My dog injured her paw and is limping. How can I ease her pain?

Poor Layla! If she is still limping I would make an appointment to have her seen by your vet. She may have injured her nail(s) as you described, or she may even have some soft tissue swelling/ irritation or a fracture. If there is a stick/ splinter/ other foreign object in her paw the vet can help remove it and treat it to help prevent infection. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to Layla without consulting with your vet. I recommend keeping her in a crate or in a room where she can't run/ jump on anything and only taking her out for very short bathroom breaks until she is no longer limping. Make sure she's on a leash so she can't run and make things worse.

Poor girl. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do for a musculoskeletal injury. Over the counter pain meds shouldn't be given to pets b/c of a high risk of liver and/or kidney damage. You can try doing alternating cold and warm compresses on the sore area for 5-10 minutes a day. Also a warm water Epsom salt bath can help with some of the soreness. If she just has a minor injur like a muscle sprain, then letting her rest the leg and the cold and warm compresses should help improve her limping over the next 4-5 days. Also leash walking her only outside and not encouraging jumping and rough play can help the area heal. Here is a website link that also has some financial resources that may be of assistance for getting Princess seen by your vet. It sounds like she may need a radiograph of the leg and appropriate treatment depending on the underlying injury if things don't get better soon. http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html Best wishes and take care.

Yes, purchase some bandages so you can protect Lily's paw. Rest her. No running, jumping, or playing. Take her out to potty on a leash, and bring her right back in when she's done. Do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. If she is still limping in another 48 hours, have her seen by a vet.

There isn't much you can do to help her since there aren't any over the counter medications that are safe to give her. In humans, we would do RICE - rest ice compression and elevation. But those are hard to make a puppy do. So try to keep her from running or jumping, and use a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a thin towel for 10-15 minutes several times a day.

You can try and bathe his foot in very warm epsom salt solution for ten minutes at a time three times daily, as it may help for a foreign body to come out, if there is one in the paw. You need to check between the toes and pads for a thorn, stone, or any injury. If you can, palpate the toes to check for pain, which would signal either a sprain or fracture. This could also be caused by a snake bite or bite of another animal and now it may be infected. This is about all you can do until you get an appointment with a veterinarian (any vet!). You will need to get help to get him outside and into the car. If this is so bad that your dog is falling, then he should be seen right away by a vet.

I cant see anything obviously wrong with the pads like a wound or penetrating injury. Have a really good look and press the paw all over. Don't worry about opening her toes, she will yelp a bit but you need to have a good luck. If she is incredibly sore or tries to bite you stop. It could be that she has simply bruised the paw or sprained a ligament when she was out. If you can't find any wounds or damage on the paw I would let her rest it overnight. You can see if it's any better in the morning. If it's no better or worse, or if you find a sizeable wound or infection, take her to the emergency vet. Otherwise see how she gets on and reduce exercise for a while.

You can clean it daily with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution and dry it thoroughly afterwards. Anything you apply will likely be lucked off unless you use an e-collar. It may have been abraded on rough surfaces inside or outside his enclosure. Since he is limping, he is likely painful and should be seen by your veterinarian. Pain medication can be administered or dispensed if indicated. If possible, the paw should be protected until it heals. This may require a bandage/bootie, coming indoors, an e-collar (cone) or a combination of the three. Your veterinarian can determine the best course of treatment after an exam.