Pelvic Fractures

Skelton_side_2 They say that cases come in threes, but that’s not one of my personal superstitions (and I do have a few).  On Sunday I saw two hit-by-car cases, both with a broken pelvis.  Quite a coincidence, and two was enough for one day, thank you.

The pelvic bones, the pelvis (as in Elvis), the pelvic girdle, the birth canal. Everybody’s got one.  It’s what your legs hook into on the bottom and your backbone on the top. ["The Leg-bone connected to the — Hip-bone…"]  If a dog or cat gets hit by a car on the rear, the pelvis often takes the impact.  The patient can’t get up and can’t walk, even though his legs are okay and his back is not broken.

Pelvis_model_rear_close_2 Here’s how it looks from the rear. Notice how irregularly shaped and twisty these bones are.  What you can’t see on our little plastic skeleton is the tremendous amount of muscle and tendon that surrounds it.  Both those factors make it very difficult to approach the bones surgically, or to bend and contour a bone-repair plate to fit it.  It takes one heck of a good orthopedic surgeon to get in there and put a pelvis back together.

Pelvis_dog_2 Fortunately, when the hip joints are intact, you usually don’t need to surgically repair things.  All those muscles and tendons that make the bones so inaccesible will also act as a "self-cast".  They will hold it together well enough that most cases will knit back in two to four weeks.  If the spine is okay and the hips and legs are okay, the only treatment needed may be bed-rest and nursing care (including pain control, of course).  This is Sunday morning’s dog patient.

Pelvis_cat_2 This is Sunday afternoon’s cat patient.  These patients need help with their toilet work.  Personal hygiene is a little difficult for them.  You’ll have to bring them their food and water — we don’t want them dragging themselves around the room.  You have to be alert to be sure that they are able to eliminate, as some individuals have damage to either the bladder, the rectum, or the nerves that control them.  Sometimes the sciatic nerve is damaged along with the bones and the animal loses the use of a hind leg, even though all the bones heal up okay.

Also, while these bones usually knit back together well enough for the patient to walk and go potty okay, the "birth canal" will very likely be deformed.  If the pet is an intact female, it’s important to have her spayed, as she will probably be unanble to give birth naturally.

It’s a pretty tough injury, but the prognosis is usually good.

583 thoughts on “Pelvic Fractures

  1. dbird says:

    hi, my cat got injured yesterday the vet said it was a car injury, he doesnt think there’s a break in his pelvis but has had a severe knock to it – leaving him in a lot of pain and not able to stand for more than a few seconds, he has only just today found the energy to get up and wee in his tray, he wont eat or drink much but will eat yoghurt is this ok for my cat.. he is 9 mths old

  2. dbird says:

    can i also add that vet did give him 10ml of Vetergesic Anaesthetic, A ketofen anti-biotic injection & A Synulox anti inflamatory injection.. how long will it take before he will be able to walk again.. he looks at me with his big sad eye’s and i feel totally helpless..

  3. Doc says:

    If you are dealing with an uncomplicated pelvic fracture, most cats that young would be up walking in two weeks.

    If it is just severely bruised, then a few days may see your baby up and going again.

    It’s important to stay in touch with your veterinarian and keep him/her posted as to the kitty’s progress.

    Sometimes something is weakened in the initial injury and doesn’t break until later. Be alert for any changes, good or bad.

    I think the long-range prognosis is good, based on what you have told me.

    Yogurt should not hurt your cat. Right now, the best diet is the one you can get him to eat. Don’t worry about spoiling him. He can’t get well if he doesn’t have any fuel.

    If he is still painful, you might ask your veterinarian about buprenorphine. This is a mild narcotic that is usually well tolerated by cats.

    Good luck.

    • Beth Walker says:

      Hello,
      My 1 yr old basset hound was hit by a car. We rushed him to an animal hospital and x-rays confirmed he has an acetabular fracture to the hip. While the vet recommended surgery it is just not an option for us. The emergency visit alone whipped us out.
      He is eating, drinking, and has used the bathroom but has a very hard time going from laying to sitting. He will stand on all 4 legs but will not walk. Is it normal that he won’t walk at all? He did wag his tail this morning which he hasn’t done since the incident happened two days ago. I’m just worried about my boy. It’s killing me watching him in such pain.

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Beth,
        This is a difficult situation. With pelvic fractures that do not involve the joint surface, an imperfect healing is usually not a big deal. The fragments stick together a little funny, but things stick together and then it doesn’t hurt. When the joint surface is involved, the pieces will probably still stick together, but there will be a kind of “stair-step” in the socket, instead of a smooth cup. This will grind on the “ball” causing severe arthritis. It is a very difficult area to perform surgery on, due to the irregular shape of the bone and the large amount of surrounding muscle tissue. This necessitates a very good surgical specialist, and unfortunately does cost big bucks.
        Once your dog has healed from the initial trauma, a salvage surgery could be performed at a later date. A femoral head ostectomy (FHO) involves removing the “ball” of the ball and socket. This eliminates the pain from bone-on-bone in the joint. There is enough muscle and tendon support to enable the dog to walk, though he won’t be an athlete. This is still a major surgery, but way cheaper than trying to fix that socket.

    • Shy says:

      Hello, my almost two-year-old dachsador was hit by a car yesterday the night of the accident he tried to stand once at the er he did take a couple of steps for them but he wouldn’t eat once home he ate he has three fractures on the left side of his pelvis he’s been resting since he’s on pain meds I tried picking him up and taking him out as the vet suggested with him being potty trained but he hasn’t eliminated yet he only did a little earlier on his puppy pad that he is laying on should I give him time since it all just happened yesterday?
      How long will it be before he recovers? And when will he eliminate?

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Shy,
        Obviously, I haven’t seen your dog, so I cannot give specific advice. Generally speaking, if there is no joint involvement or other injury, 2 to 4 weeks is the average time to get up walking again.
        I would suggest adding metamucil (unflavored psyllium mucilloid powder), 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds of body weight, to each feeding. This should help keep him from getting constipated.
        I suspect he isn’t eating very much at this point, so I wouldn’t expect much bowel movement until his appetite picks up.
        My usual recommendation is a well-padded bed, with easily cleaned surfaces, and very restricted activity (like just enough room to turn around).
        Best wishes.

    • Crystal says:

      Hello my daughter accidentally dropped my guinea pig yesterday and he is eating and drinking but he is barley walking he can poo and pee I think he has a broken pelvis will he be able to heal??

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Crystal,
        I’m afraid I don’t have much experience with this sort of injury in pocket pets. If the hip sockets are intact and there is good nutrition, I would think that the prognosis is good.

  4. ellen says:

    hi my 2 year old shitzu got hit by a car a week ago, he stayed at the vets overnight and got released the next day. he has a seperated pelvis and is currently taking pain relief but hasnt moved much, he wont get up for the toilet and seems to be in pain when moved…. is this normal….

  5. Doc says:

    Hello, Ellen,

    It usually takes two to four weeks for an uncomplicated pelvic fracture to knit. Most will heal with good nursing care and “bed rest”.

    During this time, the dog does require assistance to eliminate, as it cannot stand or walk without severe pain.

    Pain control is certainly part of good nursing care. Be sure to stay in touch with your veterinarian and let them know how your dog is doing. You may need to get the meds refilled before the dog is actually trying to get up and walk.

    If he develops new signs of problems, or does not appear to be gradually improving, you should call your veterinarian.

    Good luck.

  6. Paula says:

    My beloved Yorkie got hit by a car on 7-21-09. He fractured his pelvis in 4 locations (both sides). Truly a miracle he survived. He had pelvic surgery on 7-24-09. He came home on the 27th and was doing well. However, this weekend he has not been eating, drinking, and whimpering quite a bit. (he’s on pain meds.) I’m worried. What could have happened?? He was doing so well. I’ll be taking him to the vet tomorrow. How long will he experience pain? It breaks my heart to see him in such pain.

    • Fedelina Mendez Andres says:

      Hi my 7 mth old pug got got stuck by the tire of a truck and both hips I’m told are severely fractured. I was told he’ll need surgery. It took him a whole day to eat and potty which we’ve been helping with. They haven’t mentioned other injuries.Do these fractures have a chance at healing right if not taken to surgery are there other options I can mention to see if it will be a fit alternative as we could barley afford to take him to the er

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Fedelina,
        If the hip joints are damaged, they are not going to heal without surgery. Pelvic fractures are a different story, but if the hip joints themselves or the femurs (thigh bones) are damaged, that isn’t going to heal on its own.

        Without seeing your dog and its X-rays, I could be giving you poor advice. The doctor seeing your pet is your best source of information. It sounds like you have unanswered questions. When we don’t hear from you, we assume that everything is good. We don’t mind you asking questions until you are satisfied that you have a good understanding of the problem.

      • Paula Garza says:

        My 7 month old lab got hit by a car and broke her Elvis in 3 areas. No nerve damage and no other broken bones (hips are OK). Surgery was not an option because they quoted us $6K-$10K.

        5 weeks later she is doing great physically. My concern is her ability to eliminate. We have her on stool softeners and it seems to just take her a bit longer but she goes. I have notice that she is leaking irons at times. I think the broken bones are putting pressure on her bladder. I’m worried about future scar tissue, etc. and feel like my time with her is limited.

        My question are:

        1). Do you think the urine issue will get worse or better?

        2) Is if possible to do surgery to shave some of the broken bone off to relieve the pressure on her bladder?

        Thank you.

        • Doc says:

          Hello, Paula,
          I think it is possible that things will improve as healing continues, but it is difficult to give a meaningful answer without knowing what the problem actually is (that is, is there really some compression of the bladder now, or is the urine leakage due to something else?)

          “Shaving off” bits of bone is a tricky business, as the bone often grows back bigger in response to the trauma of being re-injured.

          If the problem continues, then having your dog re-evaluated by your veterinarian is the next step.

  7. Doc says:

    Hello, Paula,

    It is common to have pain for several days after such an extensive surgery, but it should be getting better instead of worse.

    Please be cautious about increasing your dog’s medication. This may or may not be safe, depending on what type of medication you have. Overdosing on some types of medicine can cause serious stomach damage, and possibly fatal kidney damage. Others can be increased quite a bit.

    You might just try calling your veterinarian to ask about the safety of this until you can get in to see him/her.

    Good luck.

  8. Johanna says:

    My dog was hit by a truck yesturday has a fracture in 4 locations. I can tell that she needs to eliminate but it hurts her to bad to try. Is there any way I can help her or do I just wait? I have been feeding her canned dog food with stool softeners to help.

    • Anthony says:

      Are Boston terrier for which we had for over 8 years was a huge part of me and my ladies life. Unfortunately our dog became sick with an imploded bladder and we were unable to let him be a part of this world due to suffering he would have had to overcome he was 8 years old and he will always be remembered. We said that we would never be able to get another pet. Which probably to say less than 3 weeks later our friend heard our story and offered us a puppy that she had come to take care. His story was his owner had lost her house. My friend my friend was shopping at the Dollar general and seen a homeless lady with a 4 week old puppy. Puppy had no hair hundreds of fleas and eyes were sick with mucus, so my friend gave her $100 and took the puppy. She told me the story and I immediately purchased the dog from her. I was not allowed to take the dog until he was a few weeks older. He is now become the most exciting part of my day week, and he is all I think about constantly. Me and my wife live on a busy Street, that only has a 25 mile an hour speed limit. Everybody tries to cut through to the big roads doing about 55 to 60 MPH through our neighborhood. I came in from the backyard and sat on my couch on Wednesday afternoon and notice my door was cracked, in which I replied to my wife where is my baby of course my puppy is who I call baby his name is Sonny. My life ran outside and noticed that the cross the street neighbor had sunny in their arms, which is strange because Sunny never goes across the street and there’s never out of my sight for more than a minute or so. Needless to say despite the circumstances or the situation at hand the cross the street neighbor heard my wife hollering for Sonny, in which time she sat Sunny down and he began to run towards our house. My wife at that time seen a pickup truck flying down our road she waved jumped up and down and screamed slow down slow down please please slow. It seemed like the driver was on a mission of aggravation, which time he be lined for my puppy can’t figure out why in the world somebody would do that to it tiny chiweenie that is barely even 30 weeks old, my puppy was able to make it out from underneath the car without being torn open, unfortunately he has a compound fracture in his leg that needs orthopedic surgery, and the fracture of his pelvis bone it is all surgery capable of fixed. I’m 47 years old work everyday and pay all my bills. At 47 years old I have tried my hand in credit and have found myself on the lower end of score pole. My doggy has been a fighter since the day he was born he is overcome not having a mother, and learning how to eat for the first part of his life, not having his brothers and sisters next to him and learning how to tussle and play, in the fleas being so horrible that they took a part of his vision away from him. And now an aggravated driver who knows why he was aggravated has tried to take his life away from him. Sunny is much stronger than that he is here next to me without a whimper in his day, hoping that I find a way to let him feel the concrete and grass under his paws once again. If anybody could find it in their heart to please help, my address is 4721 Town & country boulevard Tampa Florida 33615. My phone number is 813-679-45 78, me and my wife’s names are Tony McCall, and Heather. If you took the time to read this paragraph that we have set up in hopes that our doggy can once again be himself we thank you sincerely Tony

  9. Doc says:

    Hello, Johanna,

    So sorry about your pet’s injury.

    Is she taking pain medication? I am sure that she needs it.

    The canned food and stool softener is a great idea. It is possible that your dog will need an enema.

    You really should talk to your veterinarian about this. They may need to recheck her situation, and they can help you with the enema, if needed.

    Good luck.

