Dog limping

[Keepsmiling1]

Hi

DDog is almost 10 months old and usually has 2 walks a day - both 30 mins but one is on lead and the other we tend to walk to a field and throw his ball (his most favourite thing!)

Last night before bed he had been asleep on the floor and when we got up to go to bed he was limping and wouldn't put much weight on his front paw. I rang the vets this morning and they did a video consultation. It was obviously hard to see and I checked for anything that felt funny but I couldn't see/feel anything. The vet said to give him some pain medication (I had some left over from a recent mouth injury!) and monitor him. It seemed to get a bit better today and he was playing but you could still see a slight limp. Tonight he went to sleep by the couch and again when he woke up his limp seemed worse.

I will obviously ring the vet again on Monday morning but has anyone got any ideas what it could be? Could it be a strain? Are we walking him too much?

I am finding it so stressful at the moment - I am a worrier anyway and not knowing if there is anything wrong is making me feel worse. He isn't complaining but a couple of weeks ago he had a stick stuck in the roof of his mouth which had to be removed and the vet said he must have been in so much pain as it was ulcerated but there was no sign there was anything wrong apart from a bad smell! So the fact he isn't complaining at the moment doesn't mean he isn't in pain!

[VetOnCall]

If you've checked him over and can't find any obvious injury then he has likely pulled or strained a muscle. Unfortunately, as much as they love it, chasing balls is not actually very good for them - the sudden stops/turns/jerks/skidding puts a lot of strain on their joints and muscles. I would rest him for a few days, so out to the garden or short, on-lead toileting walks only, and then see how he goes from there. At 10 months he's still developing so I would limit the ball throwing at least for a while to protect his joints.

If you do it in future, make sure he's well warmed up first and try making him wait while you throw the ball and then releasing him to fetch it, this can avoid a lot of the sudden braking, jumping, twisting and skidding associated with trying to catch a moving ball.

[Booboostwo]

In general a severe limp is usually indicative of a less serious injury like a muscle strain. The more complex problems like various dysplasias in the articulations present as rather mild lamenesses.

Are you absolutely sure there is no injury to the paw or claws? That kind of thing can be very painful.

[Darklane]

Have you checked between his pads? To rule out an interdigital cyst or even a small stone stuck in there. It sounds most like a sprain.

[vanillandhoney]

Sounds like he's pulled or sprained a muscle.

Ball throwing really isn't the best thing for growing joints - even though they love it. The speed, the skidding stops and the sudden changes of direction are all problematic unfortunately.

I would stick to slow lead walks for a while and see what the outcome is. Then, maybe cut back on the ball throwing - off-lead walks where they can run and sniff would be fine instead. My boy loves chasing his ball but seeing some of the positions he lands in makes me cringe, so we don't do it often anymore.

[RedHelenB]

Has he been licking his paw at all?

[Keepsmiling1]

Thank you so much for all the replies.

He hasn't really been licking his paw and I have tried to have a good look and there isn't anything I can see but I will have another check.

He has been ok today - a slight limp but better than it was yesterday. I never knew ball throwing was so bad for them so I will definitely stop that for now. I will have to try new places to walk because he definitely associates the field nearby with his ball. I took him once a few weeks ago without the ball and he just stood next to me looking and wouldn't even run off to sniff!

We will keep to short lead walks for the next few days and see how he goes. Do most people do an on lead and off lead walk each day?

[vanillandhoney]

Is he food motivated?

Mine loves it when I take sausages out with me and hide them in the grass or in the fields for him to find. He still has the "hunting" part of it ut without the manic running about and exercising.

[Yorknees]

My dog started hopping one day and we thought it was his paw. Turned out he had locked his knee, was diagnosed with luxating patella in March. He's a small dog though which is more common.