Article: When you get to the hospital, the veterinary team will take appropriate emergency action. Depending on the severity of the injury, your veterinarian may focus on stabilizing vital organs. Once vital signs look stable, your veterinarian will attend to the fractured leg. Your veterinarian will diagnose the type of broken leg. They will tell you what type of fracture it is, such as a complete or an incomplete fracture, transverse (straight) or oblique (diagonal) break. And they should be able to tell you some of the treatment options, which may be surgical or non-surgical. If it is a closed fracture, they may put your dog's leg in a cast or a splint. Your vet may perform surgery to insert pins, plates, or screws into the bone to help the broken leg heal. If your dog's leg is severely broken in multiple places, your veterinarian may suggest amputation. Although this treatment option may sound scary, it could be the most viable option if the injury is very severe. Remember that your dog has four legs and, if necessary, should be able to live a healthy life with three legs. X rays will be taken to determine the extent of damage. The amputation surgery may take several hours. When discussing treatment options, you should ask your veterinarian about any differences in cost. Depending on the severity of the break, you could end up paying between $1200 and $3000 in veterinary fees, and sometimes more. Typically, non-surgical treatment with a cast or a splint will be cheaper than surgical options, although there may be more follow up visits with non-surgical options. The average cost for treating a broken leg is $2000. See if your veterinarian offers a payment plan or more affordable care options.

What is a summary?
Get professional veterinary care. Ask your veterinarian about treatment options. Find out whether amputation is necessary. Discuss the cost of treatment.