year old pup limping
Written by swede
Hi all, Just signed up. We have a year old pup (lab) . For a few days he's been favoring his left hind leg. Today seems worse, but can't get in to the vet. Any suggestions on what to look for? I've looked at him and can't find any swelling, or injuries. We just have no idea what happened. Other than the limp, or now evn holding it up, he seems fine. Please help!
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Hi Marcie...Just wanted to thank you for your help, and let you know Teddy has made a full recovery. Back to his old self, running, jumping and playing.
Thank you Marcie! He's been kept as quiet as possible. It doesn't seem to slow him down when he wants to run, and is eating fine, but there is still that darn limp. Do you think we should take him in for an exray? Or let it heal ? He's not over weight, but does weigh close to 80 lbs and is 1 year old.
I think it is always better to be safe and always a relief to take out the guess work. If they do take an xray, it may be worth it to include a hip view so you know what his hips look like and if you need to watch for any problems in the future. Even though he is only a year, the vet can get a good idea what the confirmation of the hip is like. Even pups whos parents were OFA or Penn hip cleared, can produce off spring with dysplasia.
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Swede, there are a few things that could be going on with your pups leg. Young dogs are so active it is easy for them to pull a muscle or land on the leg wrong and now it is sore. There may not be any swelling or visible injury from the outside to have done damage on the inside. The most common knee injury is a torn Cruciate ligament, but it is usually seen in dogs a bit older and a bit overweight. Some dogs have problems with a Luxating Patella (the knee cap slips to the side). There are many bones in the foot and if he fractured one it could cause limping but would not be obvious with out an xray.
What ever the injury is, it is done and if you keep him quiet and restrict activity for a couple of days, he will either get better or remain the same. If he refuses to eat and becomes lethargic or cries in pain, then he should be seen as soon as you can get him in.
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