    • Lori says:

      I just came back from my country vet he check my pug and said he thought he had a pelvic fracture no x ray machine in office until Monday. He can’t stand and he gave him a dose of morphine he told me I could take him to an emergency vet 100 miles away there was no blood in stool and with recital exam he didn’t move hind quarters is there a possibility he can recover from this I’ve had him since he sat in the palm of my hand and he’s 12 he also breathes like his in pain with a fair whimper

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Lori,
        Sorry I didn’t see this earlier. Most dogs with pelvic fractures do recover, especially if the hip joints are not involved.

    • Brandy says:

      My dog was hit and her pelvis is broke and her back hip is dislocated what can i do to help her pee? She went one time but has been eating and drinking alot still but hasnt gone to the bathroom.

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Brandy,

        I would want to be sure that her bladder is intact, and not leaking into her abdomen. It is also possible to have a torn urethra, leaking into the tissue.

        As far as just helping her up, sometimes using a towel as a sling around her belly will work. There are also commercially available slings that can be used to support the hindquarters.

        These look good to me. https://www.handicappedpets.com/walkin-lift-harnesses-slings/

    • Brittany says:

      I’m trying to figure out what the name of the fracture is on the back left leg of my pitbull caused by being hit by a vehicle. I was told it was multiple fractures and that she was to be put on cage rest and it was a very complicated area to heal and would take approximately 8 weeks or more. Long story short Ive spent upwards of $700 on her vet bill and medications and in less than 2 weeks she must be seeing again for examination. unfortunately I cannot pay that bill although I desperately need to get her there. I ask this so I hopefully I can get the assistance I need so she can get the assistant she needs. Thank you in advance.

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Brittany,
        I’m not sure how I can help you. Your description sounds like there are pelvic fractures. If the hip joint is not involved, many will heal with cage rest, even with multiple fractures. I would suppose that the recheck is to be sure that your dog is making satisfactory progress.

        I am guessing that you are supporting her when taking her out to use the bathroom, and that she has been on some pain control medications.

        It’s not really possible for me to give you meaningful specific advice when I have seen neither your dog nor your X-rays.

  10. omar says:

    my dog got run over by a jeep, fortunately he survived but he has a dislocated joint,its called some thing like a femor or pelvic fracture,there arent any vet surgeons around and i have been advised by my vet to just give him 6ml of brufen and restrict his movement as much as possible. The dog is in a lot of pain as he cant even sit, please advise

  11. Doc says:

    Hello, Omar,

    The femur is thigh bone (from knee to hip joint). The pelvis is the girdle of bone that forms the birth canal (in females).

    If the joint is dislocated, it really needs to be put back in place. When this is not possible, some dogs will eventually develop a “false joint”. They have enough muscle and tendon to support the body weight, even when the “ball isn’t in the socket” of the hip joint.

    Unfortunately, sometimes the bone-on-bone will be too painful for the dog to walk on this.

    If the femur is broken, that is very unlikely to heal back together on its own. It has happened, but usually will wind up with a non-union. The ends of the bone heal over and quit hurting, but they don’t stick together so the dog can walk on it.

    If only the pelvis is broken, it will usually heal on its own, given a couple of weeks of supportive care.

    You do want to control the dog’s pain in the meantime, no matter what the injury is. Ibuprofen is of questionable safety in dogs. Some can tolerate it okay, but there have been reports of dogs who develop a bleeding stomach ulcer after only one pill.

    If you are using over-the-counter human medications, you may be better off with something like Tylenol (acetaminophen). Most dogs can tolerate one regular strength tablet (325mg) per 40 pounds of body weight, given every 8 hours.

    I can’t really prescribe for a dog I haven’t seen.

    Usually the pain gets a lot better after 3 days or so, but it’s pretty tough right now. You have to help him in and out to eliminate his waste. Sometimes using a towel under his belly as a sling will allow him to walk on his front legs some.

    You want to come as close as possible to complete bed rest for the next two weeks.

    Stay in touch with your veterinarian.

    Good luck.

  12. Celeste Rousseau says:

    My precious Schnauzer/Yorky mix was hit by a car & broke her hip 7 years ago. She has healed and walks on her leg from time to time but I have noticed great sensitivity when I touch her leg lately.(nerve damage?)She goes under the bed a lot which tells me she is in pain.I would love to find a natural alternative to help her with pain and possible arthiritis. I did have her on Previcox at one time but it seemed to upset her already sensitive stomach.Somebody recommended a joint pill by Drs foster& Smith.i would love to get your input on this. Any ideas or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

  13. Celeste Rousseau says:

    Living in NC,I have noticed a horrible flea infestation. Used frontline plus on my dogs only to discover fleas 3-4 days later. I hate the idea of dousing my dogs with all these chemicals. I have investigated natural alternatives and was wondering if you have had any experience with this and it’s effectiveness?

  14. Doc says:

    Hello, Celeste,

    It is possible that the Frontline isn’t working, but I suspect that you have an infested environmental area. The point is that most of the flea’s life cycle takes place OFF the animal in the environment. Each flea lays hundreds of eggs each weak, and they fall off into the environment. Once they develop into a new flea, they can remain dormant for months in your yard, carpet, upholstery, etcetera. This is why having a flea-control product that stays on the pet for one month is so great. When the animal returns to the flea-cocoon-infested area, and pick up new fleas (within seconds). This may be what you are seeing. If so, they will be very small and black. The Frontline should kill the new fleas die before they start the cycle over again. If you are seeing big brown fleas, then they have been there feeding for a while and we need to do something else.

    Here’s a link to the flea life cycle put up by some other nice folks.
    http://www.placervillevet.com/flea_life_cycle.htm

    I don’t really have much experience with “alternative” treatments. If you have a specific substance or product in mind, I would be interested in investigating it for you.

    For our patients who don’t do well with Frontline, we have had good luck with the once-a-month pill Comfortis.

    Good luck

  15. Aoife says:

    Hi, my cat (10 months old neutered male) was hit by a car yesterday morning, and only managed to get himself home at 2 this morning. Poor thing had dragged himself through many unfamiliar gardens as his usual routes all involve high fences. Last night it looked really bad with no pain response in the tail or back legs, but today he’s moving his legs, twitching his tail, and even tried to put a little weight on his legs to shuffle himself back in his crate after his examination. There was blood in his pee last night, and we’re not sure what control he has over his elimination. The vet isn’t operating on the pelvis fracture (confirmed by x-rays), so that means it probably does’t affect the hips or ischium right? It’s apparently a fairly bad fracture though. How big should his immobilisation area be? (I’m hoping there’s no lasting nerve damage, as he’s such a fighter and I really want to see him get better). I have a hallway which has nothing to jump up on (all my other rooms do) and is about 3 foot by 7 foot. I could narrow it down further if needed with a big bit of mdf or chipboard something. Is there a spectrum of lasting nerve damage to bladder and bowel, or is it either on or off? If there’s only minor damage and continence problems, I would not be adverse to seeing if there’s a way to work through it (I’ve lived with a cat with sleep-incontinence before, and it’s a pain but when you love them you do your best).

    Just so worried for him right now.

  16. Doc says:

    Hello, Aoife,

    It sounds to me like you need to get in better communication with your veterinarian. He/she is better equipped to answer, based on direct knowledge of your cat’s case.

    Generally speaking, I would restrict the cat to a travel crate or playpen type enclosure. We don’t want him dragging himself all over the house. Think bed-rest.

    There are certainly gradients of neurological function loss. However, it is possible that there is no permanent nerve damage and what you are experiencing is temporary poor function due to swelling and inflammation.

    I am assuming that you veterinarian is providing pain control medicine for your cat. Cats do not tolerate most human medications for pain, so please do not give your cat medicine without consulting with his doctor.

    Most pelvic fractures, even when severe, do allow for a return to normal function, provided that the joints are not involved.

    Good luck.

  17. Steve says:

    Hi,my female cat that is about 7 months old got runover by a car and we talked to the vet and she said to put it in a confined space and wait for some results. She must have pelvic fracture because she can walk or more of a waddle on her legs but she doesnt seem to want to eat and she is in lots of pain. She can barely stand herself up for a few seconds. I dont see how she will make it to the litter box. she is on bed rest. With her food and water by her.

  18. Doc says:

    Steve,

    The cat will need help to get to the litterbox and help to keep standing while she eliminates.

    I think that she does need pain medicine, but there are no safe over-the-counter drugs for cats. Your veterinarian can supply pain medication, such as buprenorphine, but not without seeing the cat. Take her in for a visit to her doctor.

    Most pelvic fractures will knit and allow the animal to get up walking within two weeks if the hip joints are not damaged and there is no spinal damage.

    If the pelvis is fractured, that usually causes the birth canal to be deformed. She would not be able to deliver kittens if she got pregnant, so you will need to have her spayed.

    Good luck.

    • A sad cat finder says:

      Hi I found a stray kitten that was limping. I tried to take her into my home to keep her safe while I figured out where to take her and she wiggled out of my hands and fell maybe a metre on to the ground. She limped away. Eventually i got her into my home and to a vet. I got the call later that night that her pelvic bone was severely shattered and they had to put her down. I’m tormenting myself thinking that I caused her to have to be put down. Could a fall that big cause such a large issue? Would it have changed a possibly savable case to not savable? Did I worsen her life or put her out of inevitable pain? I’m quite torn up about this and don’t know where to turn

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Sad Cat Finder,
        I suspect that there was some pre-existing injury (she was limping when you found her), and the fall may have aggravated it. It is rather difficult to determine what actually happened. For me, the bottom line is that you did the best you could to help. Nobody can do more.

  19. fezzy says:

    why do you let your animals out???!!!! and put them in harms way?? would you do that to your toddlers or babies?/ please keep your small innocent animals indoors!!! PLEASE!
    I have a cat perfectly fine and lives indoors and out of harms way.

    • Tammie says:

      I can’t speak for the cats however I will speak for the dog owners. You DO NOT know the circumstances and how dare you chastise these people. It doesn’t mean people let their animals roam free that they were in an accident. Shame on you.

  20. Rita D. says:

    My 2 yr old cat was in the grass not moving. The neighbor saw him and said he was dragging his back legs. He typically loves to go on the roof, so it may be an injury due to a fall or perhaps a car hit him. The vet took a couple xrays to verify that it was a pelvic fracture. She suggested surgery which would cost $1500-$2000. The other option, which we took, was to give him a sedative, also antibiotics, bring him home and watch to see if the injury heals on its own. Well saidly, he passed away that same evening. Could the vet have missed something? I could only figure that he was bleeding internally or something.

  21. Doc says:

    Hello, Rita,

    Sometimes an internal organ is greatly weakened by the injury, but has not yet ruptured (spleen, urinary bladder, kidney,liver, other organ with large blood vessels). Thus, at the time of the exam, there is no evidence of internal bleeding, because there isn’t any — yet.

    Later, the weakened structure gives way, and internal hemorrhage takes place with no warning. This is very hard to predict. Unless the patient is hospitalized for constant monitoring in intensive care, you wouldn’t detect the problem until it was too late to do anything.

    I am sorry for your loss.

  22. amy l. says:

    my one year old yorkie/chiuauah was hit by a car. she had 3 fractures to her pelvic bone. 2 were just cracks but one was a break..my vet set the break..she improves everyday..when i come home from work she gets so excited to see me she tries to get up..it usually causes her pain.. the accident happened amost a week ago..her trying to get up or getting up while no ones home will not affect her healing will it?

    any info would be great..thanks

  23. Doc says:

    Hello, Amy,

    You need to confine your dog to a kennel-cage so that she cannot drag herself around much. An occasional attempt to rise won’t slow her healing that much, but she doesn’t need to be struggling from one end of the house to the other.

    Most of these kids heal in 2 to 4 weeks. Be sure and check with your veterinarian about getting her spayed (if she isn’t already). Pelvic fractures can deform the birth canal, making normal delivery of pups impossible, and requiring a C-section. We sure don’t want her to get pregnant.

    Good luck.

  24. Tyson and Teagan says:

    Our 12 year old terrier-poodle was hit by a truck last night and fractured his pelvis in four places. This morning he had surgery to put a screw in the major displacement, as advised by the veterinarian. The surgeon told us that during the surgery, there was a lot of unexpected muscle damage torn off the bone. They haven’t really given us any information as to whether or not he will recover at all.
    I understand that at 12 years old his recovery may not be as easy as a young pup, but he is extremely healthy, and our regular veterinarian says his blood work could be mistaken for a young adult!
    We are all very worried and at this point do not know what to expect for tomorrow. I haven’t read a case regarding muscle damage.. do you have any information?

  25. Lynz Smith says:

    Hi, my cat Lou is an indoor cat. He’s 4 years old and has always been healthy. Half a week ago he was rough housing with our other male cat when he awkwardly fell from the back of the couch. He was immediately in pain and extremely agitated. We took him to the vet’s the next morning and he was so mad (hates the vet) that they couldn’t even examine him without anesthesia. They took two x-rays and had to give him more anesthesia in order to catherize him to treat bladder crystals (probably unrelated?). The vet suspected a pelvic fracture but wasn’t completely confidant with the x-ray. She said if it was a fracture that it was close to the joint. We brought him home the next day and have been giving him vet prescribed Bioclav and Tramadol. He does seem like he’s in a lot of pain but is able to walk to the litter box and he’s been eating and eliminating fine. However he’s very agitated and still tries to climb on top of things. I’m most concerned that he’ll need surgery but we’re hoping he will heal on his own. Do you have any ideas on what the best options and treatments are? He’s a very difficult cat to keep on bed rest and he looks so pitiful. Please help, thank you. Lynz

  26. amy l. says:

    hello, i just had another question.. my dog is confined by the way!! she seems to want to sit on her back legs and stand often. should i let her do this? or is this just proof of her making good progress in her treatment? i would hate for her to have a set back and for it to take longer to heal.. thanks, amy

    • Latanula Dallas says:

      I have a nine month old cat. On yesterday, I believe my cat got hit by a car. I immediately rushed her to the veterinary for help. The veterinary stated that Chloe had a fracturned pelvis and everything thing else looks grest. Vet ordered to put Chloe on complete cage rest for 6 to 8 weeks with a follow-upvisit..

