limping dog

1741 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Shawn255, Jun 16, 2012

sierrachico

Discussion Starter · Jun 14, 2012

yesterday, my sister and i took my chiweenie dog for a walk. he didnt walk any differently than any other walk but when we got home he started limping. he is a little over weight but hes been like that for quite a while and has never had this problem. i cant tell which one is bugging him but its either one of his back legs. hes still running around and jumping on the couch normally, and he doesnt seem to bother me touching his legs or anything. its just really concerning. whats wrong with my dog?

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Labman

· #2 · Jun 15, 2012 (Edited)

It could be just the sort of muscle stiffness we get when we over do it. After vacation last year, it took at least a week before I could move without hurting.

I would try to keep him quiet and if not better by Monday, call the vet.

My guess is he would be better off without any pain killer, especially Ibruprofen or acetoaminophen. If you absolutely have to give him something, try aspirin, 1 mg per 5 pounds of body weight. Maybe a baby aspirin an 83 mg tablet would be right for a 21 pound dog. Better, nothing at all without talking to the vet.

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Shawn255

· #3 · Jun 16, 2012

Hi Sierrachico,

Dogs are really good at hiding their pain, even if you push on what is hurting them. Its a natural defense instinct.

Your best bet to see which paw is the problem is to watch him walk and see which let he puts the less weight on.

Once you can tell which foot, there are some basic things you can start with. First is overgrown nails - this can be painful for dogs. Clipping them yourself is possible, but read up on it - you can hurt them bad if you do it wrong.

Next, look between the pats for sticks, pebbles, thorns, sores etc. If there is a foreign object, take it out. It is also possible the dog stepped in something chemical that is bothering them (fertilizer pellets can do this).

If none of that seems to be it then I can tell you that my own dog (Jasmine below) started mysteriously limping and I went through all this. In the end, the problem was that she has lyme disease. That certainly required a vet visit.

I hope that gives you some ideas of how to help dog. Good luck!

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