Sep
23
What Surgery Options Do I Have For A Femur Fracture In A Dog?
ByQuestion: i have a 3 year old boxer about 50lbs, who has a severe femur fracture that is requring surgery. What type of surgery options are availalbe and what can I expect to pay?
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3 Comments
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Wow, that is really too bad. I only have limited experince with this in a Great Dane that someone else has.
The surgery was nearly $4000. The heardest part was how much work they both missed. Factoring in their lost wages over 3 months they almost lost their house.
After everything, the leg didn’t heal right and he is pretty severely limited in what he can do. They have stated several times that they wish they would have mercifully put him down. But we are also talking about a 150 pound male Great Dane that needed to be carried and carted for three months.
The surgery options will be discussed with the surgean your vet will call in or refer you too. Most likely a plate or rod will be inserted.
Good luck…..poor little guy.
j
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
It depends on the type of fracture, and just how severe it is. It also depends on whether your local vet has the knowledge and experience to be able to do the surgery, or whether your dog is going to have to see an orthopaedic specialist. As well as the surgery, your dog will need painkillers and antibiotics. Has your vet giving you an estimate of costs?
The two main surgical options for femoral fractures are intramedullary pinning- where a length of metal that is inserted into the middle of the bone, or plating- where a metal plate is attached to the outside of the bone with special screws. Many regular vet clinics do not have the equipment on hand to be able to do bone plating, so have to hire this in at extra cost. Pinning is probably a bit cheaper, but isn’t appropriate for all fractures.
Based on what most vets around here charge, I would guess that you’re looking at $600-$700 as an absolute minimum and potentially up around the $1000+ mark. This covers anaesthesia, the surgery itself, and any additional medications that need to be given. It might be worth checking if your vet is willing to organise a payment plan or if they offer something like CareCredit, which exists in Australia, the USA and Canada (I’m not sure about other countries).
I hope that helps.
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:16 pm
The costs and options are very diverse depending on where you live, and what kind of fracture as well as the severity. You might want to call around to a few other vets for pricing and second opinions. I’m sorry that it’s too hard to give accurate answers here since we can’t examine your dog, or know the pricing of vets in your locale. I sincerely hope your dog gets fixed up as good as new. If you need help financing the surgery, try http://www.carecredit.com. It is designed specifically for vet bills. Good luck.