97 Tips for Raising Labs
Following are approximately 97 questions readers of BigYellowDog.com submitted in recent years. They were answered by a licensed veterinarian on the site as a general service to all Lab owners. This information is for general reference only. Always consult your veterinarian for any questions about your Lab's health. We hope this information is somewhat helpful. At this time, we are not accepting any more questions.
Question
Our BYD, "Buddy", shattered his back leg. It was beyond pinning, so they did a procedure called "plating". The Vet told us that usually the metal plate is left in and the bone "calcifies" around the plate. We then found a fatty tumor on Buddy and the Vet has decided to remove it. While our dog is still under anesthesia, the vet would like to remove the metal plate on his back leg. Will this really help him when he is older? What do you know about such things?
Answer
It is hard to say for certain why your vet wants to remove the plate without knowing the exact extent of his injury and not being able to examine the dog or see an X-ray. But depending on Buddy's age, one thought is that your veterinarian may feel that removing the plate will minimize chances of arthritis in Buddy's leg when he gets older. It is not uncommon for a dog to have problems with arthritis in an injury such as Buddy's.
