which I think may be broken. She picks it up when standing and seems to know she needs to slow down. I am not giving her aspirin as any pain will do more to keep her off it than pain prevention. I also have a broken toe and am limping so we are simpatico.
About expensive and intrusive Vet care: When I was young I adopted a Mastiff who my country vet guessed had fallen from the back of a pick up truck, broken all 4 feet, and had her belly flesh scraped away on the pavement. He said there was no point in splinting any foot as all 4 feet had broken toes. She was able to walk in 2 weeks after resting, an odd gait at first, later able to run and play normally and she lived another 7 years. Her feet were deformed but she had no pain once bones knitted with nature’s healing.
I don’t understand how the vets I went to 45 years ago treated my animals with observation and common sense and why the new vets seem to need xrays, surgery, splints and so on. They seem to have lost (or never have gotten) confidence in their own judgment and are deprived of experience without machinery.
My beloved dog of 10 years died of sudden liver failure after having his teeth cleaned under anesthetic and being given 4 inoculations at the same time. I had never had a dog’s teeth cleaned before but the current vet insisted it would prolong his life. Well, maybe the obvious connection is wrong but I am very suspect of the enormous bills and seemingly bad advice being given to dog owners these days.
As for the guilt of not spending money on animals, I refuse to buy it.
I do everything to stay out of a human hospital or go to a doctor and try all natural things first. I am not ignorant but aware people have treated themselves and their animals for thousands of years without going bankrupt over the costs, or nowadays, dying from the treatment.
I thank god for the old time vets who encouraged me to let nature heal what it can. I do all I am able for my animals welfare but refuse to put them through pain and suffering, at great cost (or not), in order to not feel guilty because somebody else thinks the amount of testing and procedures and money spent indicates my ability to care for my animal or nurtures that living being’s life. Killing with kindness is some version of this.
I learned to have vets see my animals healed without spending and doing all they wanted me to do for simple injuries or problems so they can understand natural healing. A good dog food, proper exercise, friends, comfortable shelter and living their breed’s purpose – life is much simpler than some would want us to think.
I trust my instincts, know my animals, and will challenge a vet’s opinion if it doesn’t meet common sense, and I stop treatment that is causing damage.
If my Lassie does not seem to be healing up within a week I will call for an opinion and go in if it feels right at the time and post the results when all is resolved. As for now, she is hunting and running in her dreams.

Hello!

I have a 1.5 year old Jack Russell Terrier who we think may have broken a toe yesterday. He was stepped on by our 1 year old Boxer (yes i know, two pups are nuts!) and let out a yelp as they were being let out to do their business. When my JRT came back inside, he was favoring his back right foot and only bearing weight occasionally.

As of today, he is not putting any weight on it except to stand on his hind legs to see what Im cooking on the stove. He doesnt yelp when I squeeze his foot, only when I bend the individual toe. It is noticeably swollen. Also, it is his back, right, third toe.

I’ve read the comments above but am wondering if anyone knows if my JRT has an injury to a weight-bearing toe? If so, should I try my luck with wrapping it or take him to the vet? We’re strapped for cash and obviously want the best for our dog but dont want to be cleaned out either!

Thoughts?

My 10 week old boxer mix puppy broke his toe, almost 2 weeks ago. His middle toe on his hind leg. The vet has it in a full hard splint. I had him at the vet yesterday to change it (should be changed 2 times a week). The vet was on vacation so one of the vet techs changed it. Last night he was whinning and chewing at it, which it has never done before. So this morning he was still doing the same thing. So I decided to take it off. Come too his entire leg is covered in sores! I am very pissed (excuse my english) with the vet tech for not informing me about this. She had even taped over all his sores. His leg is pretty raw. I can tell his toe is still broken, but I am leaving it off until Monday when I see the vet. I mean if a human breaks their toe, you just tape it to another toe. A little extreme for a dog to have his leg in a full splint. Plus it cost me $22 every time they change his splint! They just want your money. I should of been a vet! Ha

My 3 year old Westie is going on 7 weeks of limping when at a medium gate. She seams ok to walk on the back hind leg at a slow pace and on carpet or grass. When she runs full speed she uses it but I think its because the amount of pressure on the foot is minimal. She seams to really avoid pressure on the paw. She will let me massage all over the foot and hip and spine but when I get to the paw she pulls away. We have done two weeks of pain meds and anti inflammatory, 6 weeks of rest and limited jumping. Im not sure how long this is going to take for her to heal. And am I supposed to encourage walking on it to build back the muscle tone? We have been to the vet and he said give it time.

