Is Your Dog Limping?
Is Your Dog Limping?
If your dog is limping here are some basic things to check before calling the
veterinarian. The limp is more than likely occurring because your dogs range of
movement has been affected by an injury (either soft tissue or bone/joint) or a
disease/condition presenting itself.
Observation First
Observe the dog as he walks and note whether he can weight bear on the affected limb or has to carry it off the ground constantly. This observation step is an important part of selecting the most appropriate dog pain relief measures.
Try to identify which leg is the one causing the pain.To pinpoint the leg creating the discomfort watch the dog move around for a few minutes.
Usually a dog will plant the healthy leg more heavily and lift or gingerly plant the affected limb. Another way to tell is by watching your dogs head. He will tend to drop his head when his good leg is placed on the ground and lift his head when the “bad” leg hits the ground.
Examine The Limb
Once you have identified the limb that is bothering your dog select a good limb first to examine and apply pressure to to allow your pet to feel comfortable with your touch. This will also show you the dogs reaction to having his healthy paws or leg moved/squeezed.
Your want the dog to be comfortable with what you are doing because if he is in pain he may bite you (yes even you, his master!) when feeling threatened with more pain. Check the following:
- His toes for cracks,bleeding,broken or torn nails/cuticles.
- Webbing of the foot – may be cut or a sharp object could be lodged here
- Pads: Dogs have six protective pads on their front paws (this includes the one at the back of their carpi, or “wrists”) and five on their hind paws. A cut on the pad can cause a lot of pain and of course, a limp.
If it is a case of a split or cut – as long as there is not profuse bleeding, applying some antiseptic cream and allowing a few days of rest will see your dog back to his old self. If there is noticeable swelling and bleeding, call your vet.
Check Joints
A limp may emanate from any of the many joints in a dog’s limbs. After checking the various joints of the dogs paws, turn your attention to the three major joints of each limb of your dog. A dog’s front limb consists of the wrist (carpus), the elbow and the shoulder. The hind quarters consist of the ankle (tarsus), the stifle (or knee), and at the top,the hip.
Go over each of these joints and apply light pressure and then increase the pressure until it is moderate. If the dog shows no pain, attempt to gently move the limb and slowly articulate it through its full range of motion. Examine each joint in isolation – be gentle and you may reveal the limb that is the source of the problem.
Finally The Bones
Compare the limbs to see if there is any swelling, bleeding, bruising or whether one is distorted in any way. Run your hands gently up from the toes to the shoulder whilst applying slight pressure. If there is a fractured bone it will be obvious to your touch and by your dogs reaction.
Arthritis
There may be an arthritic cause to your dog limping. If the limp is acute (comes on suddenly) then more than likely it is not arthritis and more a traumatic blow or tendon/ligament injury. If you notice that your dog has been having trouble getting up from laying down or shying away from climbing and jumping over a period of time (chronic symptoms) and is a mature animal, then it may be a degenerative joint condition.
Either way, if your dog is limping for more than a few days consult a vet.
