Limb Fractures
What are limb fractures?
A limb fracture refers to the breaking of any bone in an animal's front or back legs or feet. They can manifest as simple breaks in the middle of the bone or more complex breaks involving multiple points in the middle or end of the bone or joint.
Stainless-steel bone plate and screws provide the most secure method of fixation available – while it is often the most technically challenging method of stabilising the break, it ensures a rapid return of full function with as few follow-up checks and procedures as possible in the majority of cases.
In some cases, the location of the break or fracture precludes the use of a bone plate; in these cases, we use other stabilisation methods such as screws, pins, or wires (or a combination of all three).
Cost
At Melbourne Pet Surgery, we treat most fractures for between $2,500 and $4,000, though in very complicated cases with multiple fractures, this figure can reach $5,000. On the other hand, a referral centre will most likely charge between $5,000 and $10,000, with quotes of up to $15,000 not uncommon.
Recovery and aftercare
The majority of animals can return home the same day they are admitted. Our nurses will walk you through the necessary care and medications. Many referral centres will keep your pet overnight after surgery, which only adds to the owner's costs. We've discovered that most owners prefer to keep their pets at home with them when their animals are well enough to go home the same day.
Your pet can often walk with you on a leash from the start, but free-roaming activities such as jumping, running, or using stairs, are not permitted for at least four to six weeks after the surgery.
The limb fracture recovery process is generally uneventful, and the more lead-walking you do after surgery, the better and shorter your recovery period will be.
We remove sutures two to four weeks after surgery; we don't usually perform an x-ray at this stage because it adds cost to the owner. Not only that, but if your pet is walking normally, the fracture will heal normally as well.
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