Tips For Addressing Leg Injuries In Your Dog
As the owner of a dog, it can be troubling to see your pup favoring a leg or limping. This is, understandably, a concerning situation, especially if you don't know why it's happening. If you've recently noticed your dog limping but never saw any injury occur, there are a few things that you should know. Here are some basic tips about dog leg injuries and how to manage them.
How Could Your Dog Have Gotten Hurt?
You may wonder how an injury could have happened. The truth is that a dog's leg joints are different than a person's, and they are often more prone to injuries as a result. Especially as puppies, those injuries are far more common than you might think. A dog's leg and shoulder joints aren't fully formed and connected when dogs are young.
All it takes is an overextension, stepping down the wrong way when running, or any other subtle movement that can cause a leg injury in your dog. This can result in the limping or favoring that you might be noticing.
If you've checked the affected leg for any signs of cuts, scratches, or paw injuries and there's nothing visible, it may be a stress injury that's affecting your dog.
What Can You Do?
Recognizing your dog's injury is one thing, but knowing what to do about it is another. If you see your dog limping or favoring a leg, you need to be proactive about preventing further injury. For example, give your dog somewhere safe and comfortable to rest.
Bring food and water dishes to the resting area so your dog doesn't have to move far to eat or drink. The less movement your dog has to do, the better. Minimize trips outside, but ensure that your dog gets plenty of opportunities to use the bathroom. Puppy pads are a great option if the injury is significant.
It shouldn't take more than about a week or so for your dog to recover with sufficient rest. If the problem seems to get worse, or if it doesn't heal in a week or so, you should reach out to your local veterinary hospital for further evaluation. The veterinarian will likely do x-rays to determine the source of the problem.
It's important that you seek out medical care for your dog if the injury doesn't heal. You may need to have your veterinarian immobilize the leg or prescribe medication to help your pup recover.