My dog's back leg is lifted after being outside. Is it an injury?

I would recommend that Heat be checked out by a vet. He could have a muscle or ligament strain, a broken bone, or a dislocation. If he is limping, it also means he is painful and would benefit from prescription pain medications. Remember, there are no human OTC medications that are safe in pets!

If you’ve checked her paw and it’s normal she may be holding her foot up because she has injured her knee and doesn’t want weight on the leg. Knee injuries are common and when first injured dogs hold it up like you are describing. If it’s a knee injury it can heal with rest if the cruciate ligament isn’t fully torn, if it is torn then she may need surgery to repair it. I recommend leash walks only for potty breaks for a week. If she isn’t using the leg normally after that time then please bring her in for and exam and diagnosis. If she’s currently painful then certainly bring her in right away so they can find the problem and get her on pin medication. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Pup.

It sounds like the leg is injured, possibly a sprain or tear, or a broken bone. It would be best to bring Dozer to your vet to have the leg examined and X-rayed to check for this, especially if he won't put any weight on it at all. Until you can get to your vet, keeping him on kennel rest with leash-only walks to go potty is best to avoid further irritation to the injury.

If it just started you can let her rest for a few days with minimal walking and minimal physical exercise, if it does not improve within 3-4 days you will have to take her to the vet in order to get it checked and treated, she might need pain killers for a few days. if the vet think it's something more serious such as a fracture, joint injury or foreign body, he might recommend to have an xray done as well.

She could have some arthritis in her hips, a loose knee cap, or a strain/sprain. You could have your vet examine her to determine the cause. Your vet can take an X-ray, if needed, to help diagnose and the determine the best way to treat. She may need an anti-inflammatory to treat.

There are a number of reasons that a dog will not put weight on a leg suddenly. They can range from a back problem, to a soft tissue injury like an injured knee, to a problem in the bones and joints, or even a problem in the paws or nails. The only way to determine the problem is to have your veterinarian perform an examination and possibly take x-rays. Some conditions are mild and will resolve with rest and pain medication, but some will require more extensive treatment. I would recommend keeping Delilah rested (no running or jumping) until you can have your veterinarian examine her to determine what is causing the problem and decide how to treat it. Good luck! I hope Delilah feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Lily. When a pet isn't showing a pain response but limping on their back leg, it could indicate that they have either torn a ligament in the joint or have a severe muscle sprain. Also if you don't notice any obvious swelling, then a fracture is likely not the cause. Rest her, no running, jumping playing and leash walk only for the next couple of weeks. You can also do cold compresses on the limb 1-2 times a day. if there is no improvement within 3-4 days, then it's best to get her seen by your veterinarian for a full exam and pet friendly pain medication. She may also need x-rays of the leg to determine the underlying injury (cause). Do not give her people pain meds however because these can be quite toxic to pets and cause major liver and/or kidney damage. It's better to get all pain and anti-inflammatory meds from your vet. Even though she isn't crying out, there is presumed inflammation at the very least, so she can benefit from medication at any time. I hope your puppy gets well soon. Best wishes.