Limping Dog.

Dr. Marie replied:

It's always tough to answer questions about lameness without being able to examine your dog. But, I'll give you a few of my thoughts!

My general rule of thumb is that if a dog is putting no weight at all on a leg and it lasts for more than a few hours then it's a good idea to have the vet take a look.

If he is putting some weight on the leg, and if he is bright and otherwise happy it is likely ok to wait it out for 24 hours. But if there has been zero improvement then he should see the vet. If there has been a little bit of improvement then you could likely wait it out for a total of 48 hours to see if things are going to improve.

If you do decide to wait, I wouldn't advise giving him any medication. If we give an over the counter drug like aspirin it can interfere with the vet's ability to diagnose. Plus, it might mean that the vet can't prescribe a different medication that could be more effective.

It's usually best to restrict exercise in times like this, so make sure Shady gets some rest.

I hope everything is ok!

Dr. Marie.

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