My dog is still limping and her paw hurts. When should I see a vet?

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ivy. If she walks with her paw up (ie not using it), this indicates that she is still painful. It worries me that she is still displaying this behavior (even if it is improved) several weeks after the incident. I recommend that she shees her veterinarian. She may need some anti-inflammatory pain medication to eliminate residual inflammation from a muscle strain. She also may need x-rays to ensure that there is not a bone or joint problem. In the meantime, keep her as quiet as possible to allow her body to rest. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Koa! Poor girl, she does sound in pain. As long as she is eating and drinking, I would wait until tomorrow to get her into the vet. Tonight, do not touch her leg anymore, and don't try to put it into extension as that will cause her more pain. 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 done. In the morning, take her into the vet if she's still limping. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. She may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

I cant see anything obviously wrong with the pads like a wound or penetrating injury. Have a really good look and press the paw all over. Don't worry about opening her toes, she will yelp a bit but you need to have a good luck. If she is incredibly sore or tries to bite you stop. It could be that she has simply bruised the paw or sprained a ligament when she was out. If you can't find any wounds or damage on the paw I would let her rest it overnight. You can see if it's any better in the morning. If it's no better or worse, or if you find a sizeable wound or infection, take her to the emergency vet. Otherwise see how she gets on and reduce exercise for a while.

If you can't find the stone or a visible wound, I would keep Naija on kennel rest with leashed potty walks only for a few days to see if it helps resolve the limp. However if she is acting as if she is in pain, licking at the paw, won't bear weight on it at all, the limp doesn't resolve, or there is a wound visible, it is best to seek out veterinary care ASAP. It is possible the object caused a cut deeper than you can see, has worked its way under the skin of the toes, or caused another injury that requires care.

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.

Please don't give any over-the-counter pain medications; they can be toxic to dogs at even low doses and giving them will confound your vet's ability to treat the pain with appropriate medications. The reality is that most of these nail injuries end up getting infected, and even if there's no infection they are exquisitely painful. You can compare it to losing your fingernail completely, but then having to walk on the uncovered cuticle. Patch likely needs to have the area numbed and the remaining nail pulled, then have a very soft/cushioning bandage placed, followed by antibiotics and pain medication. Please take him in to see his vet as soon as you can for this.