My puppy's leg is healing, can she get worse without showing signs?

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!

Neurologic issues can take time. It is great that she is up and bearing weight on her own, dogs are so amazing. Hopefully she had xrays to look for a spinal/pelvic fracture, collapsed disc space, etc. as these would be important to rule out as well. You will need to give her potentially even months to know what her new normal with be. Hopefully she will at some point be deficit free or only have a mild deficit but it is too soon to tell. Keep working with her. Hopefully your vet has recommended a physical therapy/rehab plan for her. If not, you could request referral to a rehab therapist. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Lily. When a pet isn't showing a pain response but limping on their back leg, it could indicate that they have either torn a ligament in the joint or have a severe muscle sprain. Also if you don't notice any obvious swelling, then a fracture is likely not the cause. Rest her, no running, jumping playing and leash walk only for the next couple of weeks. You can also do cold compresses on the limb 1-2 times a day. if there is no improvement within 3-4 days, then it's best to get her seen by your veterinarian for a full exam and pet friendly pain medication. She may also need x-rays of the leg to determine the underlying injury (cause). Do not give her people pain meds however because these can be quite toxic to pets and cause major liver and/or kidney damage. It's better to get all pain and anti-inflammatory meds from your vet. Even though she isn't crying out, there is presumed inflammation at the very least, so she can benefit from medication at any time. I hope your puppy gets well soon. Best wishes.

Hello. Unfortunately, x-rays do not show every kind of injury that can happen, especially when it may involve soft tissues like muscles, ligaments & tendons. A torn or partially torn tendon can take twice as long to heal as a broken bone & you can not tell Bane to take it easy or use crutches. I would give him at least another 4-6 weeks to see if this will heal, especially if he is showing some improvement. Rest & gently exercise are important, so working with a canine rehabilitation medicine specialist, especially if they offer water therapy can be very helpful. If you really want to diagnose the problem, the best solution would be an MRI, as this is how most sports injuries are diagnosed. It may be something to consider & talk to your vet about. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Puppies can heal quickly so please feel the leg and as long as it feels normal and he doesn’t cry then you can give him a few days to recover. I’d keep him quiet and take him out for potty breaks only for a day or two. If he’s still lame then you’ll need a veterinary exam to determine the cause. If he’s crying or the bones feel out of place then take him in right away. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Chewie.

Hello. I would recommend trying to rest your pet for the next few days to make sure all is OK. If she continues to act like everything is fine, then a visit is probably un-necessary. She may have just had a minor sprain or mild injury that just worked its self out. If the lameness returns, then go see the vet for an evaluation. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Limping is a sign of pain. It sounds as though it is likely a strain or a sprain. The best thing to do it limit his activity because continued use will not allow a strain or sprain to heal. So no running, jumping, no stairs or jumping on/off the furniture and leash walks only for at least 7 days. If the limp doesn't improve with in those 7 days Shadow should be seen by a Vet or sooner if it worsens. It is not wrong to have Shadow seen sooner than later as well. Do not give any human pain medications, dogs do not metabolize drugs like people do and they may interfere with medications your Vet may want to prescribe. I hope this helps and I wish Shadow a speedy recovery!