UPDATE to original posts July 2008…

My whippet who broke his toe in July 2008 at 10 weeks its doing great. Pointed towards his championship and just lure coursed for the first time. Toe is fine – would never know its broken.

When he broke it, I did take him in, and verified it via xray. Vet wanted to splint for six weeks. My whippet’s breeder and breeders vet (who has whippets) absolutely told me DO NOT SPLINT – i went against my vets advice and took the advice of people who have been in the breed and dealt with broken toes.

everyone has to make their own decision about their dogs… i agree an xray should be done so you know it is broke, but i disagree with following everything the vet says – but i have been involved with breeding and showing dogs for 20 years.

Thank you to everyone for such great feedback and advice. I was visiting a friend and their neighbor was selling Chorkie (Chihuahua & Yorkie mix) puppies. I picked one out and bought one. After about an hour of holding the puppy, I put him down to observe him walk and noticed he was limping. I was told that he fell from a moderate height. The seller told me they had him seen and assured me the puppy was fine but I was skeptical to take him without absolutely knowing what I was getting into. Not sure if the toe is broken or if it’s the whole foot. The seller has a responsibility to confirm with a vet before I proceed to adopt him.

Instead of choosing another puppy I told the seller, have the puppy seen by a vet and follow-up with me. I definitely wanted the puppy and offered to pay half the cost of the vet bill.

I agree that having a pet means you have to be committed to the cause when something goes wrong. However, it doesn’t mean that pet owners need to feel like they’re at the mercy of veterinarian professionals or the industry to go about treatments that may cause more harm than good.

I had an $800 bill for a sick rabbit. I should have gone with my instinct to have him put down because there was no quality of life after everything I had gone through to listen to the vet. Aside from what it did to my son to see it and then bring my pet home, my poor bunny died the following day.

I applaud this site for being a huge resource. We all have our previous stories. Thank you for being such a great resource to have pet owners get together to tell their stories to support a community of pet lovers.

Our 9 month old St. Bernard puppy was recently diagnosed with a broken toe (non weight bearing) on her right rear foot. Our vet told us that because it is a non weight bearing toe, a cast or vet wrap was not necessary and would only increase the risk of other problems (infection, etc.). We were instructed to limit activity, apply ice packs and give pain medication. This seems to be working well and our puppy is getting better every day!

Took my 3 month old whippet puppy to vet this morning as he trapped his front paw in door on Saturday, x-ray confirmed he has broken all four of his toes and has a spoon support and soft wrapping. He is very distressed at the moment and will not settle – vet says he needs to change wrapping in 10 days and re xray – just hope his paw heals quickly but will have to keep him away from my four other fully grown whippets.

4 month bichon with 2 broken (weight-bearing) toes. Vet said opinions differ, but he splints for 2 wks, then removes to allow for bone development. Puppy can do what he feels like doing, except splint must be kept completely DRY. We used sandwich bags with twist ties when ground was wet. He recovered from the anesthesia and started running and playing like nothing wrong with foot. the “no chew” wrap is so bitter that he never chewed it until the very bottom was dragged off. At that point we were nearing the end of 2 wks and we watched him pretty carefully. Splint removed by vet who says he will have a slight limp for 2 more weeks and then a full recovery. He’s running again already! Cost was $115 for x-rays and $45 for splint application, incl removal. $160 well spent. I think many of the horror stories about splinting come from the tape and wrap being soaked through with water or saliva. I got the very same advice from another vet when I asked for opinion on setting the toes…for a full recovery with normal gait, It should be done.

I’m sooo happy I ran into this site. My rotty/shepherd cross has what I’m quite sure is a broken toe as well. Either that or a sprain or something near the toe. She still walks on it without complaining at all, she only cries when she gets up or tries to go upstairs or jump on the bed….she’s even fine going downstairs…therefore I think it may be a sprain as it only hurts her in certain positions. Anyway, I am feeling terrible about not taking her to the vet, it’s not that I wouldn’t spend the money on her but I really truly believe most of these things are best healing themselves anyway. Humans do not get leg splints for broken toes! Vets need to make money and my past experience with dogs and cats is that they won’t tell you anything for free, there always needs to be so many unecessary extras. Of course there are many times when you SHOULD take an animal to the vet, but this site is helping ease my confusion about not taking her now…. P.S. with past animals I’ve spend HUNDREDS of dollars on older animals only for them to eventually tell me the animal needs to be put down.

