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My dog fell down stairs and is limping. Is his paw or toe broken?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | French Bulldog | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 1 month old | 30 lbs

My dog fell down our home stairs on Friday. He did not cry but a while after he began to limp. I massaged and checked his body for anything broken and his back left paw was hurting him. He was not crying, he was walking and running on it with a limp. I checked it again in the evening, and the corner toe has a bruise in between and it hurt him to touch because he licks it a lot when I touch it. I put cold compress because it was swollen a bit and warm compress at night. Could it be broken?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 4th, 2019

The toe could be broken or dislocated, or it might be a soft tissue injury. The fact that he is limping means that he does have some level of pain even if he's not crying. I would recommend having your vet examine the toe - they might feel confident that it is a soft tissue injury once they are able to feel the toe and the joint or they might recommend an x-ray. They can also prescribe safe pain medication for him.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Davis
Veterinarian
Published on August 5th, 2017
This could be a knee or hip injury. I recommend you keep him quiet, leash walk only and let him rest for several days. If it's minor he'll be back to normal soon. If the lameness and not wanting to come up the stairs continues after a week of rest, or gets worse I recommend an exam and they may do X-rays to diagnose the problem. Cruciate (ACL in humans) is the most common knee injury in larger dogs and they can also have hip dysplasia. There are many medications to help the pain and some orthopedic problems require surgery to repair. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 23rd, 2017
The vet will need to find the cause of the limping which could be severe arthritis, a cruciate ligament tear, an injury, a foreign body or infection in the leg. Once the diagnosis is made your vet can treat the cause. Infection will be treated with antibiotics, a cruciate ligament tear can be treated surgically and sometimes conventionally, arthritis and pain can be treated with NSAIDs and/or pain medicine, etc. Please take Sandy to a vet as soon as possible.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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