Dog limping - convinced myself it’s bone cancer

[ExitSandyman]

5 year old Dobermann (the breed is prone to osteosarcoma)

Started limping on her front leg last Wednesday. I assumed she’d just pulled a muscle and expected it to go away about a day or so as these things normally do.

Friday she was still limping but only after rest, once she was up and about it wore off. I rang vets who said as it was on and off it won’t be anything too serious, just keep her rested and see how she is in a day or so.

No change today. She’s still flying around like a nutter but everytime she’s been laid down for a while she gets up limping. Shes also quiet and a bit snappy - growled at DH last night when he stroked her hip (it’s her front leg that’s dodgy though!)

Going to get her in to be seen tomorrow but has anyone experienced anything like this? Limp with no obvious cause? Her shoulder seems sensitive and when I pressed it on Thursday she snapped at me - very unusual for her

Arthritis

If she's flying around like a nutter as you say the most likely cause is a strained muscle or ligament. Cancer would be the least likely cause, quite young for arthritis. She needs rested, if she won't rest then a crate would be a good idea.

Agree, a sprained muscle/ligament isn't going to heal without proper rest

It sounds like she ignores the pain when adrenaline/excitement is high (this is normal). You need to give her some time with proper rest before she does more damage.

You'll probably need to spend time doing loads of mental stimulation with her to keep her occupied. Try puzzles, lucky mats, frozen kongs

Her limp won't improve without rest, so you need to stop her from charging around before she really hurts herself.

If she's crate trained then you could put her on crate rest, or if not, just use a lead to stop her haring about. I would also keep her off walks for a few days.

I know it's easy to panic but most minor limps are because of injuries. I give mine half a paracetamol twice a day when he's limping on vet advice.

My ddog has a back leg issue, hip pops out, she's under the vet.
We've been advised to put her on a diet 😬 and three short walks a day, absolutely no running or chasing the ball.
She may need an op.
My ddog limps when she gets up after a nap but is walking fine unless she's walked on uneven ground like the grass.
I wouldn't jump straight to cancer if I were you, have you checked her pads for an injury?
Until you see the vet I wouldn't let her run.

Don’t want to worry you too much but our 6 year old greyhound limped on various legs occasionally and it always went away. He then got a limp which got worse and it hurt to touch one spot (and there was also some swelling). He was still running around. We took him to the vet who arranged an X-ray for the next morning. It was osteosarcoma and his condition deteriorated so fast he had to be put to sleep 4 days later. I’m not someone who rushes to the vet lightly but in this scenario I’d recommend it.

If it's worse after rest then loosens up, that's nearly always muscular