My dog's front leg is still hurt after a month. Should I be worried?

Limping can be caused by several different problems - if x-rays didn't show a fracture, then it is likely that Bentley has some type of soft-tissue injury causing him to limp. One of the most common injuries like this that we see in dogs is a torn cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) - this is the same ligament that human athletes sometimes injure, called the ACL in humans. This ligament is responsible for stabilizing the knee joint when the dog walks, so if it is torn it causes significant lameness that does not improve with rest and pain medication. Other possible causes of limping for over a month would be a torn muscle, or a torn tendon or ligament in another part of the leg. Unfortunately, these injuries will not show up on x-rays. If your veterinarian doesn't have any other suggestions for further testing (such as a sedated orthopedic exam to check joint stability), then I would recommend asking for a referral to an orthopedic specialist. Bentley may need an MRI or other advanced imaging to diagnose the problem.

I’m not sure there’s much more you can know about the underlying cause of Prancer’s lameness without a radiograph to see the bone. Certainly all the things you mentioned would not help to heal any injury either. The first concern I have is related to the hard area on her hip for some type of mass or cancer. Hopefully it’s not that and it’s unrelated. The fall could have injured the hip/joint and certainly being dropped didn’t help that. She could also have ruptured her cruciate ligament. The fact that she is still lame after two months makes me worried about an injury to the bones or a ligament injury. A trip to the vet for a thorough palpation may give the answer and a radiograph (x-ray) may be needed to look at the bones. At home you are doing the right thing by resting her. Do not allow her jump, go for walks or even use stairs. She needs to be rested. If a fracture is present somewhere however, it needs to be completely immobile and may take 8 weeks to heal (although non union fractures can’t heal properly). There’s not much you can give her to heal bone injuries but omega 3 fatty acid supplements and adding in a joint supplement such as Dasuquin can help to naturally decrease any inflammation. I hope this helps and I hope you get things figured out quickly. Please feel free to post any additional questions you may have. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If they are not concerned about a broken bone, it may be a good idea to give Ben some time to rest up to see if this is just a soft tissue injury of some sort. I would give him a few days to a week on the medications and complete rest limiting his activity to see if he improves on his own. If no improvement is seen by then or he worsens in the meantime, have him reevaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

Good Evening...thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry that Luna is experience some trouble with her left front leg. Since the lameness seems to be reoccurring, I would recommend you bring her into a veterinarian for an examination. Young dogs can often experience many conditions that can cause lameness. These can range from conditions such as panosteitis (growing pains) to congenital conditions such as elbow dysplasia, or OCD lesion of either the shoulder or elbow. Certainly a soft tissue injury (muscle strain or sprain) may also be the culprit. Regardless, it may be nice to see if the veterinarian can determine her "pain point" and localize where her lameness is coming from. They will also be able to give you prescription medications that ma help to ease her discomfort. I hope this information helps, good luck and I hope Luna gets some relief soon! :-)

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Muneca is limping. Based off the radiograph, it looks like her fibula, the smaller bone in her lower leg, may be fractured. It is difficult to know for sure without an orthogonal view, but that may be the reason for her limping. I recommend restricting her activity to cage rest and leash walks only, do not let her run or play for at least 4 weeks to allow time for the bone to heal. I recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian who can perform bloodwork and see if it is safe to prescribe her anti-inflammatory pain medications to help her feel more comfortable. NEVER give human pain medications to dogs as they can be markedly toxic. I hope this is helpful!

I'm sorry Lily has injured herself. If there were no bony lesions on the x-rays such as fractures or dislocations, then it seems like it may be a soft tissue injury which can take 6 to 8 weeks before any improvement is noted. If you're still concerned you can discuss with your veterinarian about referral to an orthopedic specialist or canine physical therapist. I hope she starts feeling better soon

Hello and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. Without examining Bruno it is difficult to say what it could be. He could be dealing with a nerve injury or neurological condition, soft tissue injury (strain or sprain), ACL injury, bone trauma, infectious, etc. If x-rays have already been performed, I would suggest having an orthopedic specialist take a look at Bruno. Bruno may need a CT scan of the leg to help determine what this could be so that the most appropriate diagnostics and treatments can be recommended. It is also possible that this is a soft tissue injury and Bruno will start feeling much better and then run or jump leading to a re-injury of the leg. You may need to look at keeping Bruno crate confined or restricted to a small area so that he cannot run or jump for at least 4 weeks to see how he does with limited activity. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any additional concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.