      I have a few questions.

      What else should I do for Chloe’s care?
      How long does it takes for my cat to return back to normal eating and drinking?

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Latanula,
        Since your cat cannot walk (and should not try for a couple of week), you would need to have a crate just big enough for her and a very shallow litter pan. You might have to take her out and assist her to the litter pan. The crate should have a well padded liner that is easily changed for cleaning. You may need to help her eat and drink by holding the bowls near for her.

        I would assume that your veterinarian prescribed some pain medication for a few days. Most cats would begin to eat in 2 or 3 days.

  27. Doc says:

    Hello, Tyson & Teagan,

    Your surgeon can probably give you more meaningful advice than I can, and he/she should be willing to sit down with you and give you a better explanation. He/she may think that all your questions have been answered already, and be perfectly willing to spend more time with you if you just ask.

    My own take would be that this would certainly slow the healing, but not prevent it. I would also be concerned about nerve damage. The sciatic nerve is the main nerve for the hind leg, and comes over the pelvic bone just behind the hip socket. If it were torn in half, your dog would lose the use of the leg.

    The pelvis is almost “encased” in muscle and tendon. This is why many pelvic fractures don’t need other immobilization. If those bones are broken, then you would expect muscle tearing as well. I think the prognosis would still be pretty decent.

    Again, I urge you to talk to your surgeon and let him/her know about your concerns.

    Good luck.

  28. Doc says:

    Hello, Lynz,

    Talk to your veterinarian about this. It sounds like we need to look at cage rest for a week or so, and that may require some sedation in addition to the pain-killers and antibiotics.

    Some cats adapt well to being kept in a kennel (You need one big enough to accommodate a litter-box, and the litter-box will need to be cleaned more often, because he’s stuck so close to it. Who wants to live next to a porta-potty?) If he does not adapt well to the kennel cage, then sedatives may be helpful.

    I’m not a big fan of drugging pets (or people) into submission, but it sounds like this guy really needs to avoid jumping and falling for a week or two.

    Talk to your veterinarian.

    Good luck.

  29. Doc says:

    Hello, Amy,

    Should you let her? How would you stop her?

    As long as she is confined so that she is not overdoing it, I wouldn’t worry about this. It does sound like she is making progress in her healing.

    Stay in touch with your veterinarian and follow his/her directions.

    Good luck.

  30. Terri says:

    We adopted Tippy, my now, 10 year old jack russell female 4 years ago from the county pound. She had always walked funny, not bending her back legs and often holdig one rear leg up when she ran/walked. My vet said she may have been abused and had developed arthritis. She never complains and seems to be happy and healthy so we just accepted this was how she would always be. Recently she stopped going poo and strains but nothing happens. She was not herself that day so I took her to the emergency vet. They misdiagnosed her as constipated… 3 days later she started to poo blood. my vet said that was normal from the strain but I insisted on bringing her in. More xrays and another failed enema, the vet told me that Tippy had refractured her pelvis. Her anal passage is completely shut. We are going to a surgical specialist in the morning. I am truly scared and broken hearted. She is my best friend. Can you offer any advice so I can help my litle dog and mentally prepare myself?

  31. Doc says:

    Hello, Terri,

    Sorry to be so late responding. I was out of town for a few days, no internet.

    It is very odd for a pelvis to spontaneously fracture when there is no history of new trauma. I am glad you are seeing a specialist, as I would be concerned that there is some other underlying disease going on.

    In addition to looking for a deeper problem, I am sure that the specialist will prescribe pain medicine for Tippy so that she can be comfortable.

    The pelvic bone has such a complex and irregular shape that it takes a very skilled orthopedic surgeon to do much with fractures in that area.

    It sounds like you are on the right track. Let me know what you find.

    • Jess says:

      My daughters 11month old Jack Russell got run over by a car and the vets said that she’s fractured her acetabulum and they want to cut the head off her femur. She is confined to a very small cage at home and awaiting surgery, may I ask what the benefits of this surgery is and would it heal fine with out surgery and just cage rest for 6 weeks?
      Thanks Jess

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Jess,

        Repair of the acetabulum (hip socket) is incredibly difficult. It is covered with a lot of muscle and tendon, very hard to get to, and has a very complex and irregular shape. Even a very good orthopedic surgical specialist may not be able to achieve the perfect alignment that would be needed to give perfect function of the hip joint. The “ball” has to glide smoothly in the socket. If the match isn’t perfect, the bones get damaged and severe arthritis results.

        Since the socket is deformed, the “ball” that is the femoral head will be grinding on that irregularity. So, removal of the femoral head prevents that grinding pain. There is enough muscle and tendon attached to the greater trochanter of the femur to support the dog’s weight. It isn’t perfect, but it works and it isn’t painful.

        With cage rest, the pelvis would heal, in that the bone fragments of the pelvis will be stuck together, but they won’t be in proper alignment, and you get painful arthritis.

  32. Tara says:

    Hello, Our 1 1/2 year old Husky took off Sunday night, and was found down the road early yesterday morning, unable to walk on one back leg. The x-ray showed several pelvic fractures and her left hip is basically shattered with the middle of the ilium broken and pushed completely midline. The femur is fine, as well as the spine. Vet said she had to have been hit by car going at least 55 mph because of the extent of the damage. She has bowel and bladder control, can stand on her right leg with some discomfort, and all reflexes are intact. The vet said that she could undergo TPO if we could find someone to do it, put her down, or let the fractures knit themselves with bedrest for the next 6-8 weeks. We opted for the bedrest as long as she is not suffering. I am wondering what your experience with this is, and how long should it take for her to start improving? She is drinking, not eating much. Is in a kennel on bed rest, taking Tramadol 100 mg three times a day, and is also on an COX inhibitor once daily. She does whine with moving her to go to the bathroom, etc. Is there anything else that we can do to help her heal and keep her comfortable? Do you think she has a good chance of living a relatively decent life since she still has the use of one leg? Any answers or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This is a heartbreaking situation.

  33. Doc says:

    Hello, Tara,

    Your veterinarian is best equipped to advise you, as he/she is seeing your dog and I am not.

    Generally speaking, if the acetabulum (hip socket) is intact, most dogs will heal spontaneously with the bed rest and pain control, and have a normal quality of life.

    The pelvic canal can be quite deformed by this type of injury, but it rarely keeps the dog from having normal bowel movements. If that occurs, you will either need corrective surgery, or have to use stool softeners regularly.

    With females, I usually recommend that they be spayed, as they are not likely to be able to deliver puppies through a deformed birth canal.

    I have had many patients with rather severe pelvic fractures who were up walking around in two weeks, though four to six is more realistic with an adult dog.

    Generally speaking, going by your description of the injuries, I think the chance of a happy outcome is very good.

    Keep your veterinarian informed of your dog’s progress (or lack of it), and of any new signs that develop.

    Thanks for reading and writing.

  34. Deb says:

    our dog got hit by a car last night and she seems to be having trouble with her right leg and hip she can walk but sure seems to be in alot of pain when doing so. the vet says to get her up and walk her so often … I see on here where you say bed rest for a few weeks is good ? HELP plz this our family pet and i don’t want to hurt her any more than she alredy is !

  35. Doc says:

    Hello, Deb,

    If your dog has been X-rayed so that we know there are no fractures, then short periods of movement will help her. She would still have a lot of bruising, so she should be taking some pain medicine or anti-inflammatory medicine (NOT over the counter meds like Aleve or Ibuprofen).

    You don’t want to push her hard, but just lying in one spot will probably make her get more stiff and sore.

    If you are not sure whether anything is broken, then you do need to find that out.

    With the pelvic fractures, we don’t want them moving a lot, because we want the bones to knit together. Less motion equals faster healing.

    Good luck.

  36. wardah razak says:

    My 1 month old kitten Leah hurt her rear while playing wildly with her siblings. She got stuck somewhere and then just started limping… She applies pressure on her foot and acts and plays normally but her hip bones seem skew as she runs and walks with a limp… I’ve taken her to see the vet and he didn’t say anything about her pelvis but that I should get back to him in a few days time if she’s not walking properly… Could her pelvis be fractured? Is it something Leah could live with as it doesn’t seem as she has any pain? If not she’s very young and I doubt surgery would be an option?! Please advise/comment

  37. Doc says:

    Hello,

    It’s pretty hard for me to advise you about a case that I haven’t seen. I really think that you need to speak with your veterinarian again with your questions.

    From your description, I am hopeful that you are dealing only with a sprain or strain. At this age, it is difficult to evaluate X-rays. There are many cartilage growth plates in the bone, and these look just like breaks in the bone on an X-ray. These are also weak places in the bone, and they may break in these spots.

    The good news is that kittens are really good orthopedic patients. They heal really well. There’s an old saying that if you can get the bones in the same room, they will heal. That’s a joke, of course, but you get the idea.

    I think that with rest, there is a very good chance that your kitten will get back to normal.

    Good luck.

  38. akua lum says:

    i want to thank you for your blog. reading your answers about pelvic fractures on cats has made me feel comfortable and at peace with what we have been doing for our little kitten. i appreciate your efforts. you are helping lots of animals get the best treatment. i will look at your sponsors as a thank you.

  39. Jessica Lotz says:

    My dog was hit by a truck and broke his pelvis in 3 places. The vet suggested we wait till the first of the week and see how his pain level is, then decide on surgery. They said he could heel just fine with rest and time, but I hate to see him suffer. The problem is surgery will be very costly and we will have to go to a specialist. Its been 24hours and I believe we have his pain under control. He is a 2yr old springer spaniel who is like a son to us, as a specialist what do you suggest for most cases like this?

  40. Doc says:

    Hello, Jessica,

    I am not a specialist of any kind.

    My experience has been that most dogs with pelvic fractures will heal with cage rest, providing that the hip joints are not involved. There is a large amount of muscle and tendon surrounding the pelvis, which tends to act as a sort of “self-cast”.

    Due to the irregular shape of the pelvic bones and the large amount of muscle and tendon surrounding them, it is very difficult to surgically repair them with bone plates. That generally does take a specialist in orthopedic surgery.

    If is his pain is under control and your veterinarian thinks the prognosis is good, that sounds good to me.

    If you are uncertain about the recommendations, you could ask your veterinarian for a referral to a specialist to get a second opinion.

    Your veterinarian has seen your dog and your X-rays, and is in a much better position to advise you than I am.

    Good luck.

  41. Beth says:

    My two year old boxer got loose from me when I was trying to open the door to get her in the house after pottying and she ended up getting hit by a truck. I took her to the vet and she had a broken pelvis. There’s about a one inch piece of bone that broke off of her pelvis and her hip bone moved forward some. The vet said that kennel rest should help her heal. They put her on Metacam and an antibiotic. She can move her leg and everything, I’m just worried about whether everything will move back to normal?

  42. Doc says:

    Hello, Beth,

    “back to normal” is a relative situation. When this heals, it will not look like there has never been an injury. From your description, I expect that the X-ray will show some bumps and some stuff that’s a little crooked.

    However, it probably will not affect function at all. As long as the birth canal is not deformed and the hip joints are not affected, then your dog should return to normal function.

    This is a common injury and most dogs return to full function without long-term problems.

    You should discuss your concerns with your veterinarian, as he/she has seen the dog and the X-rays, and can give you a more accurate idea of what to expect.

    Good luck.

  43. Lacie says:

    My american bulldog was hit my a garbage truck this morning. we took her to the emergency hospital she has fractured her ilium, but they have been waiting for her to urninate since 10 this morning! is that a bad sign that she hasnt used the restroom? and is there something they could do to actually help her urinate?

  44. Lacie says:

    Got an update on my american bulldog this morning. She finally urinated and they found blood in it. Could you tell me what the chances are that my isobel will make it?

  45. Doc says:

    This is the type of question that you really need to ask you veterinarian. All things being equal, I would say yes. If she got hit hard enough to break her pelvis, it could certainly bruise her bladder enough to cause some bleeding. This would have a good chance of healing without complications, but needs to be monitored. Her bladder could be injured in such a way that it deteriorates more with time. Also her urethra could be injured. Stay in touch with you veterinarian.

  46. Diana Haines says:

    We have a two year old hanging tree dog, Jack. He broke his collar off and was hit by a truck Wednesday night. We took him to the vet and he has a broken pelvis. He were given stool softners, antibotics and pain meds for him and he has been on bed rest. He has been urinating but he hasn’t eliminataed himself yet. When we take him out he stands up and walks!! Are these good signs or not? Should we not allow him to stand and walk? I’m afraid he will hurt himself more. How long should we wait for a bm before we should be concerened? Please help. I am just heart sick about my baby and really don’t know what to do!!

  47. Doc says:

    Hello,

    It usually takes two to four weeks for an uncomplicated pelvic fracture to heal. It is good that he feels like standing up and walking, but he will heal faster if he rests.

    Let your veterinarian know that he has not yet had a bowel movement He may recommend some additional laxative, or not. He/she has a better idea of what the situation is than I do.

    The outlook sounds generally good, from what you’ve told me.

    Best wishes.

  48. Diana Haines says:

    Thanks Doc. Actually as of 30 minutes ago he finally had a bowel movement. One of he joyous times of my life. I now feel convident that he will make full recoery!!