I am not going to feel bad for not taking my dog in for xrays for a sprained or broken toe… and to the one wayyyy up on this thread who asked would I not take my kids in for a toe , NO I did not take my kids to the hosptial for broken toes they do not do anything for a broken toe for a human anyway!!!! I have right beside me a ten year old 115 king shepard/husky dog named Buster. He does have the old man lumps and you can tell age is really starting to catch up with him. I refuse to take him to the vet to be hurt by the vet so that they can make a buck. I know its a broken toe, and it will heal, its doing better already and he broke it 3 days ago and he is already starting to put more weight on it. Yes it is important to take care of your doggies and kids but I would not take my kid in for a broken toe and I will not do it for a dog either. By the way I did not coddle my kids, and did not take them to the doctor for every little boo-boo and they are now 21 and 25 and doing just fine…. I am tired of hearing about vets scaring you to death and talking you into doing things that are very painful and I think somewhat hinders healing. Now if his toe was off to the side, or very swollen I would have taken him in, when its sore and slightly swollen, I am a huge believer in give it a few days and see how it goes.

I have 2 Dobie/Rott, Elwood and Jake (brothers). Elwood broke a toe (front left weight bearing toe). First intial exam was told by vet it was a slight fracture, but second set of xrays(2 months later) shows that it is broken and shifted itself above the first digit. Did not splint or cast for it wasn’t recommended by vet, but now they want to amputate the toe for a splint/cast won’t “fix” the toe but cause more medical issues. Any thoughts or comments or websites I can “research” more. Amputate seems so harsh and everything I have researched so far talks about tumors/cancers

Just think this way. Humans have two feet and never get a cast for a broken toe just maybe pain med and crutches if they’re a wuss. Dogs displace weight over four feet…. soooo why a cast. Get a prescription for Rimadyl for your dogs weight for about 2 weeks longer if your vet will let you (next issue) and keep them moving easy. TA-daaaa. If it’s a bad break on a center toe then vet rap the whole paw up to the writs lightly to let the pad expand with weight and not cut off circulation. Then use a shell of medical tap over that rap high up the forearm to secure it (not tight!!!!). Take it off at night crate the dog to prevent much moving and re apply in morning. Keep very easy for at least two weeks but that’s about it. 5-6 weeks is a joke!

I am so thankful for all your comments! Our 7 months old Lab has a broken toe, non weightbaring, on one of his back legs. We were hoping that it was just sprained but the vet did an x-ray during his castration, which was a couple of days ago and it’s definitely broken. He has some padding and a bandage wrapped around it and is walking fine on it. We’re only taking him out into the garden on his lead at the moment and are due back at the vets tomorrow to change the bandage. She was going to speak to a specialist to see if a plate might have to be fitted. With all the advice that has been given here, I really think that this would be a bit over the top. Will still see what she says tomorrow but my mind has been put at ease somewhat through reading these posts! Thanks so much.

I am sooooo glad I read all these comments before taking my pup to the vet.
I have a 9 year old Chi/beagle mix, who while rough housing with our German Shepherd got his toe broke (back middle). He is still lifting it to walk or run, but will put it down to sit or stand……..I am sure it is broken. It is just slightly swollen around the toe itself. I was contemplating taking him to the vet, but after reading these entries I have decided that I will NOT!
I think baby aspirin and slow recovery………….I am keeping him away from our other dog and making him rest in the laundry room……..

I wish I had seen this site a few weeks ago before our 9 week old dane cross english mastiff broke her non weight bearing front toe.took her to the vet xray splint medication $400.00 told to have the splint changed once a week at $20..00 a time for 4-6 weeks after the second week and the third change of splint I decided to take of the splint for good she was cast from her shoulder, the smell was dreadful even with it changed every 4 days.Im sooo glad I took things into my own hands she was getting sores starting to form and her foot is now totally flattered ,no toe definition,Im hoping it will right its self.Its been a week and a half since removing it and she isnt even limping now.We keep her quiet still and continue the medication but Ill never splint another broken toe.will return at the end of 6 weeks for follow up xray.

