Hi Dr. Carol,

My dog, Missy, was diagnosed ten years ago by two veterinarians and both said she needed surgery on her hind leg knees, because she injured the ligaments. They quoted us a price of $3000.00 with no guarantee of her results. We were devastated until, my daughter found PAAWS on-line and we tried it.

Within three days she was walking normally and jumping on the couch. Unbelievable! That was 10 years ago.

Since then we have been giving Missy PAAWS vitamin supplements every day. Now she is now 16 years young.

Our current vet said Missy is in such great shape that we should shoot for 20 years. Everyone that meets her thinks she is still a puppy by the way she jumps around. I also have done my part by taking her on long walks daily.

I and my dog are glad we found PAAWS.

Thank you for creating this great pet product, it worked for us and by eliminating the need for her surgery, PAAWS saved us over $3000.00 dollars!

Monica W.
Irvine, California

“80 Percent of all pet hospital visits are because of broken bones! Simple surgeries can cost up to $5,000 with complications.”

We will be discussing these issues and more on my free Broken Bone Advice teleconference on the 30th. Sign up at BrokenBoneAdvice.com.

If you suspect that your pet may have broken or fractured a bone, the first thing that you should do is try to keep your pet calm. If he’s nervous, wrap him in a blanket. Put him in your car and take him to your veterinarian. If it’s after hours, you want to take your pet to the nearest emergency facility.

Number two: Once you’re at the vet, the veterinarian should examine the dog. If there is a suspicion of a fracture, they should take x-rays. Any area of the body that’s x-rayed needs to have two views. And most modern veterinary clinics have their x-rays set up so that the owner can receive a copy of their x-rays on a CD. What’s nice about that is that by having that information, you can also share that information and get second opinions if necessary as well as use that information to compare it to postoperative x-rays and healing x-rays to be sure that your pet’s fracture is completely healed.

Once the veterinarian has determined that there is, indeed, a fracture, it’s important to ask your vet to clearly show you the fracture on the x-ray and it’s important for you to understand what type of a fracture it is. Is it a simple fracture, where the bones are not displaced but there is a crack in the bone? Is it a fracture where the bones are displaced, or is it a very complicated fracture where not only are the bones displaced but there are various pieces of bone that need to be put back together?

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I get questions all the time from people whose dog has broken a leg and their vet recommends surgery, but they cannot afford it. Often the surgeries can run $1,000 – 2,000 for simple surgeries to $3,000 – 5,000 dollars plus with complications.

For example here’s what Eliza had to say about her dog:

My 7-year old standard poodle was hit by a car last night. I took him to the ER Vet Hospital immediately. I was given an estimate of $1,600+ to $1,900 and then told I would need to get him to my vet no later than Monday for emergency surgery of fractured radius ulna – which would cost an additional $2,000 – $3,000 or more. This was far more money than I could come up with. I was able to get my dog examined and get pain meds and his leg in a splint for a little over $300 and I brought him home and have been watching for everything I was cautioned to watch for.

My dog is actually doing very well, he has had none of the signs I have been watching for, he is alert, he is eating, drinking, not acting like he is in pain, but I have kept him laying down as much as possible. The ER did not x-ray him, but his paw looked like it was hanging just after his accident. Any advise is appreciated.

In these situations, I always advice getting X-rays, so you are able to make an informed decision. Get them taken as soon as possible and try to get them on a CD. That way owners can keep a copy for themselves and can email them out for 2nd opinions if needed.

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