My dog is limping and in pain. How can I help her paw at home tonight?

You can try and bathe his foot in very warm epsom salt solution for ten minutes at a time three times daily, as it may help for a foreign body to come out, if there is one in the paw. You need to check between the toes and pads for a thorn, stone, or any injury. If you can, palpate the toes to check for pain, which would signal either a sprain or fracture. This could also be caused by a snake bite or bite of another animal and now it may be infected. This is about all you can do until you get an appointment with a veterinarian (any vet!). You will need to get help to get him outside and into the car. If this is so bad that your dog is falling, then he should be seen right away by a vet.

If you can keep her from walking or running around by putting her into a crate, for example, and can so make her rest, then this will likely alleviate some pain. However if the pain increases or your dog appears to be very painful, you will need to take Saki to an emergency veterinarian for an exam, diagnosis and pain control. We cannot legally recommend medications here, I am afraid.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is unfortunately nothing you can give for pain that is over the counter. What you can do though that may help prevent further injury and pain is to keep her as quiet as possible and to try to keep her from licking at it until the appointment as that in itself can help with pain. Other than that, your veterinarian will do the rest tomorrow. Have a good night! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Poor girl. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do for a musculoskeletal injury. Over the counter pain meds shouldn't be given to pets b/c of a high risk of liver and/or kidney damage. You can try doing alternating cold and warm compresses on the sore area for 5-10 minutes a day. Also a warm water Epsom salt bath can help with some of the soreness. If she just has a minor injur like a muscle sprain, then letting her rest the leg and the cold and warm compresses should help improve her limping over the next 4-5 days. Also leash walking her only outside and not encouraging jumping and rough play can help the area heal. Here is a website link that also has some financial resources that may be of assistance for getting Princess seen by your vet. It sounds like she may need a radiograph of the leg and appropriate treatment depending on the underlying injury if things don't get better soon. http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html Best wishes and take care.

If Molly is limping, then she is in pain and she does need to see a vet for pain medication. Unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications for dogs. Many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. You are doing the right thing by encouraging your parents to take her to the vet, it's the right place for her to go with her problem. I would keep her from jumping off high places to prevent her from causing herself more pain. I would have her seen by a vet in the next couple of days. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry Juicy is in such pain! Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done at home for it. You can try soaking her paw in an Epson salt bath to see if that helps with any swelling, but there are no human pain relievers you can give her. That's because many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. It sounds like her paw could be infected if it's red and inflamed, and it's also concerning to me that she's screaming in pain. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to have her seen by a vet tonight. The vet can diagnose what is causing her paw to be red and inflamed, and can treat her for it along with pain medications.

Poor Rex! Unfortunately, there are no safe OTC medications you can give him, as many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. You can try soaking his paw in an Epsom salt bath to see if that helps with the swelling. If it doesn't, he will need to see a vet on Monday. He may have an infection in his paw or he could have a foreign body causing the swelling. The vet can diagnose what is causing the swelling so Rex can be treated.