My dog's leg bulged and she's limping after running. What's wrong?

Poor Marley! It sounds like he has really hurt his leg if he's having muscle spasms and lots of shaking. He could have torn a ligament, strained a muscle, or possibly broken a bone. I would rest him tonight, keep him as quiet as possible. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a lead only and bring him right back in when he's done. In the morning, if he's still having muscle spasms and lots of shaking, I would take him into the vet for a lameness exam and possibly x-rays. The vet can diagnose what is causing his symptoms, and can treat him for it. He may also benefit from pain meds from the vet. Please do not give Marley any human pain meds, as many are toxic to dogs and are fatal if given.

Please make an appointment to have Tammh seen by a vet as soon as possible. She is likely in pain, and may have a muscular or nerve injury, a fractured bone, a mass, or a foreign body in the leg. Your vet can assess the leg during the physical exam and may recommend x-rays to help determine the cause of Tammh’s limp. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to Tammh without consulting with your vet.

Try and keep her exercise restricted today (no running/jumping). Also, check her toe nails on that paw to make sure she didn’t break or tear a nail. If she is still painful tomorrow or you notice a broken toe nail, take her to see a veterinarian for an exam and some pain meds/anti inflammatory drugs. If her toe nail is broken, she may need antibiotics as well. If you think she would benefit from pain meds today, go ahead and take her to see a veterinarian. No need to ice it.

I really feel that Lexi needs to have a full veterinary exam to determine what has happened. From the pictures, one possibility is that she is adjusting how she sits to extend the injured leg out - if she is not putting any weight on that leg then she may have broken it, or injured a ligament. There are also a couple of illnesses that can occur in a young growing dog, thses can be diagnosed with an exam and xrays. If she is limping she should have pain relief - Do not use any human medicines as these may be toxic to her.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If you can see an an obvious swelling, I recommend taking Trigger to the vet. Many times with mild limping we don't see any swelling at all. So I worry that Trigger may have torn a muscle or have an abscess or other injury that may cause worse problems if left alone. Until he is seen, I recommend keeping him confined (as possible with a pup). If he is crate trained, then keep him crated and leash walks only until he is evaluated to prevent furhter injury. I hope he's back to normal quickly!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would still keep the appointment you have with the veterinarian. In the meantime, you could start a pain medication to help her out. I would recommend Well & Good Buffered Aspirin. You can find this product at PetCo and it is specifically for dogs. Follow the dosing on the bottle as directed. The veterinarian will likely give you a different medication that is safer to use long term. I hope this helps! I would definitely get x-rays of the leg tomorrow to look into this further and rule out any bone fractures.

Ouch, poor Zoey! She sounds quite painful if she won't put weight on the leg. She could have broken a bone, or torn a ligament in her knee. I would rest her tonight, and have her seen by a vet first thing in the morning. The vet can diagnose what is causing her swelling and pain, and can treat her for it. Please do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. The vet can prescribe safe medications for her.