Fracture Repair

Fracture repair is a surgical procedure to stabilize broken bones in pets. Timely and appropriate treatment is critical to ensure proper healing, restore mobility, and prevent long-term complications such as arthritis or deformity.

Why Fracture Repair Is Recommended Fracture repair may be recommended for pets with:
  • Traumatic injuries such as falls, accidents, or bites
  • Broken limbs that are unstable, displaced, or involve joints
  • Non-healing or malaligned fractures
Repairing fractures surgically allows bones to heal in the correct alignment and minimizes pain and future mobility issues.

Care at Peak Pet Urgent Care

At Peak Pet Urgent Care, we perform fracture repair surgeries on-site. Our experienced veterinary team provides comprehensive care for pets with broken bones.

We provide:

  • Immediate evaluation and stabilization of fractures
  • Pain management before, during, and after surgery
  • Advanced anesthesia and continuous monitoring
  • Surgical repair using techniques such as pins, plates, screws, or external fixation
  • Post-operative monitoring and guidance for at-home care

Our goal is to restore proper bone alignment, minimize pain, and ensure a safe recovery.

What the Surgery Involves Fracture repair is performed under general anesthesia.

During the procedure:
  • The fracture is carefully realigned
  • Stabilization is achieved using internal or external fixation methods such as a plate or wires
  • The surgical site is closed and bandaged as needed
  • Pets are closely monitored during recovery

Aftercare and Going Home

Most pets are able to go homesame day, depending on the complexity of the fracture and surgery.

Your pet will be sent home with:

  • Pain, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic medications to keep them comfortable
  • Instructions for restricted activity and crate or confinement rest
  • Guidance for bandage or splint care if applicable
  • Follow-up appointments for x-rays and monitoring healing progress

Incision and Home Care

  • Keep the incision clean and dry
  • Prevent licking or chewing at the surgical site with an E-collar (cone)
  • Monitor for swelling, redness, or discharge
  • Limit activity to prevent stress on the healing bone

  • During the first eight weeks, we are completely relying on the implants (plate and screws) to stabilize the surgery site. It takes a minimum of eight weeks for bones to heal and good scar tissue to form. This process can take longer in geriatric pets or those with other systemic health conditions.
  • Your pet should be confined to a kennel or small room until radiographs show good bone healing.
  • Any running (inside or outside), jumping on or off furniture, or playing could lead to severe complications.
  • Your pet should be evaluated 10-14 days post-operatively to evaluate healing of the incision; if skin sutures were placed they will need to be removed at this time. Please schedule this appointment with your veterinarian.
  • If lameness occurs or your pet fails to improve, X-rays may need to be taken to verify proper implant position and evidence of healing.
  • At approximately eight weeks following surgery X-rays will need to be taken by your veterinarian to verify complete bone healing before returning to normal activity. The implants are designed to stay in for life. However, if pain, infection, or irritation occurs we can easily remove these implants.

Contact a veterinarian immediately if you notice:

  • Swelling, redness, or discharge at the incision or surgical site
  • Lameness or worsening mobility
  • Pain, vocalization, or reluctance to move
  • Any signs of bandage slippage or complications

Our goal with fracture repair is to stabilize the bone, restore function, minimize pain, and ensure a safe recovery. If your pet has sustained a broken bone or is showing signs of limb pain or dysfunction, the team at Peak Pet Urgent Care is ready to provide urgent, compassionate care on-site.