okay i dont know why but my dog is limping and i checked his leg and in between his toes and found nothing wrong it is his front paw i dont know what the problem is and i asked my dad if we could take him to a vet and he wont he said that he will be better and it's been 4 days and nothing is better someone help me!does anyone have a clue to what it is?
2006-10-12 15:51:26 · 16 answers · asked by dogloverfav 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
and the only reason my dad isn't that worried about him is because my dog is playing on it and not limping while playing so now what should i do?
2006-10-12 16:00:13 · update #1
I think that if your dog is playing then it's ok. Maybe the dog had something stick it's paw, like a thorn. I've had the same thing happen to my lab. If your dog isn't yelping when the paw is touched, and if it's playing then I think it's just an owie, kind of like a stubbed toe.
2006-10-12 17:47:56 · answer #1 · answered by noonecanne 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I just love how everyone is offering advice without even having the MINIMUM information needed to even attempt that.
Going to the vet is apparently not an option, so not much point in recommending what this young person has already SAID he/she WANTS to do, but isn't allowed to do.
No one can even BEGIN to have an opinion on this case without knowing the following:
1. What breed? (If mixed, what is predominant breed(s)?)
2. What is the dog's weight? Is he at his ideal weight, or is he a chunky monkey? How old is he?
3. Is the dog allowed to jump up and down from furniture?
4. What percentage of time is spent indoors/outdoors? Is it a fenced yard or does he run around free? Does he stay on a chain when outdoors?
5. Does this dog play with other dogs? If so, what size(s) are they?
6. Good appetite?
7. Is the limping worse when the dog gets up in the morning and get a little better as he starts to use it, or the other way around?
8. How much weight is the dog putting on the leg? None at all (holding it up completely)? Just barely 'toe-touching'? About 50%? Or is he bearing most of his weight, but just lith a little limp?
9. Does it come and go, or is it constant? Does it shift from one leg to the other, or is it always the same leg?
10. Has it shown any improvement at all since it began, stayed the same, or gotten worse?
11. Has he been exposed to any ticks?
12. Are any of his joints swollen or painful that you can tell? (Don't try to feel all of them, however...b/c if you hit on a painful area, you might get bitten unintentionally.)
13. What type of food is he on?
Those are the BASIC questions that a DVM will ask before even putting his/her hands on the dog, because the answers rule in and rule out many common problems.
I've got to go to bed here in a few minutes, hun...but if you can answer those questions for me, I'll see if I can help as much as I can in this limited format. :-)
To the people who keep giving out baby aspirin 'doses'....your info is wrong. First of all, you have to know the exact weight of the dog. Second of all, 1/2 or 1 baby aspirin is much too low for a 50# dog to even bother with. And there are certain times when aspirin should NOT be used. Please leave dosage recomendations to those of us who know what they really are....not just what you've "heard" or been told for your own dog. Thanks!
2006-10-12 17:10:33 · answer #2 · answered by A Veterinarian 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First- you should limit the amount of exercise that your dog is having. If you are allowing him to jump and play hard, he is probably continuing to agitate an already tender spot. I would suggest exercising him on a leash until the 'limping' has subsided or at least subdued. If he continues to limp- there may be something deeper than say a pulled muscle. It could be skeletal, like arthritis or a dysplasia. Most veterinarians will give you some 'free' advice over the phone. Baby aspirin can be admininistered, but again, check with your veterinarian before you give any over the counter meds to your animals. I can not tell you what the exact problem is, only some ways to alleviate some of your dogs discomfort. If you live in an area where he can swim, try that. It is a low impact form of exercise and it can really tire a dog out. Don't assume though that your dog is a natural swimmer, don't force him! I hope that this is helpful, these are times when we wish our animals could tell us what it wrong.
2006-10-12 16:26:15 · answer #3 · answered by Erinn H 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How old is the dog? What breed?
Male dogs are much more likely to get panosteitis then females. There is a higher incidence in several breeds including German Shepherds, Great Danes, Doberman Pinschers, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers, and Basset Hounds. - from the second link
If the dog is young enough - it Could be pano
Have you checked for a fox tail? It is a sharp grass seed that can do a lot of damage! If there is an entry point, I use tea tree oil on the opening. If you can grab the main body of the seed, use tweezers to extract it.
Is the paw hot? - I mean really hot. Look for swollen pads - it could be an infection or broken toe.
2006-10-12 16:52:39 · answer #4 · answered by wotana02 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he is still limping after 4 days, he should go to the vet.
When he is playing, the weight is more evenly distributed than if he is walking around as with the ealk the steps are more deliberate.
You didnt say what sort of dog it is, but if he is a bigger dog, he may damage/strain another leg, or any of his muscles.
My dog was limping, turned out she had a sprained toe and still needed meds for it (anti-inflamatories). Sound funny, but it was very badly sprained and it really hurt her.
2006-10-12 16:20:29 · answer #5 · answered by Feline Female 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He may have just bruised his paw, it will take a few days for that to get better. My dog has done that before and she limped around when she was on a hard surface, but she played normally. Once it healed up, she still limped some, cause she was use to it, not only that she got sympathy for it. Good luck.
2006-10-13 03:57:28 · answer #6 · answered by la_southern_femme 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would call the vet yourself. Let him talk to your dad if he feels it's necessary for the dog to come in.
Often dogs will pull their muscles and limp for a day or two but four days is a little excessive for a healthy animal to be limping about. Your dad should be a little more concerned at this point.
2006-10-12 15:54:05 · answer #7 · answered by Stella Bing 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It could be anything. It could be a pulled muscle, or it could be a bone out of socket. If that's the case, then the vet will definately have to put it back in place. Only the vet can tell you for sure. Watch how he walks. If he doesn't put any weight on it at all, then that could be it. I know this because it happened to our dog. He really should go to the vet, especially after 4 days.
2006-10-12 16:03:43 · answer #8 · answered by Starscape 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be many things, including just a simple sprain or even mild irritation. The best thing to do is keep an eye on the dog and keep him from running, jumping or licking at leg. If he seems like he is in a lot of pain you can try asprin. But pure ASPRIN, not tylenol or advil, etc. For a small dog, maybe try 1/2 a baby asrin, for a bigger dog (50 lbs) you can try 1 baby asprin. But try not to give to much (if any at all) because you want to monitor pain. If in three days he is not better, call a vet. Good luck
2006-10-12 15:57:32 · answer #9 · answered by hbpq83 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It could be he sprained it. That should heal soon if that is the case. I would give it another couple of days, if it is not better by then I would ask dad again. If he still says no, I would ask some one else you know for help. I hope he is better soon.
2006-10-12 15:59:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