  49. Linda Shier says:

    Thank you for all your information on the nursing issues that apply to a fractured (X3) pelvis. My 1.5 yr old large shitzu was hit by a truck 4 days ago. He is on Meloxicam and Auexil???. He is resting well in a confined space. He had diarhea for the fist two days after leaving the vet. Yesterday he had a normal bowel movement outside. I was told to use a scarf to help suppot him when it is bathroom time and am unsure how to do this. I have gave him yougart and eggs because he is not interested in his dog food. My question is: How do I support him as he goes to the washroom?

  50. Doc says:

    Hello, Linda,

    A scarf or towel can be used as a sling. You would pass it under his belly, just in front of his hind legs. Thus, it would be a narrow band between his hind legs and the front of his penile sheath.

    Holding the ends, you would support him sort of like a wheelbarrow.

    They make special slings for dogs with long-term problems, but most of these guys are up getting around in 2 to 4 weeks.

    You might look at this site:

    http://www.handicappedpets.com/www/index.php/help-pets-walk/dog-harnesses-a-slings.html

    Good luck.

  51. Dilliakotze says:

    My 11month old jack russel puppy got hit by a car. Broke her pelvis in 3 places and theres a bone just on top of the pelvis that is misplaced and it looks like it is sticking out from where it used to be. She still ran home after the accident and just moaned when i picked her up, but other than that she looked okay, a little down and shaky, but you would not say she had just been in an terrible accident. When the vet told us that we must decide what we want to do between surgery and puting her down, puting her down was defnitly not een a option for me.Cause my dog certainly does not look like a dog that is busy dieing! The surgery would cost me between R6000-R8000. Wich i unfortunately do not have. I asked the vet if there is a chance that my baby girl could recover without surgary and she said we could take her home for about 5-7 days and if she can urinates and poo by herself then she could recover by bed resting. She have been bed resting for 2days with great painkillers that are working very well. She urinated normally and were eating good and dranked alot of flueds. But she hasnt had any bowel movement. She normally used to be constipated even before the accident. So i called the vet and asked her if theres something to relieve my puppy from her constipation. And she gaved me an ointment that the dog must eat. I gave her the prescribed meds this morning and now 12h later she still havnt made poopies. And after i gaved her the meds this morning she also stopped eating and only took a few sips of water. This is concerning me. When i put her down outside the door to go poopies then she runs back inside easily on her 3 legs without moaning. (i dont allow any movement otherwise but since she is now scared to be outside, she slips pass me to go inside and lie down) Its been 3 days, should i be concerned that she hasnt made poopies? Or could it still happen? Can it be the new medication for her constipation that made her stopped eating? And what can i do to help her more. Shes my little baby and it will kill me to loose her, espessialy since i had my previous jack russel for 13years and lost her a month before getting this one.

  52. Doc says:

    Hello, Dilliakotze,

    If she is walking on three legs and urinating okay, then the prognosis is very good. She may have some arthritis at an early age on the side where the injury is worse.

    I would suspect that the poor appetite is more due to pain than to the constipation treatment. It is also possible that if she is indeed constipated, that would reduce her appetite.

    The “ointment” for constipation sounds like the preparation we use to treat hairballs in cats. It is basically flavored petrolatum (Vaseline is the common tradename here).

    If the dog does not like to eat this, some dogs will eat their regular food with mineral oil poured over it like gravy. Both petrolatum and mineral oil are inert lubricants and go through the dog without being digested. The worst side-effect is usually a loose stool.

    If she really is becoming constipated, it is possible that she will need an enema. You should consult your veterinarian about this.

    Good Luck.

  53. Lindsey says:

    Hi my dog got hit by a car 4 days ago and we rushed him to the vet emergency room and he has 3 fractures in his pelvis.. it was either a 2500 dollar surgery or crate rest for 6 wks. we had to choose the crate rest because of money issues plus the vet overnight cost us 800. they gave us pain meds and an antibiotic hes doing very well but hes having trouble going to the bathroom. hes very constipated, the vet said to use colate stool softener and that didnt help so we tried pumpkin. he wouldnt eat it. so i gave him a stool softener/ laxitive yesterday and he did try to poop but he would cry out in pain and he only let a little bit come out. so i was wondering if theres anything else that i can try to make it easier for him

  54. Doc says:

    Hello, Lindsey,

    Let your veterinarian know what is going on. He/she may wish to give the dog an enema. I really cannot advise you to do this without knowing more about the case.

    Best wishes.

  55. James says:

    My Doberman/Lab mix “Max” ( He is 11 months old) was hit by a car and is suffering from a broken pelvis. We have had him to the Vet for X-rays his hips are okay and his back and legs are not broken. The Vet expects him to recover well. Max is 89 pounds and needs a lot of help. We are using puppy pads for the constant dripping of urine and he has little control over his bowels but we are keeping that area clean also. We have to turn him every few hours or the side he is laying on gets soaked. We have noticed that his tail is swelling and limp and we are wondering if there is anything more we should be doing. Does anyone else have experience with a large dog with a broken pelvis – any ideas or suggestions? Thanks.

  56. Doc says:

    Hello, James,

    The swollen limp tail should be reported to your veterinarian. It is possible that the nerves controlling it have been damaged, either temporarily or permanently.

    This could also be an indication that other nerves have been damaged, like the ones that control his bladder. Constant dripping of urine is not to be expected with a pelvic injury.

    Call your veterinarian and let him know what his happening.

    Good luck.

  57. Patti S says:

    My cat was hit by a car tonight. She has tail pull and her pelvis is broken in three places. She has no feeling in her back legs and the Vet says she may have nerve damage. I told the Vet I will do anything to save her. She was a rescue not even a year ago. I love her.

  58. Doc says:

    Hello, Patti,

    I wish that I had something to offer you. The lack of pain sensation is a bad sign, usually indicating spinal cord damage.

    I suspect your veterinarian has prescribed supportive care and pain medication.

    I hope it is less severe than it sounds.

    Best wishes.

    • Susan says:

      My Belgian Malinois was hit 6 weeks ago. Pelvic fracture that spidered into the hip. She is walking and getting up and down but knuckling on the injured leg. No surgery was needed and we think her healing is good but worried about the muscle loss and if she will ever gain muscle strength to pick up the leg snd straighten out the paw and digits. Her paperwork stated mild sciatic something that I researched and was found as being the mildest sciatic issue because the axon was intact. How do I help her stop knuckling and get her leg strength back?

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Susan,
        If her sciatic nerve was impacted, there is no specific treatment. If it was not severed, then there is a good chance it will recover function, but that can take six months or longer. If the paw is knuckling over, that can cause abrasions if she drags it very much. There are boots and braces that can keep the foot from knuckling under while she recovers (or support her in the event that she does not recover full function).

  59. J & L says:

    Hello, last night our dog was hit by a car. She is a 2 year old pomeranian/beagle mix. She had trouble walking last night and this morning put some weight on her left hind leg but none on her right. When we took her to the vet he did xrays and found her right femur dislocated from the socket and 4 fractures in the pelvis. He said there may be some nerve damage as well that will complicate going to the bathroom and things like that but its hard to tell because there is so much swelling. right now they are keeping her there with pain meds and sedation to keep her still and resting to see if some of the swelling will go down so they can better see whats going on. my question is, in cases like this what are the odds of her being surviving? Also keeping use of her hind leg? What is the approximate healing time for wounds like this, and is it possible to heal without surgery or is that going to be the best option? I will ask our vet once we see him tomorrow but we’re just so worried I was hoping to get some sort of answer to these questions sooner. thank you.

  60. Doc says:

    Hello, Jackquelline,

    Pelvic fractures usually heal in an adult dog over a 4 week period, younger dogs may be up walking in as little as two weeks.

    When the hip joint is not fractured, most patients will be functional with just cage rest. The heavy muscles around the pelvis act like a “self-splint”.

    Orthopedic surgery to put the pieces together is really difficult, due to the very irregular shape of the bone, and because it is heavily covered with muscles.

    From your description, it sounds like one of the fractures may be in the area where the sciatic nerve crosses over the bone. If this nerve is actually torn in half, that leg will not function normally.

    Sometimes the nerve is intact, but the swelling in the area keeps it from functioning during the early stages of healing.

    Replacing the hip in the socket may be difficult, due to the nature of the injuries. When the pelvis is intact, it can usually be done without surgery. In this case, I cannot say, not having seen the pet or the X-rays.

    Pelvic fractures deform the birth canal, so getting females spayed is important.

    Many dogs with injuries such as you describe can lead happy lives, even if they don’t recover use of the affected leg. I’ve seen quite a few 3-legged dogs that did really well.

    Be sure to relay your concerns and questions to your veterinarian.

    Best wishes.

  61. Angie says:

    Hi,
    I feel upon this and am looking for some advice! My puppy (4 1/2 months old), feel out of the car window while driving (sticking her head out the window, it was only 1/2 way down, little stinker) and we found out she broke her pelvis in just one place. I have the xrays from the vet uploaded on my computer. If you have an email I could forward and I would be eternally grateful for any advice! We have already spent $300 on x-rays and an exam. The vet recomends surgery at $2000!!! Yikes. It happened one week ago, and she’s already running around (we try to keep her caged though) and bearing weight on it. We were told if she doesn’t get it repaired, she could have severe arthritis for her lifetime. So confused on what to do! So much money that we don’t have to spend, but don’t want her to suffer forever. Please help!

  62. Jpensak says:

    Hi:

    Thank you for the excellent website! My 3 year-old neutered male cat was clipped by a car about 2 weeks ago. Exam by 2 vets thought no major fractures or internal injuries. He did have a deep gash between his hind leg and anus (and some bruises on his face).

    He’s eating (much less than normal) and walking about, but I still haven’t seen him drink anything. (So, I’m still syringe feeding him at least once a day, just to make sure he gets some fluid.)

    Is there any obvious issue that might cause him to stop drinking?

    Thanks,

    Jon

  63. Doc says:

    Hello, Jon,
    If he is eating okay, then it’s not any kind of bowel blockage issue. If he weren’t urinating he would be pretty darn sick, and quit eating. I’m concerned about the dog being in pain, either from the trauma, or an infected wound.
    I would suggest that you get the dog rechecked. Sometimes injuries don’t really show up well until later.

    Good luck.

  64. Teisha A. Tinker says:

    Hello,
    According to the humane society in my area, my pit bull was hit by a car. They said that his pelvis is broken, they sent me home with some pain meds and an anti inflammatory and called it a day… My poor dog has been whining since we brought him home. The meds seem to only help a tiny bit but there are a couple things that really concern me. Number one, his testicles are BLACK… he doesn’t seem to have pain in that area but they are usually not that color. The other thing that worries me is that the side were he is hurting, well that leg keeps kicking or twitching on its own and my dog looks really scared when it happens. Is this going to heal on it’s own or what should I do for him?

  65. Doc says:

    Hello, Teisha,

    The black color is probably due to bruising. If there is no swelling, I’d leave it alone. If there is swelling, cold compresses should be applied for 20 minutes 3 times daily – A towel in ice water works well. NO ice should be applied directly, as it’s too cold and will damage the skin.

    The twitching suggests that the pelvic fracture (or related swelling) is putting pressure on a nerve. We can hope that this gets better as the swelling goes down.

    The pain should be better tomorrow. It is worst in the first 24 hours up to 72 hours. You might contact the prescriber and see if it is safe to increase the dose for now.

    Without seeing your X-rays it is hard to say what will happen, but most pelvic fractures do heal on their own within 2 to 4 weeks.

    Good luck.

  66. Sarah says:

    Hi my poor cat (6.5yr old female) was backed over in our driveway. She immediately couldn’t walk on her hind legs. I took her to the emergency vet who did xrays etc and told me her hip was just out of socket and it didn’t look like any spinal damage maybe just compression on the cord due to swelling. They put her hip back in place gave me some pain meds and steriods and told me to see my vet in 3 days and if she didn’t make any progress with movement within 24-72 hours she probably had some spinal cord damage. She started moving her legs and tail but would not stand or anything. Monday morning I took her to the vet and there they looked at the xrays that were done and said she had a pelvic fracture and her knee was broke! So they put a splint on her leg and told me it needed to be changed weekly. She cannot get up to get to the litter box….she urinates on herself and the vet told me not to wrap any kind of plastic wrap or anything around the splint to keep it dry. They are charging me $110 each time I have to take her in to get it changed (weekly and PRN if wet etc). They don’t want me to change it myself and I can’t afford to pay that much if she is constantly going to soil it. My question is (sorry it has taken a while to get to the point) if we leave the splint off and just do cage rest will she be able to walk ever again? Thanks so much!
    Sarah

    • Christine says:

      I’m tin and my dog was hit by a car 3 days ago. He sometimes eat
      and sometimes not. Can’t barely walk and keeps whining when he tries to stand up . My concern is that he was not able to poop for three days now. Please tell me if he is going to be ok and what should I do. There is no vet around our area.the only thing I can do for his pain is Lgiving him paracetamol mix in oral rehydration salts. Is that ok?

      • Doc says:

        Hello, Christine,
        Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is relatively safe for dogs (NOT CATS). A 325 mg tablet treats a 40 pound dog, and is usually safe to give twice daily.

        If he is having trouble with his bowel movement, a really safe laxative is psyllium mucilloid (Metamucil is one trade name), 1 teaspoon of powder per 20 pounds of body weight with each feeding.

        Plenty of fluid intake is important in order to be able to evacuate the stool. If he seems to be straining, it is possible to give an enema.

  67. Doc says:

    Hello, Sarah,

    The pelvic fracture will probably heal without any treatment except cage rest.

    The hip has a better than 50% chance of staying in the socket and doing okay. Even if it doesn’t it may form a “false joint” in the muscle tissues and still be serviceable.

