My older dog is limping 6 days after a paw injury. Is it broken?

Did the limping start today? I wonder if Pawl injured a muscle when he got hurt. It sounds like if the limping is intermittent that it might be ok to wait a short while, but I always worry about fractures and if delaying the exam would cause delayed healing as well. However, many soft tissue injuries will heal in their own with a few weeks of strict rear and possibly anti inflammatory medications if he needs them. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian, but as long as the limping is improving then you may be able to wait until next week. As far as the scratch goes, keep it clean and keep her from Licking it. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

The toe could be broken or dislocated, or it might be a soft tissue injury. The fact that he is limping means that he does have some level of pain even if he's not crying. I would recommend having your vet examine the toe - they might feel confident that it is a soft tissue injury once they are able to feel the toe and the joint or they might recommend an x-ray. They can also prescribe safe pain medication for him.

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!

I am sorry to hear about Cinnamon! If this has been going on for several days I think it is time to take her in for an exam at the vet. She is in pain and it seems to be affecting her day to day activity. We could have a variety of causes including a small fracture in a toe, or a foreign body (like a splinter or grass awn) buried deep in the skin causing inflammation and pain. The vet may recommend an x-ray or may shave some of the fur away to check for wounds that can be difficult to see on hairy skin.

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.

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.

I’m sorry to hear about Fluffy! Unfortunately, there are many reasons a dog might be limping including: sprain/strain, fracture, ligament tear (the ACL specifically), cancer, fungal disease, something stuck in the paw, or others. In general, if it’s been a week, it’s time to see the vet. He or she may offer X-rays if necessary and will prescribe appropriate pain medication for Fluffy. In the mean time for pain: Ice the leg/painful area for 5 minutes twice daily. If it seems to be the paw or the pawnis swollen, try mixing 1 tbsp Epsom salts in 1 cup warm water and stirring until dissolved. Put Fluffy’s hurt leg in that solution for 5-10 minutes twice daily. Try to put an hour between the icing and the warm epsom salt soaks. I do NOT recommend any over the counter pain medications for a dog this age. (Your vet can prescribe a safe one.) Best of luck to you and Fluffy!