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Dog had leg fracture surgery, now crying, not walking, and cracking.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 8 months and 18 days old

My dog got bumped by a car and we rushed her to a vet. They took an xray of her right swollen hind leg and found a fracture. She had several other cracking noises but the vet paid no attention to those. We did the surgery and had the rod put in. She is home now but still has cracking with every movement. She cannot walk on her 3 good legs but can stand. Two steps and she starts crying. Please advise us on what could be wrong..

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Mirissa Duncil, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 19th, 2017

Hi there. Poor Lexi! Based on your one x ray you've provided (thank you!) and your history I would agree with the treatment you've been given thus far. I'm unsure what medications she is on as far as pain control, however. It may be that she is still painful even with them-any orthopedic procedure, especially implants-can cause pain, inflammation, and a awkward gait for quite a while. After the initial healing process, physical therapy is key for these guys! As far as the cracking noisies I'm unsure where they're coming from as I can't personally examine your pet. I can hypothesize that other small fractures, acl tears (in the knee area of the dog, can hear a meniscal "click" with a tear), etc can cause this. If it continues, I would definitely bring her back in. If she is still not moving well in a day or two-it may be that she needs more pain control to be comfortable at this time. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor Lexi! It's possible that she has another orthopedic injury, although joints can crack even when there is nothing wrong with them (as you might know if you have ever cracked your knuckles). If she was able to move around on three legs before surgery she may just be painful and reluctant to walk but it's possible that she has an injury like a small fracture or ligament instability on another leg as well. I would recommend rechecking with your veterinarian to make sure she's recovering appropriately after surgery. Hope she feels better soon.

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