Why is my pit puppy's leg stiff and not walking after a car scare?

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!

Poor pup! I would be concerned that she isn't walking, and she may be in a lot of pain. She is an older dog, and would be a bit more fragile. I would take her back into a vet now to get checked out. Best of luck.

You can try restricting activity to just leash walks for elimination. Prevent any running, jumping or rough play. If the lameness does not begin to improve after 24-48 hours, then Bella should be seen by your veterinarian. If you notice any bruising or swelling, this is also reason for an exam. Do not give her any OTC medications for pain as many are toxic or easily overdosed. Contact your vet to discuss pain management if necessary.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Storm. Just by the description an ACL injury (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) would be suspected but there are other causes also including hip or other joint problems (arthritis, degenerative joint disease), trauma, puncture wounds, fractures, soft tissue injuries to tendons/ligaments, muscle injuries, tick transmitted diseases, etc. ACL injuries usually occur when dogs are chasing squirrels, cats, birds, etc across the yard. They are fine and then they return lame, holding up the leg or bearing partial weight. That ligament when examined microscopically is undergoing a degenerative process in almost all of the cases. The strain on the ligament eventually tears or rips it completely. That same process can occur in the other knee and that's why this is so important to diagnose properly. Some dogs tear one ACL, get it fixed and then tear the other one. There are multiple ways to fix an ACL rupture or tear and I would discuss these with your veterinarian. Some of the newer techniques are specialized procedures only certain vets perform and they require that hardware (plates, screws) be put into the area to stabilize the knee joint. One older technique is called the lateral imbrication technique and I still think it works well if an experienced surgeon does it. It is much cheaper also compared to the newer procedures. There are some braces out now also for dogs that are unable to have a surgical repair done but I don't have any experience with those. So I would advise taking Storm to your vet if this condition persists, worsens, or other signs develop. They can evaluate her, gather a history, and then make a diagnostic plan, and eventual treatment plan. A physical exam may include sedation/anesthesia and x-rays to fully assess the knee. Good luck with Storm.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to a soft tissue injury meaning that it is for example an injury to the muscle. However, this could also be a fracture which can be very painful. It seems like she is in pain so it would be best to have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to proceed with radiographs and most importantly prescribe medications for pain control. Good luck and have a good night!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your puppy. If she is otherwise normal, then I recommend keeping her very quite. Carry her if you are able or take her outside on a leash. No running, jumping, stairs or playing. Many causes of mild lameness can resolve without treatment. However, if the lameness gets worse, she is not acting normal or the lameness does not resolve, then she needs to see her veterinarian. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!