My dog was kicked and can't walk. Her leg is inflamed. Should I see a vet?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can rest her as much as possible to try to prevent further injury. Aside from that, she should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible to check if there are any fractures and to see what would be the best therapeutic step for her. At the very least pain medications can be started right away. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using PetCoach! I'm sorry to hear about Xena. So if the position you describe (with the hurt leg extended) is when she is SITTING, I am most suspicious of a torn ACL. This is especially suspicious if she will walk on 3 legs but not the injured leg. Staffies between the ages of 1 and 5 are textbook for that particular injury. If it is when she is standing, that would be an odd way to carry herself and not typical of the usual injuries. (And I would see your vet). Finally, with this information, I cannot rule out a back injury or disk problem - more likely if she truly cannot stand, even if you help her up and put her back legs under her. You don't list Xena's age but as I mentioned before, if she is young, some sort of soft tissue injury is more likely. If she is older, an arthritis flare up or other problem may be more likely. Long story short, I recommend getting her in as soon as possible for evaluation and some safe pain medication. We as veterinarians have so many wonderful pain medications that are safe for long term or occasional use. As such, I would strongly recommend heading to your vet and NOT giving over the counter pain medication (it is not as effective and can interfere with what we would ideally prescribe). If you are unable/unwilling to go to the vet, probably the “least bad” choice would be aspirin. Be sure to use a product labeled for dogs and use the dosing on the bottle. See the link below for more information about the safe use of aspirin. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/aspirin/ Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Xena!

It looks as if Bobby has sustained some type of injury to her leg. But based on photos alone I can not determine what caused the injury. If Bobby is still walking abnormally then I recommend that you take her in to be examined by your veterinarian. She may just have a superficial (skin) injury but it could be an injury involving the bones/joint. Your vet may recommend doing X-rays to better assess the legs. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Hazel is painful in one of her back legs. Without examining her, it is difficult to know whether she potentially has a fracture or a soft tissue injury. If she seems very painful on the hind leg, I recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian. He/she can perform a physical exam to best localize the pain. Your veterinarian may also recommend x-rays to look for evidence of a fracture, which may require surgical fixation. If no fracture is found, Hazel may have sustained a soft tissue injury, and will require strict rest and anti-inflammatories. In the mean time, please restrict her activity to cage-rest only and leash walks only to prevent worsening of any injuries. I hope this is helpful!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see that Riley is having some problems. These look like fairly significant areas of bruising and you didn't mention any witnessed trauma that may have occurred. I would immediately get him to your local veterinarian. Your vet can gather a detailed history and perform a thorough examination. Once those are done, they can discuss a diagnostic/preliminary treatment plan with you. My biggest concern right now if trauma did not occur would be blood clotting. Is there something going on with Riley's ability to clot?? Your vet will most likely want to perform some blood tests, clotting tests, tick disease tests, and possibly some imaging studies such as x-rays/ultrasound to figure out what is going on. Once a diagnosis is made/suspected, a treatment plan can be put into action. I wish you the best of luck with Riley and I hope he recovers soon.

Hi! Thanks for entrusting us with Dolly’s care today! Lameness can be a sign of a few things that range from a muscle sprain to even a fracture. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian so that this can be further assessed which will likely include radiographs. Treatment will be dependent on findings though at the very least pain control medications can be prescribed. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is possible that he has a fractured bone that is causing him discomfort and lameness. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having x-rays taken of this leg to rule out any bone fractures as the cause. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.