Why is my dog limping?

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Garrick is having problems with his leg.

This is the type of problem that is hard to address over the internet as someone really needs to be able to examine him.

I'll give you a few possible reasons for what could be going on.

One common reason for a hind limb lameness is a tear in the cruciate (ACL) ligament. Sometimes when there is a tear you can feel that the affected knee is swollen as compared to the other side. (The knee is the joint that points forwards.) Hopefully this is not the case as this type of injury almost always needs surgery.

It is also possible that this is a minor muscle tear or sprain of some sort. If this is the case we should be seeing a good amount of improvement within 3-4 days.

There are many other possibilities as well. Here are my guidelines for deciding when to take a dog to the vet in case of lameness:

-If the dog seems extremely uncomfortable and can't get settled then go right away.
-If there is absolutely no improvement after 24 hours then a visit is necessary.
-If there is some improvement after 3-4 days but not as much as you would like then a visit is best.
-If your gut is just telling you that something is wrong then go.

I don't usually recommend giving any medication at home. Any of the over the counter medicines available can have significant side effects and can possibly make it so that the vet is unable to prescribe more effective medication until that is out of his system.

I hope everything is ok!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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