    The “broken knee” will probably not heal unless it is kept immobilized. The cat may likely walk on 3 legs, but that leg probably won’t be functional if not kept splinted.

    I wish I had an easier answer for you.

    Good luck.

  68. Jon says:

    Hi. I had a question on time to “full” activity.

    It’s been 4 weeks since my cat got hit by a car–testing from vet showed pelvic fracture and his blood tests were normal except for liver values were “diluted.” I limited his activity by preventing him from going up and down steps. Now he’s walking normally, but everytime I let him outside, he comes back and looks “sore” in walking and doesn’t eat as much.

    Just wondering how I know when to let him go back to normal activities?

    Thanks,

    Jon

  69. Doc says:

    We usually say that it will be two to four weeks before the animal is up walking. If you’ve ever had a fracture, when you first get your cast off, you’re really not ready for full activity.
    It sounds like things are going well, but I would certainly give him another two weeks to get back on his feet. It may take several weeks to really get as good as he is going to get.

  70. randi says:

    My dog was run over by a car yesterday and has bad injuries. Her pelvis is broken and has come away from her spine. He weight bearing joint (I don’t remember the name) has been shattered. Surgery was not recommended because she is 14. So far she is managing well-eating, drinking, urinating, and comfortable. One vet who reviwed her xrays said I should put her to sleep. Another vet said she could heal with 5 to 6 months of bed rest. Because she is acting normal I am going to keep her on bed rest and maybe get her a wheelchair eventually. Do u have any other suggestions?

  71. Doc says:

    Hello, Randi,

    This is indeed a difficult situation. Stay in close touch with your veterinarian and be sure that she is urinating okay. She could have trouble with urine retention and urinary tract infections.
    She could also develop decubital sores (bed-sores).

    Please keep your veterinarian informed about your dog’s condition.

    If she is not taking pain medication, you need to get help evaluating that situation, also.

    Good luck.

  72. Darla says:

    My dog was hit by a truck and broke his pelvis. The vet put him on pain meds and mentioned feeding him canned tuna with oil. Drain as much oil off as you can. One week later he is eating, drinking and starting to wobble around. Can I give him Poly-vi-sol baby vitmins? Will this help in the healing? and the long term effects of the break?

  73. Doc says:

    Hello, Darla,

    The vitamins will not hurt, and may help. The long-term effects of the fracture depend on where the breaks are, and the dog’s general condition and other injuries.

    Your veterinarian is better equipped to answer this question, as he/she has actually seen your dog’s injuries.

    Best wishes.

  74. Kacey says:

    Hi, My 4 year old American Bulldog was hit by a car this morning. We found her sitting on our porch with a bloody tail and road rash. She didn’t appear to be in any pain. My husband tried to stand her up and her hind legs were pretty limp. Somehow she made it to the porch though!? The vet says she has a fractured hip and her sacrum is fractured. He says she needs surgery that he does not perform. When he examined her he did say that she was putting some weight on her left leg. That’s a good sign right? He has referred us to a surgeon who says it could cost anywhere from 1,600 to $3,200 . We do not have that kind of money and they will not work out any kind of payment plan!! My question is … Is there any chance this could heal on its own?? What kind of risk would we be taking by going that route? I really don’t want to put her to sleep. :o( We are letting her stay at the vet tonight and I will be picking her up in the morning. I just don’t know what to do!

  75. Doc says:

    Hello, Kacey,

    I’m not sure that I can give you meaningful advice. I haven’t seen the dog or X-rays, and I’m not an orthopedic specialist.

    A fractured hip joint is extremely unlikely to heal on its own, and if it did, would almost certainly heal in an abnormal fashion. This would result in a joint that would develop severe arthritis at an early age, even if it functioned okay initially.

    The broken sacrum could impinge on spinal nerves if it heals improperly. This are is more likely to heal on its own, but no guarantees that things would be normal.

    From your description, it sounds like that without treatment, the best outcome would be a dog that walks on three legs without much pain. The leg with the fractured hip would probably not be functional, and might continue to have pain. The pain might be minor and controllable with medication.

    It always amazes me when a dog even lives through an encounter with an automobile.

    It is unfortunate that your dog was injured in this way, but there is no simple quick fix for such a problem. The surgery is complex, requiring a specialist, and just the materials are expensive, even if you expected the doctor to work for free (which would not be reasonable).

    You might consider applying for Care Credit. This is a credit card that is only used for medical expenses. If approved, they usually give you the first 3 months interest free. After that, the rate is plenty high if you don’t pay it off monthly.

    In the meantime, your veterinarian should be able to help you manage your dog’s pain with medication.

    Best wishes.

  76. shannon says:

    hey my cat got hit by a car last night i took him the the vet straight away they told me it wasnt bad enough to have surgry on but he has had a bit of blood in his urine does this mean he has internal bleeding i told the vet and he just said to me thats a sign hes been hit but i dunno pls help oh and how long should i keep him on bed rest for ?

  77. Doc says:

    Hello, Shannon,

    When the cat has taken a blow to the back end that would break the pelvis, the urinary bladder can be bruised, even if not severely damaged. This will cause some blood in the urine. If the amount of blood is small, and it stops in a couple of days, then this should not be a problem.

    If the leg bones and hip joints are okay, then most pelvic fracture patients will be up and walking in about two weeks, though it could take four weeks.

    With the bladder damage, it is important to be sure that your cat is continuing to urinate. Sometimes a damaged bladder works okay for a few days, then the damaged tissue breaks. Urine pools inside the belly, instead of coming out of the cat like it is supposed to. If your cat quits passing urine, you need to take him back to the doctor.

    With female cats, it is important to get them spayed, even if they heal up okay. The birth canal is usually deformed by the injury, and they cannot have kittens without surgery.

    With a male cat, this is not an issue, of course.

    With good nursing care and cage rest (in a travel cage, for instance) most will be up and going in a couple of weeks. If your cat is urinating okay and eating okay, then the prognosis is good.

  78. Ursula says:

    Hello:
    My 4 year old shitzu got hit by a car friday night we rushed her to the clinic and she has a fractured pelvis she just delivered pups 4 weeks ago now we feeding the pups can food and milk pups my dog she seems to be in pain at night we have her in a cage aas we were told by thr vet but she is crying all night am not sure if is that she is in a cage or pain my questions is what are the chances for her pelvis to heal with out surgery.?if the vet er vet never mentioned the bladder i should not be concerned on this or what are the test to know if there was any bladder damage??

  79. Doc says:

    Hello, Ursula,

    Most pelvic fractures will heal without surgery. If they involve the hip joint, arthritis can result at an early age.

    The birth canal can be deformed, so it would be best if she is not bred again in the future. Better yet, get her spayed to remove the chance of pregnancy.

    If she is passing urine out of her body, then her bladder is probably okay. If it were badly damaged, the urine would pool inside her body, and you wouldn’t see it come out.

    I hope that her pain is beginning to subside since it is three days now. It is certainly possible that she is still in pain.

    I would ask your veterinarian again about some pain medicine for her.

    Good luck.

  80. cathy says:

    what if the vet says my dogs pelvis is “crushed” I have no money to provide her with a surgery. I am so sad thinking my only altenative is to put her down. Is that so?

  81. Doc says:

    Hello, Cathy,

    It is difficult for me to advise you, not knowing your pet or having seen your X-rays.

    Your veterinarian is your best source of information.

    “Crushed” does sound like something that may be beyond repair. Cars can do terrible damage to a dog.

    Best wishes.

  82. Lynz Smith says:

    Hello! Over a year ago I asked you about my cat Lou who had fractured his pelvis near to the joint. Well, he ended up healing fine and was doing well until this May when a vehicle struck our apartment building. I dont know if he was just startled or if he was under something when it happened but afterwards he displayed the same symptoms as when he fractured his pelvis. We had x-rays done and they were inconclusive. My regular vet suggested taking him to a neurologist which I didnt do but he seemed to recover fairly quickly but has a residual limp. On Aug 20 my much larger cat jumped on him and seemed to reinjure him yet again in the same way. Not trusting my vet’s opinion I took him elsewhere and within 5 mins of examining him the vet declared that his pelvis ‘did not feel normal’ and told me to obtain his previous xrays b/f taking him back. I plan on taking him in for more xrays next week at this new vets but in the meantime i was wondering if you had any idea as to why his pelvis may be misshapen and why my usual vet didnt determine this in May. Any advice would be great. Thanks so much, Lynz.

  83. Doc says:

    Hello, Lynz,

    While the pelvis will usually heal on its own, it frequently does not heal in a completely normal alignment.

    The fragments of bone do stick together, but they may not be stuck together as though nothing happened.

    The resulting deformity of the pelvic bone and “birth canal” area is usually not of much consequence in males. It doesn’t take much deformity to prevent the delivery of kittens, so females should be spayed. It takes a LOT of deformity to keep the cat from passing stool, so male cats usually are not troubled by this.

    It is not surprising at all that the pelvis does not “feel normal” if was fractured previously.

    The question is whether or not this has any relationship to his present problems. I would question this, as he had done well for months before being re-traumatized.

    While the old injury needs to be considered in evaluating his current problem, I would certainly be looking for other things related to the more recent injuries, as well.

    Good luck.

  84. jenny says:

    My cat went missing for 3 weeks,returned ths friday,he has a fractured pelvis not sure when this happened or how,he hasnt passed urine yet,in a cage,purring,eating,drinking,washing,but not been?rally worried

  85. Doc says:

    Hello, Jenny,

    Purring, eating, drinking and washing all sound good.

    I would recommend seeing your veterinarian to determine if there are any neurological deficits. Even if the legs are intact, there could be nerve damage affecting the control of them, and also affecting the control of the bladder.

    Your veterinarian can also determine if the bladder is intact and able to empty normally.

    This is not something that I can really help you with long distance.

    Good luck.

  86. tina says:

    Hi my doberman shepherd was hit tonight by a truck he ran away from the truck to the grass. He cant move his back legs. the lady who hit him was a vet tech she said if he makes it as long as 3 hours he may not have internal bleeding an he could recover in time since hes young i cant get him to eat or drink 🙁 i really hope he can recover. Im hoping tmw the vet will give me some pain meds for him. What do i do an what could be the out come.

  87. Doc says:

    Hello, Tina,

    If it is just a pelvic fracture, many patients recover without a lot of major intervention: strict rest and pain control.

    The inability to move the hind legs makes me worried about a spinal cord injury, that is almost always permanent.

    Your dog needs a good examination by your veterinarian to see the extent of the damage.

    Good luck.

  88. Jenny says:

    My cat was hit by a car four nights ago. The emergency vet took x-rays and blood. His blood was fine and there doesn’t seem to be internal damage. His pelvis is fractured. We were able to take him home Sunday night and took him to our regular vet (per the emergency vet’s orders) on Monday morning. The regular vet only had him a few hours and said that the only serious problem could be if the pelvic bone is pressing on the rectum. He had a small bowel movement at the vet’s that day, but the stool was hard. We’ve been giving him kitty laxative gel (that he really likes) as the vet suggested. We will be taking our cat back to the vet next Monday (so it will be about 9 days after the accident) to do more x-rays and make sure everything is okay. We have him in a large (for dobermans we used to have) crate. He’s eating really well, but only drinks if we mix his food with water. He is urinating about twice a day.

    After all of that — what the vet said about the rectum being an issue (and then if it is surgery being needed) has me worried. I know with humans pain medicine does cause constipation and he obviously isn’t eating as much as usual . . . so how long is usually “normal” for constipation to last in this sort of case? And, do you think a litter box in the cage would help right now? he won’t even drag himself to his food or water bowl. He will “help” me move him if he’s urinated on himself, but that’s about it right now. So I don’t see the point of having a litter box in there unless it could potentially “entice” him to feel more comfortable about going to the bathroom??

  89. Jenny says:

    Also, what is the best way to pick him & help him use the litter box? And what is the best way to pick him up and move him over to his other side so he doesn’t get bed sores?

  90. Doc says:

    Hello, Jenny,

    Try to support both front and back as you turn him, with a hand under his shoulders and chest, and the other hand under his thighs and hips.

    Ideally, you would roll him so that his legs go under him, rather than rolling him on his back (legs going over the top). However, this usually requires two sets of hands (two people).

    If he is lying flat on his side, I would try to turn him every two to four hours.

    Good luck.

  91. Jenny says:

    Thank you for the advice.

    I called my vet today and he “wasn’t in right then” and never called me back, so I’m a bit frustrated because I wanted to figure this problem out:

    I picked him up just as you described and he didn’t make a peep, he seemed completely okay with how I was lifting him and I had him in the air and even had him rolled over without any problems.

    But, as soon as I put him down onto the blanket (onto his “bad” side) he started crying, pushed himself up (or tried to) stumbled out of my hands and fell (by this time I had him again and so I “helped” him fall gently) back onto the same side he is constantly lying on.

    He just refuses to be on the other side or to even lay on his belly.

    I have lifted his front half up and massaged/ scratched the side he is laying on to try and get blood going and he is okay with that and purrs.

    I can’t get near his back legs to clean them or to move him into a new position or to massage them, however.

    Is this something that will resolve itself in time? Should I leave him be for now and not try rolling him to his other side for a few days?

    I will call my vet again tomorrow, but if I get the same brush off, I’d like at least your opinion to work with.

    Thanks so much.

  92. Doc says:

    Hello, Jenny,
    I understand your frustration. I know that sometimes I get a bit overloaded and am really late calling people back.

    I think that your instinct is correct when you decide to NOT do something that appears to cause pain.

    I wish that I could give you more specific advice, but it’s really not possible without an examination.

    Do call your veterinarian again.

    Best wishes.

