My dog is limping on her back leg. What should I do before the vet?

She may have torn her cruciate ligament, have a problem with her knee cap, have a fracture, etc. Since she seems to be in pain, you should take her to your vet today for an orthopedic examination. Your vet can take an x-ray, if needed, to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. An anti-inflammatory and pain medications can be prescribed to help relieve any pain. Hope she feels better soon!

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 it just started you can let her rest for a few days with minimal walking and minimal physical exercise, if it does not improve within 3-4 days you will have to take her to the vet in order to get it checked and treated, she might need pain killers for a few days. if the vet think it's something more serious such as a fracture, joint injury or foreign body, he might recommend to have an xray done as well.

Limping is a sign of pain in dogs, so Aires is feeling pain from jumping off. She could have strained a ligament jumping off the bed, possibly torn her cruciate ligament, done meniscal damage to her knee, or may have fractured a bone. I would try resting her for 48 hours to see if that helps. No running, jumping, or playing. Take her out to toilet on a lead only, and bring her right back in when she is done. Keep her as quiet as possible. If she is still limping at 48 hours, or if in that time she stops putting weight on it at all, I would take her into the vet right away for an exam. Do not give her any human pain medications, many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. The vet can prescribe safe pain medications for her, and can decide the best course of treatment based on the diagnosis of her limping. For example, cruciate ligament rupture and meniscal damage requires surgery to fix.

Poor Sage! Since Sage can't talk, only a physical exam will be able to determine the source of the lameness. It's also the only way to know if the nodes are related to the limping or if they are unrelated. Just like people, the pain/limping can be related to many causes including arthritis, a ligament tear, soft tissue injury or even a spinal issue. You may try strict rest for a few days (no walks, running, jumping or stairs). If Sage does not improve, have him examined by the veterinarian. He may need radiographs and the doctor will determine this based on the exam. A joint supplement for dogs and an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets may also help. I hope he starts feeling better quickly.

Unfortunately I would suggest nothing else than complete rest and possibly cold packs applied for 10-15 minutes to decrease inflammation if present. A clinical examination and possibly further investigations would be required to determine more specifically the cause of it. Starve him for eight hours before vet’s check up in case x rays under sedation will be required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to post more questions if needed either on the forum or by requesting a consultation.

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.