Joe Biden fractures foot while playing with dog Major
US votes 2020
By Amy B Wang
Washington: US President-elect Joe Biden fractured his foot while playing with one of his dogs and will likely need to wear a moon boot for several weeks, doctors say.
Biden suffered the injury on Saturday and visited an orthopaedist about a half-hour away from his home near Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday afternoon, his office said. A subsequent CT scan "confirmed hairline (small) fractures of President-elect Biden's lateral and intermediate cuneiform bones, which are in the mid-foot," according to a statement from his doctor, Kevin O'Connor.
Joe Biden and his adopted German shepherd Major, in Wilmington, Delaware in 2018. Credit:AP
"It is anticipated that he will likely require a walking boot for several weeks," O'Conner added.
Biden, 78, slipped while playing with his dog Major, one of his two German shepherds, according to his office.
Upon arrival at the orthopaedist, the van Biden was in manoeuvred so the reporters and photographers travelling with the President-elect could not see him as he left the motorcade and entered the doctor's office.
The transition team also did not allow journalists off the van while Biden was inside.
The Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018 and acquired their first dog, Champ, after the 2008 election. Major is set to become the first rescue dog to live in the White House when Biden takes office in January.
The Bidens have also said they plan to get a cat.
At 78, Biden will be the oldest president when he's inaugurated in January, but he frequently dismissed questions about his age on the campaign trail. He released a doctor's report in December that disclosed he takes a statin to keep his cholesterol at healthy levels, but his doctor described him as "healthy, vigorous" and "fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency".
Washington Post, AP