Why is my dog limping and not putting weight on her front paw?

If you’ve checked her paw and it’s normal she may be holding her foot up because she has injured her knee and doesn’t want weight on the leg. Knee injuries are common and when first injured dogs hold it up like you are describing. If it’s a knee injury it can heal with rest if the cruciate ligament isn’t fully torn, if it is torn then she may need surgery to repair it. I recommend leash walks only for potty breaks for a week. If she isn’t using the leg normally after that time then please bring her in for and exam and diagnosis. If she’s currently painful then certainly bring her in right away so they can find the problem and get her on pin medication. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Pup.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Without examining Brutus it is difficult to say but he may have developed soft tissue trauma from an injury or injured his bone / carpal joint. If the limping persists for the next 3 days, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at him and take x-rays of the leg to help rule out some causes of the lameness. For the next 3 days I would recommend exercise restriction and keeping him on a leash whenever he is outdoors and discouraging him from jumping up or down on any furniture to allow this injury to heal. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Since Sami can't talk, only a physical exam will be able to determine the source of the lameness. Just like people, the pain/limping can be related to many causes including a ligament tears, soft tissue injury, a developmental abnormality or even a spinal issue. You may try strict rest for a few days (no walks, running, jumping or stairs). If Sami does not improve or if he gets worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. Pets who exhibit toe touching lameness on the hing legs are a concern for a tear of the cranial cruciate ligament which is serious. He may need radiographs and the doctor will determine this based on the exam. I hope he starts feeling better quickly.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bruno! Possible causes of Bruno's limp are: strain or a sprain from being stepped on, if he is older it could have aggravated arthritis, a toe or a bone could be broken, or it could be something unrelated like Lyme disease. Since Bruno can hardly walk on the leg that indicates pain. I recommend having Bruno seen by your Vet for an exam. If there is concern for the paw then they may want to take X-rays, otherwise they may just prescribe anti-inflammatories and rest. I hope this helps and I wish Bruno a speedy recovery!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rocco! Yes it could just be sore soft tissue. I’d rest him for 1-2 days and see if there is improvement. But if there is no improvement he should see your Vet. He is young and if there is a fracture we want to know that sooner than later. He could have a fractured toe, a fractured bone in his wrist or a fracture a long the growth plate. I wish Rocco a speedy recovery!

It sounds like Hannah may have injured her paw. This could be due to a foreign body like a grass seed or foxtail, she may have stepped on something sharp, or she could have a strained ligament. I would rest her for the next 48 hours. No running or jumping, take her out to toilet on a lead only and bring her right back in when she's done. Keep her as quiet as possible. If she is still in pain after 48 hours or the pain seems to get worse, then I would take her into a vet 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 her pain medications if needed.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jewel! I do not see a torn nail. If a dog is limping from an injured nail it is usually hanging off and bleeding. In the pictures everything looks normal. It looks maybe a little red around the nail base of the dewclaw but that is not a weight bearing nail so they usually do not limp if that one is injured, they just lick it a lot. Limping and crying is a sign of pain. Since she is so young I recommend having her seen today by your Vet. It could be a strain or a sprain, growing pains, luxated joint or a fracture. I wish Jewel a speedy recovery!