  93. Tracy says:

    Dear Doctor,

    My 2.5 yr old Corgi was hit buy a car about 6 weeks ago, his pelvic bone was fractured and is no longer connected to his spine.

    The Emergency room doctor recommended surgery, but we just couldn’t afford it. So we took the conservative approach and cage rest him for 6 weeks now. My poor corgi still cannot walk.

    Should we try to give him some training/assistant to walk again? We are hoping that he just can’t move much because he’s been in a cage for so long.

    Please let us know what we should/can do to help him!

    Much appreciated!!
    Tracy

  94. Doc says:

    Hello, Tracy,

    I believe that the first thing needed is to have your regular veterinarian re-evaluate your dog. You need to know several things.

    Is the spinal cord intact? Does he have feeling in the legs? Is he emptying his bladder normally or is it staying pretty full (leading to bladder infections)?

    This is not just a walking issue. It’s also not something I can diagnose or recommend for “long distance”.

    If your pet just needs some additional physical support, this company has really good products.

    http://handicappedpets.com/www/index.php/help-pets-walk/help-lift-dogs.html

    I definitely would not start ordering stuff to try to get the dog up without having him re-evaluated.

    Good luck.

  95. Lorna quinn says:

    My Yorkshire terrier fell of the settee and was yelping in pain , he now has no power at all on his back legs , vet says to take him home n give him complete rest to see if any power returns do you think he will be ok , thanks

  96. Doc says:

    Hello, Lorna,

    I wish that I could be of more help to you. Without a good neurological examination (and maybe X-rays), I don’t know what to tell you.

    Pelvic fractures usually do not result in a loss of control or feeling in the hind legs. The dog hurts too much to walk on them, but he can move them.

    A spinal disc injury can put enough pressure on the spinal cord nerves to prevent the dog from using the legs, but it seems unlikely that this would occur just falling off the couch.

    Please call your veterinarian and tell him/her that you need some more explanation on what he/she thinks the dog’s actual injury may be.

    Let them know that you aren’t really sure what your are supposed to be doing or looking for.

    I’m afraid I can’t tell you much without having seen the dog, so call your veterinarian back.

    Good luck.

  97. Tracy says:

    Dear Doctor,

    This is Tracy with the 2.5 year old Corgi, who has a pelvic bone fracture for about 9 weeks now.

    We took your advice and have him re-evaluated, but the vet recommended us to visit a neurologist to understand why he still cannot walk. He can sometimes stand up with the good rear leg, but the broken leg seemed to be dragging next to it, it seemed to blocks him from walking, and I can imagine the pain with all the broken pelvic bones.

    My family is thinking of amputating the broken leg, and hopefully he can walk again. Do you know how much the surgery usually cost, and the recovery time? He’s a 27 lbs corgi, do you think he can still walk after amputation of the rear leg?

    Much appreciated!
    Tracy

  98. Doc says:

    Hello, Tracy,

    If the dog can walk on three legs now, he should be even better after amputating the non-functional leg.

    The recovery time is usually about 10 days.

    I cannot comment on cost of surgery in your area. This varies so much with the overhead costs of the hospital, and the general costs in an area.

    Your veterinarian should be able to give you a very close estimate of the surgical cost ahead of time.

    While this surgery is not routine for the dog, it is not something that usually requires a specialist.

    Best wishes.

  99. heidi kroeck says:

    my 4 year old cat got run over in the driveway Friday night (we did not know we hit him except for the car felt like it hit a small speed bump)and we found him on the back porch later on. We took him to the emergency and the doctor took xrays and said he would recover from the small pelvic fracture though we declined to do the traumatic injury test or blood work. He was put on pain meds and cage rest. He barely moved the whole next day and never went to the bathroom or ate. 24 hours after the car accident he started twitching his front legs slowly then his back legs then his whole body and we brought him back to the ER vet who said his BUN was off the chart and even for a traumatic injury it should not be that high and said it looked like antifreeze toxicity. He ended up needing put down but I still think this could have been from the car hit. What do you say?

  100. Lee Noad says:

    My Cat has a pelvic fracture we have had him to the vets, and they have said that he needs to be in a cage and rest , but they said he was eating and going to the toilet, but hes been home 24 hours and he’s wee’d 2 times not pooped and not eaten or drank anything, is it just a case of, glad its all over now i’m gonna rest ?

  101. Doc says:

    Hello, Heidi,

    It is possible that the trauma was the actual cause of the kidney failure. The kidneys are very sensitive to a loss of good circulation, and easily damaged.

    I once had treated a patient who had been comatose for several hours after being kicked by a horse. He recovered from the brain concussion, but 3 days later died of kidney failure. His circulation had just been too poor during the hours of unconsciousness and shock.

    So the trauma is a plausible explanation for the kidney failure. However, this time of year people are certainly draining and changing antifreeze.

    Cats are so susceptible to the toxic effects of antifreeze that they can walk through a puddle and clean their feet and get a fatal dose.

    Your veterinarian has more data in this case and is better equipped to give you an explanation than I am.

    Microscopic examination of the kidneys by a pathologist would reveal oxalate crystals if it were antifreeze poisoning. There is no way to be sure otherwise.

    Thanks for reading and writing.

  102. Doc says:

    Hello, Lee,

    It is possible that your cat just needs to rest. On the other hand, if he was eating in the hospital, we would expect him to have a better appetite at home.

    It is possible that more pain medication is needed. It is also possible that there were other injuries that have gone undetected.

    Sometimes in a trauma case like this, a body part is damaged and weakened, but still functioning. Then later a weakened area “gives way” and ceases to function properly.

    If your cat does not improve rapidly, I recommend that you get him back to your veterinarian for re-evaluation.

    Good luck.

  103. Melissa Garcia says:

    Hi,
    My 10 Month old Chihuahua was hit by a car today, we took him to the vet and the x ray showed he had a fractured pelvic ischium and his right hip is dislocated. They referred me to a specialist and starting rate is $2700 to 4700 for surgery, my question would be is if surgery is absolutely needed or can my precious chihuahua heal on its own with best rest. please help,my heart brakes every time I hear him cry in pain.

  104. Doc says:

    Hello, Melissa,

    The pelvis will usually heal together without surgery, but the alignment of the bone fragments will not be normal. This can deform the birth canal.

    If the hip joint is affected, the dog will almost certainly have severe arthritis if the surgery is not performed.

    I really cannot advise you without seeing your dog.

    Ask your veterinarians what your options are, and what the pros and cons are.

    Good luck.

  105. LGD Owner says:

    We have a maremma sheep dog that is 6-8 years that we adopted from rescue. She has worked out great for us. We recently adopted a 1 1/2 year old Pyrenees and have not had a chance to train her. We decided they should not be left alone together as our maremma displayed dominance and territorial issues.

    Long story short: we had to leave our home for a few hours. We decided to put them both on separate cable runs with trolleys and swivels, etcs. However, the Pyrenees broke her leash in half and when we returned, it was clear that they had fought. Our Maremma had not been able to escape off her cable run and she was injured. No bleeding or cuts or tears but slight limping of the back hips and leg areas. She has always been stiff in that area to begin with and we had her on joint supplements. But she was able to walk and run before. Now she cannot run and avoids walking. It seemed that whatever occurred while we were gone has been severely aggravated and possibly injured. She has a hard time sitting and prefers to stand or lay down. But not sit. She is able to climb onto our couch to sleep and seems to be able to rest well. The only time she yelped in pain is when my husband pressed on her lower back and she yipped at him but settled down. I have given her natural pain and immune remedies and they don’t help with the limping but help with her being able to relax more.

    Is it possible that she could have a broken or fractured hip or leg? We are debating if we should take her into the vet right away or give her a few days to rest and recover and reassess.

    We feel terribly about this and fully responsible. We did not predict in a million years that the leash would break. We mainly need help determining if a vet visit will help or stress her further. I read that 99.9% of fractures heal on their own. However, how does one determine between a fracture, hip displacement or broken bone without an x-ray? Or even just bruises and sprain?

    What is the longest we can wait before taking her to a vet? This happened less than 12 hours ago.

    Thank you in advance, I actually feel better after reading your article and all of the response you give. Hearing that dogs can sometimes heal after a car accident makes me feel a lot better about two dogs getting in a scuffle. But I still want to do the right thing.

  106. Doc says:

    Hello, LGD Owner,

    It is unlikely that your dog has a pelvic fracture (a break or crack in the pelvic bones). That usually takes a really hard blow, as there is a lot of muscle protecting it.

    If the angle of impact was just right, it is possible that the hip is dislocated or that it is even broken.

    You are correct in saying that this is nearly impossible to differentiate without an X-ray. I can’t do it, and have been surprised by the X-ray results more than once.

    It is also possible that you have a severe sprain, strain, bruising, etc.

    If your dog is not a great deal better in the morning, I’d take her to a veterinarian. If there is a dislocation, the longer you wait, the less likely you are to have a good outcome.

    Take your veterinarian a written note of any medications you have given. Do not give human NSAIDs, such as Aleve or Ibuprofen. Dogs do not tolerate these well, sometimes getting bleeding ulcers at the first dose.

    There are NSAIDs that have been tested and approved for dogs, and that rarely cause any problem, should your veterinarian feel that they are needed.

    For some of these conditions, time and good nursing care are all that are needed, but you need to know what the condition is, in order to treat it appropriately.

    Thanks for reading and writing.

  107. Melanie says:

    My husband accidentally reveresed into our 2 yr old cat, and i saw her flee immediately. We carried her and laid her down and she started to just drag her hind legs. Shortly after, around 5 minutes, she was still trying to move, and defecated on the floor beside her. Her tail was limp. We then rested her on a rug but she kept trying to sit up, with almost no control of the hind legs. We will take her to the vet first thing in the morning to get an X-ray. After reading this helpful post, it sounds like a pelvic fracture, and I am slightly relieved. Is there any other immediate care so that she can rest through the night? Thanks Very much.

    • M says:

      Our 2 yrs old recently adopted Shepard mix door dashed and was hit by a car Tuesday afternoon. We rushed him to the er vet they did xrays and ultrasound. We were told he has Fractured acetabulum of right hip ( needs surgery 5k) Pulmonary contusions –mild and a broken pelvis. Were a low income family and unfortunately after paying the $1200 er bill, 5k for surgery is not possible. They gave us pain and anxiety meds for 7 days and told to follow up with our vet within 2 days. We have an appointment on Friday. Our dog seems comfortable, he is eating and drinking but has not urinated or deficated for over 24 hrs. We tried to take him out with a towel sling and we also purchased a velcro sling but he just looks at us 🙁 were very concerned and can’t wait for the vet to open in the morning so we can inquire. Is this normal ?

      • Doc says:

        Hello, M,
        Sorry I didn’t see this until today. It is not unusual for a dog to be too painful to stand and eliminate, even with help. That should get better. We do worry about possible nerve damage with trauma in this area. Your regular veterinarian will hopefully be able to give you some insight about this when the dog is re-examined.

  108. Doc says:

    Hello, Melanie,

    I hope that the X-ray showed only a pelvic fracture. Your description makes me very worried about spinal damage.

    Sorry about the late reply, but I am at a continuing education meeting, with limited internet access.

    We don’t have good over-the-counter pain meds for cats. I hope the night wasn’t too bad and you got a good report.

    Thanks for reading and writing.

  109. priscilla says:

    My 8mo. Mix got hit by a car 3 days ago. We took him to the vet and has a pelvic fracture and a leg severely swollen and doesnt move it. He hasnt had a good urine only dribbe.. his bladder is intact but the vet inserted sotme dye since he was not able to get a catheter through and the xrays showed signs of leaking. He is having exploratory surgery today so the vet can see what exactly is the problem and to see if theres a tear in the urethra and if its fixable..
    if there is a tear urethra what are the chances of him fully recovering and how often is this injury to dogs?
    Is there diffrent options to trying and fix the problem?
    And if my dog has has some dribble of urine isnt that a good sign that the urethra isnt comepletly torn?

    Please help i love my dog so much and im willing to do anything for him..

  110. Doc says:

    Hello, Priscilla,

    I am no expert on this condition. Fortunately the urethral tears are rare, but it sounds like your dog does have one.

    My understanding is that sometimes they can be sutured. They are often treated by leaving a urinary catheter in place for about a week and letting the structure heal around the catheter.

    The fact that your dog is dribbling urine is good, as otherwise it would mean that all the urine was leaking into his belly.

    Your veterinarian is doing the right thing. He/she will be able to tell you more after the surgery.

    There are referral surgical specialists, so if your doctor is unhappy with the results, he/she may suggest that you see a specialist.

    Good luck.

  111. Charity says:

    My cat may have a fractured pelvis or has nerve damage. The vet could not get the full view xray that she wanted because my cat was in too much pain. She had a kitten stuck in the birth canal. I am not sure for how long. She is on pain meds now and eating a little better, but she will not stand up and will not go to the bathroom unless I put her in the box and coax her to. I just wanted to know if you think she will recover from this.

  112. Doc says:

    Hello, Charity,

    Having a baby stuck in the birth canal for a long time can put pressure on the obturator nerves, and this will render the mother unable to stand. That type of nerve damage is usually not permanent.

    It may take days to weeks to recover, though.

    Pelvic fractures usually heal within two to four weeks.

    The veterinarian who has seen the cat is in a much better position to advise you about her prognosis.

    It would be good if you would give him/her some feedback about how things are going.

  113. Kate Sullivan says:

    Hi my little poodle Jeter got hit by a truck on friday, he had a dislocated hock but is bruised the rest of the length of his body.. The vet said he went #2 on saturday morning but since then hes been eating some hotdogs and cheese because thats all he will eat and hasnt been to the bathroom (#2) since saturday. Is there any way I can provoke him to deficate? Any food that will help aid the process.. Hes on pain medications so I dont know if hes unable to realize he can go to the bathroom but he does pee everyday… Really worried about the little guy any advice would be great!

