Many dogs will limp for one reason or another, sometime during their life. There are many reasons that your dog may be limping. Sometimes the limping goes away after a few days, and sometimes it continues to get worse. If your dog has been limping for a few days and it does not seem to improve or is getting worse. It is best to make an appointment with your veterinarian to have them figure out what is causing your pet to limp.
When taking your dog to the vet, they may have a hard time getting into your car. This is when a ramp will help your dog easily and quickly get into your car.
Limping in dogs
Sometimes the limping starts suddenly, and sometimes your dog will gradually start to limp. If your dog starts limping gradually, this will be an indication of a degrative or chronic issue. Your dog will show symptoms early in the disease process, and you usually can do something to help decrease the spread or sometimes even reverse the condition.
If your dog suddenly starts to limp, this usually means that there is some sort of trauma or injury. No matter if your pet is suddenly limping or this has been a gradual change, make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Signs that accompany a limp
There are other signs and symptoms that accompany a limp that would indicate a serious problem, such as:
- Their leg is swollen,
- The leg is hot to the touch
- Their leg is dangling
- Their leg is obviously broken
Sometimes the signs are very obvious that there is a problem, while others are very mild, and you may notice right away.
4 common causes of limping in dogs
There are many different reasons that your dog may be limping. These are just a few of the most common reasons a dog may be limping.
Injury to their Paw
Your dog may have injured its paw. When they are running around outside, they may step on something and hurt their paw. This may cause their foot to become infected and painful, causing them to limp. They can also break their toenail, which will also cause them to limp. Most of the time, your dog will also lick their paw, indicating that there is something wrong with their foot.
Leg injury or trauma
Dogs can be very active and have many different injuries or trauma to their legs. Your dog may have gotten out of your backyard and possibly gotten hit by a car. This could cause broken bones or other small fractured in their legs. When running and playing outside, they can also sprain or strain ligaments or tendons. Some bigger dogs can also tear their ACL or other ligaments while playing outside. Dislocations and spinal injuries can also cause your dog to limp. All of these injuries would be a sudden cause of limping in your dog.
Joint diseases
There are some joint diseases that can cause your dog to limp. Hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia are a slowly progressive disease that will cause your dog to limp. These diseases can lead to arthritis, which can also cause your dog to limp.
Dachshunds are very commonly hurting their back and developing a disease called intervertebral disk disease. This can start with just a mild limp but can progress to not even able to move their back legs at all. Certain tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease can also cause joint problems in your dog and cause them to limp. If you notice any
Bone disease
There is a certain disease that can affect your dog’s bone that can cause your dog to limp. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy is a disease seen in young, fast-growing large to giant breed puppies. These dogs will limp due to the pain of fast bone growth. Panosteitis is another disease that can cause dogs to limp. This is also a disease seen in fast-growing large to giant breed dogs. You will usually see lameness that shifts from one leg to another.
Bone cancer is commonly seen in older large to giant breed dogs. This causes a swollen area around the knee, shoulder, or wrist joints. This can be a very painful condition that will cause your dog to limp.
Diagnosis and treatment
There are many different ways to diagnose and treat your dog for limping. Most commonly, your veterinarian will take radiographs to see what the bones look like. This will show any broken bones or arthritic changes to the bone. This will also show and swollen muscles around the bone.
Your veterinarian may also recommend bloodwork to rule out any infections causing your dog to limp. They may recommend specialized testing such as joint taps, CTs, or MRI to be able to fully assess your dog’s problem.
Depending on what is causing your dog to limp, they may need surgery to fix the problem. Broken legs and torn ACL can all be correct with surgery. Very rarely, a dog could break their leg so bad that there is no way surgical correction would fix the breaks, and your dog will need to have their leg amputated.
If your dog is limping because they have strained or sprained their leg, your veterinarian may send your dog home with pain medications and instructions for them to rest.
Final Thoughts
If your dog is limping, this may start to improve at home with just a little rest. If the limping continues or you have worsening signs, it would be best for your vet to see your dog. Also, consider getting a ramp to help your dog get on and off your bed and couch. This will help them still be able to have freedom in the house without the possibility of injuring themselves even more.
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