My dog limps after playing, paw up, no pain. Should I see a vet?

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.

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!

Hello, and thank you for your question. Meg is a beautiful girl! I would recommend resting her for the next 24 hours (no running, jumping, or rough housing). If her limping does not improve by then, then I would recommend taking her to the vet to rule out a possible sprain/strain, dislocation, or fracture. They may be able to detect this through physical exam alone, or with the help of x-rays as well. I hope this helps, and that Meg feels better soon!

We often see torn ACLs in large breed dogs with limping in the hind limbs. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian soon. An orthopedic exam and possibly an x-ray may be recommended to help determine the diagnosis and best treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Poor pup! She could could have torn her cranial cruciate ligament in her knee or done damage to the meniscus in her knee. It's concerning that she has been limping on three legs for four days now, and it's time to see a vet. Rest her tonight, no running, jumping, or playing. Take her out to toilet on a lead only, and bring her right back in when she's one. Have her seen by a vet first thing in the morning for a lameness exam and x-rays.

Well as long as she isn't painful then a vet visit can be scheduled when you get back if she is still having problems. It may not be enough time to get her seen before you go on vacation. And she may just have a muscle sprain, in which case it will improve and resolve on its own within a few days to a few weeks. There are no safe over the counter pain mess to give pets so I would not recommend that. However you can do a warm compress on the painful areas twice daily for 5-10 minutes and do light massage of her leg daily. Have whoever is watching her to monitor her closely and have her on strict limited activity and leash walk her only when she goes outside. I hope Lily has a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes and take care.

If this has been ongoing a while, or happened after jumping off a tall item such as a couch, I would bring her to the vet. They can check for issues such as sprains, ligament tears, sore joints (arthritis) etc that could be causing the limp, and provide medications or joint supplements as needed. Limiting her activity and preventing jumping by providing pet ramps or stairs can also help reduce further injury.