  114. Doc says:

    Hello, Kate,

    You really should contact your veterinarian about this. He/she has actually seen your dog and knows the extent of the injuries, and the possible side-effects of any medications.

    The safest laxative I know consists of adding one teaspoon of metamucil (the generic unflavored psyllium mucilloid powder is fine) per 20 pounds of body weight, per feeding.

    This may be somewhat difficult to do with a hotdog.

    I really recommend that you let your veterinarian know about your concerns.

  115. Craig says:

    Hello,
    Our 6 month old 8 lb Maltichon was run over by a car on April 14th. She had surgery on the Monday after the Saturday accident. Tail amputation, repair of abdominal wall hernia and an FHO on left side. Problem is I just found out today that the FHO should have been done on the right side. The xrays were apparently mislabeled. So her right side is still a complete mess and the left side had an unnecessary surgery. I am meeting with the surgeon tomorrow and was wondering what infomratiion I should be prepared with. Can the right side be repaired this late in the game with the extensive damage to the pelvis? Can she do fine with 2 FHO’s for the rest of her life? Should I insist on Total Hip Replacements? etc. I feel bad that our sweet little girl has to go through this (not to mention the over $10,000 that has been spent, apparently for naught). Any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Craig

  116. Doc says:

    Hello, Craig,

    Well, what a nightmare… for you, your dog, and the veterinary hospital.

    It reminds me of that terrible joke about the man who had the wrong leg amputated, then they had to go back and amputate the correct leg. No lawyer would take his case, because… he didn’t have a leg to stand on.

    Nothing funny here, though.

    First, the good news. A very small dog like this probably will have a very good quality of life with two FHOs. No guarantees, but good odds.

    I’m no orthopedic surgeon, but my understanding is that even if one were planning to do total hip replacements, you’d want to wait until the dog was fully mature so you wouldn’t have to re-do it as she grew.

    I can’t predict the future, but I would be pretty surprised if the hospital and surgeon are not falling all over themselves to do whatever possible to make things right.

    This seems like an incredible mistake, but anybody can make a mistake. The best that we can do is to go forward, doing the very best that we can.

    If you are not happy with the recommendations of the veterinarians you are working with, I think it would be reasonable to ask for referral to an orthopedic specialist.

    I wish you the best in this difficult situation.

  117. Craig says:

    Thanks for the encouragement…and the joke, a good one and apropos.

    I understand that this is a terrible situation for the hospital and I believe that they will bend over backwards to make things right. At the same time, I understand that they are running a business and as a former portfolio manager, if I owned shares in their company, I’d like them to resolve this situation with as little cost as possible.

    Yes, a THR should only be done on a fully developed animal. That is part of my concern…what costs am I going to be subject to in the future as a result of this error.

    Peace and thanks again.

  118. Monique says:

    Hi,
    My 5 1/2 month old 40 pound labrador was admitted to the hospital on April 27 with left femoral capital physeal fracture, left caudal acetabular fracture, pubic fractures, left ilial fractures and right sacroiliac luxation. He was hospitalized for a week and since the fractures were not displaced he was discharged and told he needs cage rest for 2 weeks or more. He is suppose to have a repeat x ray with the surgeon this week. My puppy is playful as ever. We sling walk him to the bathroom. He doesnt appear in too much pain but on the left he does wince where the femoral fracture is located. I am curious about possibly bringing him to the pool since he can’t bear weight. I thought this would be a good alternative. It pains me that he is so active but can’t walk. I want to keep hin strong.What are your thoughts?

  119. Doc says:

    Hello, Monique,

    Once the initial healing has taken place, swimming is great physical therapy.

    Initially however, we need to limit not only weight-bearing, but MOTION. Bones can’t stick together if they are moving around.

    Your veterinarian can give you the best guidance as to when to begin physical therapy.

    At this age, his recovery will probably be very rapid once he gets up and going again.

    Stay in touch with your veterinarian, keep him/her posted about the dog’s progress, and get back for your recheck on time.

    Don’t feel bad about calling your veterinarian with your questions. When we don’t hear anything from you, we just assume that everything is going great.

    Good luck.

  120. Tina says:

    My 4 year old Italian Greyhound suffered a pelvic break from being struck by a car. He had surgery 6 weeks ago to repair the break. His left hind leg was affected by the accident and he carries it for the most part but uses it for stability occasionally. He recently used it to scratch his neck and has been stretching the leg out. These things are encouraging but sometimes when he uses his leg, his foot curls under and isn’t parallel with the floor. At his last exam with our Veterinarian, I was told that there is nerve damage possibly from the impact and he may never use his leg/foot as he did before. Is there therapy that might possibly help him gain more strength in his leg and better use of his foot?

  121. Doc says:

    Hello, Tina,

    The sciatic nerve could easily suffer damage in a pelvic fracture. Nerve injuries take a long time to heal, if they ever do.

    After he is healed from the orthopedic surgery, swimming would be a great exercise for the guy.

    This lady is a specialist in rehab and super-nice. I suspect she would answer your email.

    http://www.avafrick.com/

    Good luck.

  122. Tina says:

    Thank you so much for your help! I so appreciate your website. I researched my area and found a clinic that does water therapy and acupuncture for all types of health issues for small animals. My little greyhound will be starting therapy next week. I’ll be checking with Ava Frick as well.

  123. Jamie says:

    My 3 yr old dog got hit by a car yesterday, and survived thru the night, i took her to the vet this morning and she has 5 pelvic injuries. I cannot afford surgery so I was advised to strictly keep her in her kennel for 10 weeks so that it hopefully heals.

    She’s back hom but in extreme pain. I do have meds from the Vet and have been giving them to her, but she seems to hate being in her cage and moves a lot, and i feel bad for her. What can I do to calm her down and make her feel more confortable?

  124. Doc says:

    Hello, Jamie,

    Please contact your veterinarian and let them know what is going on. They can prescribe additional pain medications, or mild tranquilizers to make this initial healing period less difficult.

    Good luck.

  125. Trish Vance says:

    My 7 mo old lab pup jumped from our truck after a drive shaft incident scared him. Our vet is hopeful for a good recovery with pain med’s and a tape hobble. He’s back home now (happened friday evening), but now seems to not hold his bladder. He held his bladder the whole evening after the incident. Should I be concerned, or write this off as healing and medication?

  126. Doc says:

    Hello, Trish,

    I would be more concerned if he were not able to urinate than that he is leaking.

    On the other hand, sometimes the nerve supply to the bladder is disrupted. Then it just sits there without emptying until it is totally full, stretched to the maximum. The excess then begins to dribble out, while the bladder remains very full. This is bad, as it both indicates nerve damage,and the full bladder often becomes infected.

    You should contact your veterinarian and make arrangements for a recheck.

  127. colin says:

    Hello Trish

    Another sad my dog ran out and was hit by a car last night. He’s a 1 1/2 yr old dachshund/yorkie He has one fracture of the pelvis and one on the tail bone, the one on the tail bone they said will heal by it self but the other would need a plate to stabilize it. We got a a price range from 1500-6000 we have already spent 1400 in two days for stay overs at vets! With the amount being told to us they gave us a few options. One being we krate him and let it heal naturally, My question is if we don’t opt for the surgery and it starts the healing what are some of the things down the road that we have to watch out for and would there be any reason that we would have to put him down?? I love the dog to death and don’t want to see him suffer but honestly we just can’t afford 3-6 grand on him. I really just want my little guy back and hope he will be around for a lot longer..

  128. Doc says:

    Hello, Colin,

    The pelvis is a bone of very complex shape, with many attachments of muscle and tendon. This is what makes plating it so difficult.

    These same muscles and tendons tend to hold the pieces together, so that if the dog is kept quiet (crated), the bones do usually heal back together.

    The pieces would not be precisely lined up, though. If the hip socket itself is not broken, most dogs will walk pretty normally in a few weeks (2 to 4).

    If the socket is broken, you will have arthritis developing at an early age, because the socket doesn’t mate with the ball any more, and the irregular surface will tear up the ball of the hip.

    Early on you also have to monitor bladder function — is he urinating regularly or not? This is super important.

    Also, the breaks in the pelvis can damage other nerves, especially the sciatic nerve, which could impair the function of a hind leg pretty severely.

    If the hip sockets are undamaged there is a really good probability that he will have a good quality of life.

    Stay in touch with your veterinarian. Let him/her know how the dog is progressing.

  129. christie says:

    hi, my name is christie. My friend found a cat two nights ago by the side of the road. we think it is a 3 week old kitten. I took it to the vet today, and it has pelvic injuries and waddles… and hasnt been able to eliminate yet… it has peed twice in the past two days. is there a way i can get it to eliminate? :/ thats my biggest concern. he also has a swollen tummy which is prob. worms, so we have worm meds. for him. but i really am worried about how to make sure he can go to the bathroom so the toxins dont kill him 🙁

  130. Samik Ghosal says:

    Hello Trish,

    My dog started limping and gradually couldn’t walk with it’s hind legs after probably getting hit by a car. The vet said he has a pelvic fracture and to take care of him. He is a year old and the vet prescribed a calcium supplement. The initial couple of days he wasn’t moving at all. But, after that, he has started becoming restless and drags himself around the house with his front legs. If he is in so much pain then how and why does he want to move so much? We haven’t kept him confined and he whines to be let outdoors. How much time should it ideally take for him to be back up on his feet and should we keep him confined? Is movement a danger to his chances of healing?

  131. Doc says:

    Hello, Christie,

    You need to let your veterinarian know what is going on. Without seeing your kitten, it is not okay for me to prescribe for you.

    If you are giving formula, it may be possible to add a little mineral oil as a lubricant laxative, but you need to consult with your veterinarian about the dose.

    If eating solid food, one can also use mineral oil, or sometimes psyllium mucilloid (Metamucil) can be added to the food.

    It is possible that the kitten may need an enema, and you would wish to consult your veterinarian about this (as in “don’t try this at home”).

    Keeping him confined is important. The more he moves around, the more the pelvic fragments get jostled away from one another and it is harder for them to heal. Usually about 2 weeks of confinement is adequate in a healthy, growing kitten.

    The dragging of the hind legs and the lack of bowel movement make me concerned about a possible spinal injury. You should really let your veterinarian know what is going on.

    Good luck.

  132. Doc says:

    WHOOPS!
    I sort of mixed up the two posts and replied to both.
    The stuff about laxatives and enemas is for Christie,
    and the worry about the dragging is for Samik.

    Also, with a mature dog, the confinement may need to take as long as 4 weeks. I am still concerned about spinal injury, and would recommend at least a phone call to your veterinarian.

  133. Lianne says:

    Hi, I wonder if youcan provide me with some advice, or reassurance or something. Our 3 year old cat came in yesterday morning (had been out since about 4am ish and came in at 9am ish|), climbed the stairs where my husband found her laying strangely. She struggled downstairs and he noticed she was struggling with her back legs. He took her to the vet and she has been there all day. They have done x rays which were not clear as she wouldn’t let the vet get close to her, she appeared to be in severe stomach pain (even with painkillers). So they anaesthatised (sp – sorry!) her and she had x rays and radiography. There doesn’t appear to be anything broken/fractured. Her colon is a little farther down although the vet said this could be as she is slightly overweight. Similarly, they thought there may be some internal bleeding but she said upon a proper look when she was under and that appears to be fat (she really isn’t obese – just slightly overweight according to thevet). Anyway, they said the local hospital could watch her overnight in case the pain wore off, or she could come home. I should mention that this morning/afternoon her heartrate and breathing were high and shallow respectively – but by the time we went to the vets had stabilised. Anyway we decided we would bring her home and watch her all night. She initially (tried to) walked across the front room and her back legs were almost unusuable However, this looked the same to me as our other cat and all thecats I have had when they come round from the anaesthetic. I moved her to two pillows n the floor (she wasn’t happy being moved but let me without too much fuss), she has had a finger of squirty cream and about 5 or 6 chunks of cat food from my hand. She hasn’t, however, moved since from the pillows or slept. We told the vet if her breathing deteriorated or if she needed more pain relief we would take her to the hospital: neither happened in the night. The vet said she doesn’t know why she is in so much pain, The vet says she doesn ‘t know what happened but that she suspects trauma. At about midnght she tried to turn over on the pillows for tickly belly (something she loves normally – but earlier on in the day she wouldn’t let anyone near her stomach – even my husband)and purred lots. Similarly she did this this morning. We stayed up all night with her and she got up at about 4am, walked ok ish (you could see she was tender but she walked) and had a wee. My husband took her to the vet this morning but had huge issues getting her there as she fought and fought him getting in her basket (this is normal but yesterday she just let him take her). The vet was encouraged by the turning over and also by the fact that she had eaten about 4 tiny chunks of food, that she had weed and that she had tried washing herself. She has been given painkillers and an appointment for next Wednesday. However, since she has come home she has neither weed or pood, has only taken one chunk of food and, when we tried to get her into her litter tray, she panicked, walked away and her breathin became not good again. This has now settled. We are so desperately worried about her and wondered if youcould advise us in any way?
    Thanks so much

    PS Sorry for the tenses – some of this was written yesterday and the extra bit today!

  134. Doc says:

    Hello, Lianne,

    It certainly sounds like your cat is still painful. I agree with your vet that trauma is the top of the list. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help us narrow down the painful area.

    Cats are often difficult patients, as they can be uncooperative about eating and being medicated even when they feel good.

    I recommend that you stay in close contact with your veterinarian. He/she may want to give fluid therapy, may also want to repeat X-rays to see if something has changed, particularly in the chest.

