My dog limps after running. Could it be serious? What helps?

Handsome boy! Those are good products for joint health and inflammation. I recommend a veterinary exam to diagnosis the lameness. It is common for large breeds to have a cruciate ligament injury in the knee. He also may have hip dysplasia. Knowing the reason for the lameness will help you decide the treatment that is best to have him recover from the lameness. Please don't run him again until the lameness resolves or it could become worse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lugosi.

Poor guy. If he can bear weight on the limb at all, then it is ok to give him 24-72 hrs with strict activity restrictions (leash walk only, no jumping, running, etc), rest, and cold compresses on the seemingly painful area (the hip), and then taking him in to the vet if not improved. However if he is not bearinng any weight on the leg, it is best to take him in asap because a more serious injury has occurred that needs to be determined via x-ray and treated right away.

I'm glad to hear that Rocco is still energetic as ever. In terms of things you can do to help with Rocco's discomfort, you might want to consider limiting the type of exercise that causes this kind of pain. As Rocco gets older, his joints may not be as well lubricated as they once were and he may even be experiencing some onset of arthritis. This can be verified with a physical exam and/or x-rays of the affected joints. Though you have indicated this only seems to happen after significant exercise, it might also be worth checking for tick borne diseases that can cause shifting leg lameness. Even though it doesn't seem likely in this case, if that were causing this it would be easily treatable. As for things you can do actively to treat the discomfort, I would consider starting Rocco on a joint supplement and/or fish oils. They will help lubricate the joints and reduce the affect of osteoarthritis long term. Pharmaceuticals available for the treatment of pain and inflammation in dog are extensive and variable. Some are generalized anti inflammatories, opioid pain killers, and some that address neuropathic pain. Other treatment modalities to address discomfort and inflammation include laser therapy, acupuncture, massage, and certain types of therapeutic exercises. The first thing you need to do though is have Rocco examined to rule out any sort of injury. Once that is determined, you can move onto treatment and prevention. Hope this helps.

If your dog is consistently limping when he walks I would be concerned about some permanent damage he sustained after being hit. He may have had something like a pelvic fracture that did not heal properly. This could cause issues in the long run because it will put increased stress and strain on his other hip. The likelihood of him developing arthritis in this injured hip is much more likely as well. I would recommend taking Duke to see your vet and have X-rays performed. To get very good X-rays he may need to be sedated. Your vet can determine from the X-rays if there is anything that can be done to help allieviate the problem. It would be wise to get Duke started on a joint supplement and to keep him at a good, healthy and trim weight since excess weight can cause more joint problems. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Arthritis is definitely a possibility. You could start him on a joint supplement, like Dasuquin and see if that helps. Your vet could also take an x-ray to evaluate for arthritis and then start him on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, like Deramaxx, Previcox, Rimadyl, etc. NSAIDs help relieve the discomfort associated with arthritis.

Legally, I am not allowed to give you a diagnosis, but based on the x-rays you posted, I suspect that your vet told you that Sly has significant hip dysplasia and arthritis in both hips. I'm sure that came as a surprise to you since Sly is only showing some limping after resting. Dogs are very stoic and do not show us pain as we would expect. Since you have just started Sly on a glucosamine and chondoitin sulfate supplement, you certainly could wait and see how he does on that, but I suspect you will need to add some additional supplements or medications to resolve his limping, so don't be afraid to talk to your vet about those. We frequently use fish oil, MSM, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and many other drug combinations for arthritis. I also highly recommend physical rehabilitation and acupuncture. Although we expect our dogs to cry in pain, most dogs with arthritis pain act exactly like Sly and only limp after getting up. Our goal with treatment is to get them to the point that their pain is so well controlled that we don't notice them limp at all. I hope that helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. The excessive saliva could be from activity. If he is very hyper he may be panting in excess which in turn can make the saliva sticky and thick. I would make sure he has plenty of access to water and provide a second bowl if he is finishing his water quickly. The limping could be secondary to a soft tissue injury such as a strain or sprain, which can take many weeks to completely resolve. I would make sure he is resting adequately and not running around or jumping for the next 4-6 weeks so that his leg has time to heal. If the limping persists more than 6 weeks or worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine the leg and have x-rays taken to be on the safe side. The veterinarian can also provide Bones with pain medication to help with any discomfort. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.