My dog hurt her leg?? How can you tell if its broke?

[Danielle]

Today my dog was outside and she heard the dogs next door barking, so she took off, and banged her leg on the wall of the screen porch...She didn't yelp or anything, didn't make a noise and she continued walking (limping) like it was nothing. She is limping pretty bad now, not putting any pressure on the one back leg. She's pretty old, 11 I think. We don't have much money though, so the vet doesn't sound good....If she broke her leg, wouldn't she be yelping or crying? She acts fine except she limps.

[butterfly]

She probably just sprained it bad or bruised it, take her to the vet to get some pain medicine and make sure it's nothing else that is causing the leg pain. If it start's swelling, I would be concerned and a serious vet visit should be considered.

[Dr. Quackenbush]

My daughter's Mini Aussie recently fell while walking up the porch steps. She limped a little but gave no indication that she was hurt. No whimpering or acting like she was in pain.
After 2 days my daughter took the dog to the vet just to make sure. X-rays revealed that the rear leg bone had completely separated from her hip. Because of the dog's advanced age (13) and previously undetected bone cancer it was decided that she wouldn't survive surgery and so we had to have her put to sleep to ease her suffering (not an easy decision )
The point is you can't always go by the way the dog is acting.

The best and easiest way to tell if your dog broke her leg is to look directly at the vet WHEN YOU TAKE HER!!!!!!

[pets4lifelady]

You cannot positively know if there is a break. However, you need to start applying ice pack to area to reduce swelling in tissues. On 20 minutes if she allows. Then take a break of about 30 minutes and then try ice again. Continue ice pack until tomorrow. Then use heat pack and see if that seems to ease her. Manually and carefully check from that hip/shoulder down to foot. Feel for swollen area, tender to touch(she reacts), or any thing not normal. Dogs can pull a muscle real easy and that can be gently massaged out. Muscle area will be firmer to touch or knotty feeling as compared to other legs.
That takes rest, warm packs, massage. They can have a baby aspirin for small/81mg low dose for larger. This helps with pain and swelling.

She needs to be kept in, walked briefly to potty and leg examined often for any changes. If not much better within 24/36 hrs then you need to make arrangements for a vet. Obviously, if she changes behaviour in a drastic way or extreme swelling in leg then grab the phone.

[catbandini]

your dog would not be able to walk if it was briken she could have twisted or sprained it so take her to the vet they can give you puppy asprin to help with inflamation but take her to the vet still

[Shanti ..]

Your dog would be able to wakl if it was broken, I had a dog break it's leg and it walke with a limp, we took it in and had it xray'd and casted and such, but it is more likely that is is just a sprain, or just aching like when you stub your toe. If it is really bad though, you should take her to the vet, it shouldn't be that much even by chance that she did need a cast.

[Lioness]

It depends on the kind of break.
Some of the more minor (hairline type) breaks will be impossible for you to see, but should get veterinary attention.

If it was completely broken, no, she would not be able to use it.

[gentleannie]

Bring her to the SPCA and let them treat if for a smaller fee, and if you can't take care of her please leave her there, she's getting older she will need extra care you are not prepared to do that for her, so in my mind she is just an animal you keep 'till she dies in pain if necessary, that is not loving your pet it is having a dog, not the same, sorry you don't get that