What to do if my dog fell and has a painful leg lump and is limping?

Poor Lily! There are many different possibilities in this case. It may be that she has simply bruised herself or damaged a muscle or ligament. However she may have a more serious injury such as a fracture or ligament rupture. If she seems to be comfortable and nothing looks out of place you could let her rest 24 hours then if she is no better or getting worse head to the vet.

You are correct that limping can be an indication of pain, and Millie sound like she is in a lot of pain, so please make an appointment to have Millie seen by a veterinarian. Causes of the limping could be infection (such as an abscess) trauma, a muscular or nerve injury, a fractured bone, a tumour/mass, or a foreign body embedded in the leg. Some infectious diseases such as Lyme disease and joint diseases such as arthritis or joint infection can cause limping as well. Please make an appointment to have Millie seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine the cause of her signs and guide treatment. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to Millie without consulting with your vet.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see the bump you are referring to in the wrist area. This can be a mass, bone cyst, fracture, or infection of the joint and is likely painful. I recommend having your dog seen by a vet as soon as possible. Your vet can take x-rays to determine exactly what is going on. i hope this helps and that all is well!

Considering the mass just appeared and she's also lame, I would suspect that it's a fluid swelling due to an injury. It would be best to have her seen by a vet sometime in the next day or two in order to diagnose the specific condition and provide the necessary treatment. For now, you can ice the affected are 2-3 times a day until you are able to see the vet. I hope that helps and Coco gets better soon.

This appears to be swelling in the knee joint. What we would consider the "ankle" is much lower in the leg. There can be a pocket of joint fluid on the inside of the leg. It is possible this is a skin lump at the exact spot of this fluid pocket, but I doubt it. I suspect she is not putting weight on the leg because she injured the knee, and now as the swelling increases it is becoming more and more painful. I recommend she be seen by a veterinarian to check the stability of the knee to determine if she ruptured her crainial cruciate ligament or CCL (which is like a human's ACL).

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sage. Her mobility issues are most likely untelated to the new bump. She may be experiencing an exacerbation of age related arthritis if she fell a bit from the vehicle. This could make her very sore. Keep her quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. She will need to see her veterinarian for an exam and possibly x-rays. Pain medication will likely be prescribed as well. The mass can be evaluated as the same appointment. A procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is commonly performed. The veterinarian will collect a small sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This will let you know if the mass is cancerous or not. It is a rare for a mass to affect mobility, but it is possible. I hope this information helps!

Since she's been lame for a week, an exam with your veterinarian would be recommended. X-rays to diagnose fractures may be indicated after a physical exam. There are very few OTC medications you can give a dog for pain at home. Most are toxic or easy to overdose. Do not medicate Diamond without the advice of your veterinarian.