Bandit, our 7 yr old lab/pitt bull mix (100 lbs) appears to have a broken toe (weight bearing, front paw.) I’ve read comments and none have commented about swelling…his paw has swollen in the past 4 hrs. to a balloon. I have Rimadyl and will give that. But I am wondering if others have seen significant swelling with their dogs’ broken toes?

Nancy

I have a 4 month old boxer puppy. We took her for x-rays yesterday and found out she has a small fracture on her “pinky” (inner) toe of her back right leg. The day after it was fractured her paw swelled up really bad. My fiance and I gave her lots of water and all she wanted to do was lay around, and that was fine with us. The swelling went down a little bit each day. It’s been 5 days and it’s still a bit swollen (the vet squeezing and poking it yesterday didn’t help) but she walks fine, runs and plays. The only thing is it is obviously still tender so if she steps down a certain way she’ll lift her paw.
Her vet wants us to cast her whole leg and return every 2 weeks for xrays and re-casting… I called my family friend who is a champion dog trainer and who specializes in boxers. His recomendation was to keep her rested, give her extra calcium, and if we must wrap it ourselves ($3 for the wrap) to do so, just to keep her from applying pressure on it for a while. He advised to just keep an eye on it and she will be fine. As humans we don’t have to go through all these extensive procedures for a fractured toe, so why should our doggy babies be any different?

I have a 2 yr old Great Dane that has had a broken toe while traveling to the lower 48’s, after spending lots of $$ (in which I didnt mind) it was in WA to where the vet said to let it heal on its own and give pain meds.(such as children tylonol/motrin) keep the activity level down,only when letting her outside. Followed the directions they gave us and it healed.Now I have an 8 month old Great Dane pup with a broken toe (m,ust be from the running around playing and their weight) and I have been giving her the childrens pain meds according to the weight chart, and keeping her off her feet as much as possible, and she is doing great, and it is healing alot faster. When a splin is put on a dog for a broken toe, the toe does not heal right and could cause more damage, as well as the part that is wrapped from sweating,etc. I strongly suggest instead of spending lots of money taking them to a vet to give childrens pain meds according to the dogs weight and keeping them down as mmuch as possible. If this remedy can heal a big “ol” great dane, Im very sure it will be good for any other dog as well!

Just want to mention that NONE OF YOU ARE VETS!! you should not assume that you read on the internet that something was ok therefore its the right thing to do. If your pet has an injury, go to the vet. They are the experts. Ask lots of questions and get a thorough understanding of why the vet is making the decision he/she is making. A broken toe is not always the same in every animal and can lead to long term damage, arthritis, etc if not treated right. I am not a vet and I also have a pup with a broken toe and if you just talk to your vet you will understand why they are making the decisions they make. If you truly think your vet doesn’t care about the animal and just wants to make money then your vet is a quack and you need to get a new one

My very active WFT (wire fox terrier) began to limp (favoring her back left foot). After calling vet we limited her activitiy for a few days to leash and backyard only– she was happy, eating, etc. and sometimes would bear weight and other times not. It improved within 3-4 days and she was her old self again, using her foot, etc. However a week later, I noticed a lump/bump on the top of her foot when I was bathing her (she’s very fuzzy and the bump had not been evident the week before). I brought her to the vet, they x-rayed, etc. and the bump turned out to be swelling from a broken metatarsal (the second metatarsal bone on left hind foot. They explained that since only one bone was broken, the two healthy ones on either side of the broken one, acted like a natural splint for the broken bone. Because she was NOT in pain, was using her foot completely without hesitation, eating and happy as ever, the vet said to limit her exercize for a few weeks (no jumping, no long walks) to allow it time to heal. He did not recommend wrapping, pain meds or cast and said it would heal well on it’s own. It’s very surprising how many different treatments are recommended for the same type of injury. My vet had indicated that if more than one bone had been broken, a surgery may have been necessary depending upon the severity of the break, etc. I’m just happy that my dog is okay and that she’s eating and healthy–worth the $150 paid for visit, xrays and glucosamine. I have gone to the same vet clinic for 20+ yrs and am very happy with how honestly and professionally they have always been with me.

I have a 12 weeks old German Shepherd, I took her to the vet yesrterday because she wasnt bearing any weight on her fromt right paw, turns out she has 3 broken toes! Im not sure whether she needs to have those splinted up or not, i was reading all the posts it seems like others only had one toes broken but not 3.