Why is my dog limping and crying when I touch his injured leg?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on November 15th, 2017

  It sounds like your dog has injured his leg pretty severely. This could be something like a simple muscle sprain or strain or could be something more serious like a ruptured or torn ligament in the knee. If you are unable to take him to the vet, the best thing you can do is encourage rest/exercise restriction and ice the area that seems most painful 2-3 times a day. If the limping does not resolve after 5-7 days of rest you will need to take him in to be examined and he may need some anti inflammatory medication.
  
  I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

  

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• Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on November 25th, 2016

  Poor guy. Limping can be caused by all sorts of injuries including a fracture, ligament tear, muscle sprain, degenerative joint disease, and even bone cancer. You will have to get Rocky examined unfortunately to determine which of these is most likely and also to get him much needed pet friendly pain medication. He sounds like he is in a lot of discomfort and this is the only way to help his pain. There are no safe over the counter pain medications in pets, so I highly discourage giving any of these to Rocky.
  You can try cold compresses on the painful area until you can get him in to the vet, if tolerated, to help with the inflammation/pain. Leash walk him only outside also to avoid any further injuries to the leg or to the other non-affected limb.

  

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• Answered By Silvia De Cecco, DVM, MRCVS

  Veterinarian

  Published on March 13th, 2018

  Poor Potato. From your description he seems to be in distress and painful. I recoomend to bring him to your local vet asap for a full check, to exclude a leg fracture and to administer the correct treatment according to the diagnosis. Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

  

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• Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

  Veterinarian

  Published on October 11th, 2018

  Poor Hunter! It could be that he has strained a ligament or may have torn one. It's concerning that he's still not putting his leg down, and that tells me he is in a lot of pain. Please don't not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. The best thing to do is take him into a vet today if possible, or first thing in the morning. The vet can diagnose what is causing him pain, and can treat him for it. Best of luck.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful