Just like us, our dogs can sometimes overexert themselves, causing pain and limping in one or more legs. Perhaps your playful pooch just can’t say no to yet another game of catch.
Limping is your dog’s way of telling you she’s experiencing pain in her joints, tendons, ligaments, muscles, or bones, but why she hurts is not always easy to figure out. Although both dogs and cats can exhibit lameness, it’s much more common and usually more severe in dogs.
Many conditions, ranging from traumatic injury to Lyme disease, can cause your dog to hobble or stop using one of her legs. If more than one limb is affected, your dog may walk with a funny gait or hesitate to move.
Causes
Dogs of all ages can suffer traumatic injuries, ranging from mild sprains to broken bones. But young dogs most commonly develop lameness from growth problems. Well-known offenders include hip dysplasia, panosteitis (a painful bone condition that resolves as dogs mature), and osteochondritis dissecans (a cartilage and bone problem). The aging bodies of older dogs are more susceptible to arthritis, cruciate ligament rupture, and cancer.
What you can do at home
If your dog develops a sudden limp, check the foot for lodged foreign objects, cuts, or broken toenails. Clean mild cuts with soap and water, and feel along the pet’s limb for any heat, swelling, or pain. You can give your dog a buffered aspirin (one regular-strength aspirin per 25 pounds of body weight). Call your veterinarian if the condition worsens or your dog develops other symptoms, including swelling, fever, appetite loss, or lethargy.
Keep your dog’s toenails trimmed to avoid snags that can break the nail to the quick—a very painful injury for your pet. Feeding your dog a high-quality food and providing plenty of exercise can help prevent obesity, arthritis, and ligament injury. Also use tick preventive to avoid tick-borne diseases.
When to call the veterinarian
See your veterinarian immediately for any major traumatic injury, such as a broken bone or infected wound. Also call if your dog shows other symptoms, if she holds her leg off the ground, or if the soreness persists for more than two days or worsens over time.
What your veterinarian will do
Your veterinarian will ask when the lameness started, if it has improved or worsened, and if you’ve administered any pain medication. Then the doctor will check out her stride firsthand. After a thorough physical exam, your veterinarian may recommend X-rays and blood tests, or if the joint is painful, he or she may drain fluid from it to help make a diagnosis.