    Good nursing care would be continuing the pain medicine and coaxing the cat to eat and drink (not easy).

    The person best equipped to advise you is the doctor seeing your cat. Keep them posted regularly about what is going on.

  135. Makenzie says:

    My puppy (about 6 months old) got hit by a car earlier today, when she got hit she seemed fine, she cried but was walking good. Now shes sore and cant walk too good, she can walk but its really slow with her back legs and she has trouble when she sits down or stands up. My mom is a nurse and says she has no broken bones or internal bleeding. She might just be sore. Is this something i need to worry about? All the bills got hit on us this week and we cant afford to take her to the vet unless its completely necessary.

  136. Doc says:

    Hello, Makenzie,

    It’s always dangerous to try to make a long-distance diagnosis.

    Since she was up walking, I would suspect that there are no major fractures. I am certain that she is very sore and needs pain management.

    This would best be acomplished with the help of your veterinarian. Dogs do not tolerate ibuprofen or naproxen (aleve) many other human pain-killers. Even the drugs that may be safe need to be dosed accurately.

  137. Donna says:

    Hi there,

    Our cat was clipped by a car last Saturday morning and has a severe tail pull injury. His tail is paralysed and he has no bladder or bowel function at all. He has no feeling and the vet says it’s due to nerve damage. He’s been at the vets since Monday and has a catheter. But they’ve said if there is no bowel movement by this Saturday (one week) then the kindest thing would be to put him to sleep. The vets are also upset because he’s completely fine otherwise but there’s nothing they can do unless he moves his bowels. Are they definitely right? The x-rays showed a one inch gap between his tail and sacrum(?) which they say means the nerves have probably been broken and that there’s little hope of recovery. Needless to say, we can’t stop crying. Is there any hope with an injury this severe? Any advice sincerely appreciated.

  138. Doc says:

    Hello, Donna,

    Generally speaking, the person best equipped to advise you is the doctor seeing your pet.

    I am certainly not a neurological expert. In searching Veterinary Information Network, some experts have noted that recovery can take as long as six weeks in those cases where it does occur.

    In the meantime, the cat would need considerable assistance keeping the bladder and bowels empty. The tail might need to be amputated just because it gets filthy when it cannot be lifted out of the way and the patient is leaking wastes.

    It is certainly possible that you might go through six weeks of intensive nursing care and find that your cat made no progress.

    Is there hope? Maybe, but you’re looking at a lot of heavy-duty nursing care. If you want to give this every chance, you might ask your veterinarian for referral to a neurologist or critical care specialist.

    No easy choices here.

    Best wishes.

  139. Antony Hunt says:

    Hi, we wondered if you could just offer some advice. We live in Spain but are far from fluent in Spanish so have difficulty understanding exactly what our vet is telling us. One of our adopted cats had an accident last Friday trying to climb out of a window, so we rushed her to our local vet who x-rayed her and said that she had a fracture in her pelvis with quite a lot of swelling but everything else (organs etc) was ok. She is now back home but we are a little concerned about her back legs, one of them shows a little movement but the other (on the side of the fracture) she does not move at all (she can move her tail) although she is quite happy lying on it. At the moment she cannot stand up, so we are carefully moving her in and out of her litter box and giving her plenty of bed rest (with pain killers and an anti-biotic for a cut). Now I understand from your excellent article that this sort of temporary paralysis of the limbs is normal in a case of a fracture pelvis, but we are worried that the one leg is not moving at all. Can you tell us whether this is normal and should movement start to come back as the fracture heals? We do not know exactly how old she is about we think she is about two or three. Many thanks

  140. Doc says:

    Hello, Antony,

    It doesn’t bother me that she isn’t walking on the leg. As to the movement, she may simply still be too sore, or have too much swelling.

    A worse problem would be damage to the sciatic nerve, which passes through the pelvis, sort of over the top, just behind the hip joint. It certainly is vulnerable to damage in a pelvic fracture. Fortunately, that doesn’t usually happen, but it would permanently affect the use of the limb (unfortunately).

    We are about 7 days into the recovery, and two to four week is average.

    If you are still seeing no motion in the leg after 14 days, I would get back in touch with the veterinarian. If you Spanish is not fluent, this would be a good time to recruit some help in that department.

    Good luck.

  141. antony hunt says:

    Hi thanks for your advice, over the weekend she has started to move her legs a little, so fingers crossed she is on the mend and i guess we just have to give it time (poco a poco as they would say here).

  142. Sheri says:

    Hi – i need URGENT help. my boyfriend’s cat fell out of a 2 story window after getting her leg caught in the air conditioner. (she was trying to get outside – shes an outside cat and was locked in by a roommate so she squeezed out the sides) the twisting of her leg in the window dislocated her right hip and the impact to the thick bushes and metal trash cans below broke her pelvis on her left side. she has not made stool for 3 days, and she is backed up. the vet says they cannot help us until we have all the money up front – which is normal but INSANE. it could be two weeks before we can pay and she can have surgery to fix the break and the dislocation. despite the pain, though, she seems very lively – eats and drinks just fine, and though she stays laying down she will play with toys within arms reach. shes starting pain medication tonight, but the amount of poo backed up on that xray is making me panic – how do i help her defecate? is this a death sentence? she can move her toes and tail, but could she still lose those functions? she puts weight on both legs when she walks, but only goes a foot or two at a time – is this a sign of promise? should i lose hope? people keep telling me we should put her down and i just can’t deal with that – she’s not even 2 years old yet!

  143. Doc says:

    Hello, Sheri,

    If she can walk a foot or two, then her prognosis for recovery is good. Cats are incredible orthopedic patients. They heal from stuff you wouldn’t believe. That’s how the “cats have nine lives” thing got started. Some orthopedic surgeons jokingly say that “if you put the bones in the same room they will heal”.

    I really cannot prescribe for your cat without seeing it. She may require an enema, but this is not something that I would recommend you attempt on your own with no experience.

    If she is eating, you can add mineral oil to her food (about 1/2 teaspoon, or 2&1/2 cc) per feeding as a lubricant. You can also safely add 1/2 teaspoon of psyllium mucilloid (metamucil) as a lubricant laxative.

    Obviously I have not seen your cat, but I would say that the outlook is still positive. A veterinarian who actually sees your cat is your best source of information.

    Good luck.

  144. Charlette says:

    Hi, My cat is 4 years old and fractured his pelvis in January this year. He had cage rest for around 8 weeks and gradually made a full recovery. Over the past couple of days he has not been himself he is walking very slowly and not jumping up on the window ledge as he usually does and his muscle on his back and back leg of the side of the fracture seems to be spasming. He is still eating and drinking. Could he have possibly re-fractured his pelvis?

  145. Doc says:

    Hello, Charlette,

    It usually takes a pretty heavy trauma to fracture the pelvis, with being hit by a car the most common cause.

    He wouldn’t be very likely to do that around the house.

    The sciatic nerve crosses over the pelvic bone right behind the hip socket. It is possible that the pelvis healed in such a way that bone spurs are impinging on that nerve.

    It is also possible that the hip joint was injured at the time and that arthritis has been developing as a result.

    This guy needs to see his veterinarian.

  146. rob says:

    Our 7 month old black lab got hit by a pickup truck today. We took her immediately to the vet and she quickly put her on pain meds. Turns out we have found out that our dog has fractured her pelvis in two spots and her best bet is to have surgery.the one fracture is right where the pelvis and spine meet.. Therefore, we have agreed to surgery. She has a lot of road rash. We were wondering if surgery will fix the fracture where the pelvis meets the spine.. we realize that its hard to say with out looking at x rays.. but by reading some comments on this website its safe to say pelvis injurys are self healers for the most part?

  147. Doc says:

    Hello, Rob,

    It is true that many pelvic fractures will knit together without surgery. This is because of the large amount of muscle and tendon surrounding the pelvic bones. This tissue acts as sort of a “self-cast”.

    Just because the bone fragments stick together, that doesn’t mean you will have something that is healed as well as it could be. The fragments may not be causing pain by moving around anymore, but the pelvis could “heal” in a very deformed fashion.

    Go back to your veterinarian with your questions.

    If you don’t have confidence in your veterinarian’s recommendation, then ask for referral to an orthopedic specialist. Or take the dog to another local veterinarian for a second opinion.

    This is not something you can fix over the internet.

  148. Frank says:

    My 4 year old Redbone Coonhound dug under the fence in the backyard and returned four very long and sad (for my family and I) days later. We were overwhelmingly happy that he showed up on the front porch in the pouring rain this past Sunday. We took him to the vet today because it was obvious that he was in pain and had some bruising and a limp on his back right leg. Sure enough, he broke his pelvis in two places. Like you mentioned, he is on pain meds and bedrest for the next month. He is also on antibiotics for a Urinary tract infection caused from the broken pelvis. My questions: Is a UTI common/normal in pelvic fractures? Also, my dog seems to want to get up and walk around every now and then. Does this hurt or delay the healing process? I am trying my best to keep him confined to his crate. Lastly, his vet said that she thinks he may have been hit several days ago (the first day he wandered off) and laid there until he got the strength to walk home on Sunday. My questions is how in the world he could walk home with this fractured pelvis? Thank you very much for the extremely informative post!

  149. Anon says:

    Hi,
    My roommate’s cat has been walking funny for about 2 days and we suspect a pelvis or lower back injury. Two nights ago he came home and had a scabbed area on his lower back, which was sensitive to the touch, and was walking with his hind legs and lower back low to the ground. He still hops up on things and walks slowly, but it takes him a while to be able to sit or lay down in a comfortable position. He uses the litterbox without difficulty. Lately he meows to be let outside (which we do not allow) and his back no longer seems to be tender to the touch, however there is a large, hard bump on his lower back that feels like a bone out of place (this is not painful when touched). He still walks slowly and awkwardly with his pelvis turned downward, creating a reverse back arch. I’ve been reading about spinal and pelvic breaks and fractures online and it seems like in most cases the animals are in pain and experiencing some level of paralysis. My roommate is waiting for a paycheck to take the cat to the vet but probably cannot afford any sort of surgery. If a fracture is what occurred, does it sound like there is a probable chance of it fusing without surgery? How could we prevent it from healing in a deformed fashion? Is it likely that there even has been a break based on my description? Thanks, Anon

  150. Doc says:

    Hello, Frank,

    A UTI is common if you sit around with a full bladder instead of emptying it regularly. If you hurt too badly to get up and walk, you sit around with a full bladder.

    I suspect that he walked home in great pain. Every time those broken ends moved around, it hurt a lot. He hid out while he hurt too bad to think about it (so nobody could find him and do him ill – instinct at work, as there’s nobody to help you in the wild). When he got able to move (albeit painfully) he wanted to go home and see you guys and get something to eat.

    It’s good that he wants to get up, but I’d do my best to keep him down for two weeks. The more he moves around, the more the broken bones move back and forth, so healing will be slower.

    Good luck.

  151. Doc says:

    Hello, Anon,

    If there were a spinal injury causing that much deformation, I seriously doubt that the cat could walk.

    A pelvic injury is much more likely. You’ll know when you get it X-rayed.

    Unless a major orthopedic surgery is performed to align the bones, there isn’t much you can do to keep them from healing wherever they end up.

    Keeping the cat inactive lets it heal faster.

    On the other hand, you could even have an abscess in that area. The kid could have been wounded during his outing.

    This is a little tough to handle “long distance”. The sooner we get to the veterinarian, the better.

    Good luck.

  152. Molina says:

    Hello, Please Help!!!

    My one year old toy poodle, was hit by a van last Thursday and Fractured his pelvis. We drove him right away to the nearest Vet, they only gave him pain relievers since they said they were about to “close”, although he said to come back the next day,in which we did. The vet “re-located” his leg onto the hip joint, however, we went back 2 days later and he said it got dislocated again. The vet was being very in patient and rude, so we are currently looking for a new vet. He did say however, that my dog would need surgery or we can just “wait it out, and see if he heels on its own”. Today marks exactly 7 days after the incident happened. My dog wags his tail, barks a little bit, and has been eating/drinking, and using the bathroom. We just want to ensure that he will be ok and, any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

  153. Doc says:

    Hello, Molina,

    Many pelvic bone fractures will heal on their own over a 2 to 4 week period. This healing won’t be a perfect return to normal alignment of the bones, as a general rule. It is usually functional, as long as the hip socket is not involved.

    Other complications are possible if the sciatic nerve is damaged.

    If the hip joint remains dislocated, then you have a different problem to deal with.

    There is so much muscle and tendon in this area that sometimes the dislocated hip will form a “false joint”. The weight is supported by the muscles, and the “ball” of the ball-and-socket hip joint sort of finds a place outside the socket.

    In a very small dog, this may enable pretty normal walking after a time (weeks to months). Sometimes it is never comfortable.

    In that case, either one can do surgery to keep the hip in place, or do a salvage surgery where the ball is just removed. This eliminates the pain of bone on bone, and is usually very functional in a small dog.

    In view of your dissatisfaction with the doctor who saw you initially, I think that you plan of seeking a doctor whom you get along with is a very good plan. I would try to get a new veterinarian to evaluate your dog as soon as possible.

  154. Anne Gorey says:

    This sight has allowed me to nurse my 3 year old cocker spaniel back to being healthy today.My dog was hit by a car and broke three pelvis bones. He was in terrible shape..vet thought we might have to put him down. After an initial hosp. stay at $1000.00 I could not afford the $5,000 surgery. I brought him home with pain control and antibiotics. I kept him in a pen. (I have photographs of this) the first 2 weeks were really tough but each week of rest he got stronger. We are celebrating today his 6 week of recovery. He is doing GREAT!!! Please let me know if I can help you with advice. All these blogs have given me the strength to carry on.