Limping dog?

Question

My 7 month old labrador pup is limping in his right front leg. He is able to put some weight on it but takes the weight off quicker in the right leg than in the left. I've felt through the paw and there's nothing stuck in there at all, no cuts or abrasions but he is sensitive when I touch it (recoils the paw and flinches it briefly). There's no noticable heat or swelling coming from the joints in the affected leg and he doesnt appear to be in pain. It came on suddenly in the evening last night after dog training.

Any ideas? If it doesnt get better in the next 24 hr I will take him to the vet.

His nails are short as he gets 2 x 20 min walks a day. The limp came on a couple of hours after dog training too.

Answer 1

He may have pulled a muscle whilst running. Or perhaps he has been stung by an insect.

Best to get the vet to check him though just to be sure.

Answer 2

hi, unless it GETS WORSE i personally wouldnt do anything just yet, I'd see what it was like in a week or so. My 4 month pup broke her toe, and had a slight limp but coped really well with it until i went to the vets, now its cost hundreds and hundreds of pounds, 5 weeks in a cast, no going outside for 5 weeks, which includes no going to training, as well as having to fence a small part of the garden just for the loo, she is now a clingy puppy who wants to be entertained every moment she is awake, she spent a day a week at the vets, sedated for cast change, she's underweight, fussy eater and now the cast is off she has pressure sores, a misshaped floppy paw and wears a bucket collar because she wants to eat it and still has more of a limp...... see how it goes a bit first would be my advice it might sort itself out on its own, i feel that i may not have done the right thing and that her puppy months have been spoilt. HOWEVER I may feel differently if another month time, TIME AND REST IS A GREAT HEALER. obviously if things get worse then you must see your vet.

Answer 3

I have a lab- she's now 5 but has on a couple of occasions started to limp without any obvious reason. Have taken her to the vet and have got anti inflammatory tabs for her. As labs are prone to being daft I am assuming- as has the vet- that she has strained or annoyed a muscle in her shoulder when she was leaping around on her walk in the forest and just a rest for a week - no walks - does the trick. Hopefully it's not a long term problem.

Answer 4

I would rest him for a few days and then start excising him gradually first a walk and then if that's OK a free run, if after that he's lame again take him to the vet and give him as much info as you can. There are many reasons why a pup goes lame and you need to get it sorted out now so it will be OK in it's later life

Answer 5

May be a strained muscle. Also may be something embedded deeply in his paw (between the pads) that you can't see - even grass seeds can go deep into the paw and cause pain when pressure is applied.

Best to take him to the vet and get him checked over.

Answer 6

Could be a pulled muscle, especially after the exercise last night, if not, are his nails too long? I'm sure not but just suggestion. Sometimes my dog limps a bit but she's 12 and big dog so arthritis, good luck

Answer 7

I would see a vet.

Just remember that if it is a sprain or muscle injury and your pup is put on any medication it will most likely appear to be better within days. Try to keep your pup confined with controlled exercise for at least one month - and possibly even longer - to prevent serious injury and re-injuring it as it matures. Better safe than sorry!!

Answer 8

the pain could be originating in the neck or shoulder area, if he is doing more panting than normal that would be a sign of pain

Answer 9

its a muscle problem bring him to the vet