My English setter shattered her elbow today grouse hunting. Left lateral humeral condyle. Options are an expensive surgery that has a moderate risk of failure. If the surgery failed they would have to amputate the front leg. Or a less expensive amputation in the beginning and avoid the risk of her rebreaking it with a failure down the road. Any vets on here have an opinion on this. Sorry I didn't get pics of the x-ray but the vet described it as a "really gnarly break.". The x-rays looked really bad to me. Anyone have 3 legged dogs that get around okay?

Sorry to hear Wild, I hope it all works out in a good way.

Osky

Most dogs will get around fine on 3. recovery is a short time and done.

Surgery is 50/50 with long recovery and always a chance of issues. Hunting dogs are hard to keep quiet during recovery time and may create more issues.

I am not a veterinarian but we own a boarding facility and see hundreds of dogs a year. These are my observations for experience with our clientele.

Have Had and been around several working dogs ( stock cattle dogs ) that were 3 legged and didn't slow them down one bit. Hope all turns out well for you and your dog

I would have em lop it off and get better quick. And back out
Hunting. What is cheaper?

Thanks guys I'm leaning towards having them amputate it since it's half the cost of surgery and once they do that there isn't much recovery time or risk of reinjure. But a big decision to make as well. If it was a hind leg I wouldn't hesitate to have the just amputate. But having one front leg will create issues in her good leg over time.

So what the heck happen Idaho, how did she bust up her elbow so bad?

Inspiring dirtydog... Perhaps I could make something like that

I didn't quite see what happened but I had just let her and my GSP out of the truck and she was running around getting the jitters out and I think she ran into a stump hidden in the brush.

Wild Idaho, sorry to hear about your dog. My buddy has a b&t hound with 3 legs and it will run bears and lions all day and keep pace with his other hounds

Front leg or hind leg missing?

my neighbor had a 3 legged coon hound , got around well .

it was a rear leg

Dang! Sorry to hear that wild_idaho. I’ve seen a few 3 legged dogs. They all looked happy as can be. Good luck and best wishes.

front right. it was hit by a truck while chasing a bear.

Adam, that's some good news. I just want her to be able to hunt, even if it's not at full capacity. That dog loves to run and hunt. Wouldn't be fair to her to have her career ended at 3. I'm leaning towards having them just amputate the leg but am continuing to do more research on the matter.

I use to trap a farm, the farmer had a dog that was missing both legs on one side. He got caught in a hay mower. The guy said he was going to shoot him, but he couldn't make himself do it. layed him in the barn on some straw, figured on burying him in the morning.The next morning the dog was alive, and recovered without going to a vet. This dog could run right with the other two dogs he had. It was something to see. Animals are amazing.

Coon hunted with a fella whose dog had front leg amputated after getting hung in a tree. Never slowed that dog down.

Sorry about your dog, I have seen video of a very good 3 legged decoy dog used for coyotes, didn’t slow him down at all.

Eric a friend had a Australian shepherd that snapped a front leg way up high they amputated the leg and it learned how to flop down on the empty space without the leg and slide up and nip the cow, steer or bull and not get kicked or hurt in anyway.
They ran cows in some wide open and wild country , it wasn't babied or given a free pass and enjoyed a long life out on a ranch doing what it loved doing.

Allan it has been my experience that good cattle dogs are incredible animals period.

Osky

Get leg fixed, and you have two chances. Cut it off and you have one. Might want second opinion too.

Yeah I'm definitely getting a second opinion tomorrow morning and will discuss the options with the vet giving the second opinion.

I am glad it could give you some hope. It will take time for her to recover and adjust. I can't remember how long it my buddy's B&T to recover, but she is stellar. Keep researching and you'll make the best decision for your dog and you.

I've spent more money on Dogs operations than many thought was smart. Looking back I don't regret it one bit. A year from now you won't miss the money at all.

X2

Yeah I agree with you guys... I spent $1,900 and then $1,100 within 2 months on the same bird dog for eating a sock two different times. But at the same time I have to consider what the second opinion tomorrow says. It's a big decision to make and I'm not sure that it's even fair to Misty for me to make that decision but someone is going to have to. Surgery or surgery.

Picked up Misty from the vet today. I'm amazed at how well she is getting around, although she's been laying on her bed and the couch with me most of the night. Pain meds probably have her a bit sedated which is a good thing. Really happy to just have my dog home. My male shorthair was happy to see her too.

Glad she’s home.We have a Choc Lab that needed and ACL repaired ...or something like that....4,500.00 .....call me crazy ! What we do for our pets.

I am glad she is doing well Eric. It is amazing how tough animals are.

My brother had a French pointer who broke her hip. It is expensive surgery, but he did have the operation for it. and she recovered, without any other breaks or problems.

I would recommend though that you set up a nutritional program to put the necessary calcium and minerals into your dog, as she is prone to weak bones. She will probably need more than even the high grade dog food.

This link should help on the nutrition.

https://drmartypets.com/calcium-for-dogs/
Calcium-Rich Foods That Dogs Can Eat 1. Eggs. Eggs are rich in protein, fatty acids, and calcium. 2. Yogurt. Now, yogurt is a wonderful source of calcium for dogs because it can be easily mixed in... 3. Fish. The best fish for boosting calcium include salmon, tuna, sardines, and trout. 4. Bones. ...


Eggs will make a dog's coat shine beautifully and for breeding, the British feed whole ground cod for the pregnancy.

God be with your girl as I feel for you.

Eric it's good to see your dog's back home and getting back to a normal life of sorts with some adjustments of course.
I'm sure Misty will be back to drying you crazy before you know it ha ha !
Allan

Something happened to the back leg --hip-- of one of my beagles once. We lived on a busy road and she ran free and I think she may have got hit by a car. Anyway, when she walked she had a bit of a limp but when she ran she did not use that leg. I sure did not slow her down when she was on a rabbit. She was a good three-legged rabbit dog.

sorry to hear that. Always better if its a rear.

Good to see she's on the road to recovery.

This morning when I got up let her and my other dog out and fed them she was her happy old self. Wagging her tail, following me around the kitchen while I made coffee and got her food ready. Got some good tail wags out of her.

Good news. I think ya did the right thing.

That's good news Eric ! I was thinking about Misty and one of those flotation vests for dogs maybe a good idea if your concerned about her breaking open her stitches for a buffer of sorts .
One of the largest coyotes I've ever caught had a deformed hind leg and it was the fattest coyote I caught that winter it made the kill spring on that snare look like a piece of redi rod .
So yes I think Misty will be fine !
Allan

Well you probably made the right decision.

Good deal

...but I sure do miss that dog.

That is great news. I'm glad to see her back home and doing good.

That’s a great looking dog. Hard choices to make sometimes, You made the right one in my eyes. Best of luck to her and you.

That sucks. Didn’t you have that dog with you at Rathdrum? Hopefully she makes a speedy recovery. On three or four legs.

Yeah she was there with me along with my GSP. It's definitely 3 legs now. She's doing well, overall. I opted to have it amputated since the surgery to fix had approximately a 50% chance of failure according to the specialist. And she would have to be crated for 8 weeks following the surgery and then no running or jumping for 6 months. And even after that it still had 50% failure rate down the road.

hows your dog dong now?