Why does my dog have recurring hind leg pain with clear X-rays?

Try restricting Bruno's activity for 24 hours. Leash walk him for elimination and avoid any running, jumping or rough play. If the lameness persists, have him seen by your veterinarian for a complete physical and orthopedic exam. Bruno may have injured his hip or knee. Xrays will likely be indicated to diagnose or confirm joint disease or ligament damage.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. I am sorry to hear about her recent troubles. How frustrating! There is a muscle known as the iliospoas that wraps around from the lower back to the pelvis. If this muscle is strained, it is extremely painful. This can be detected on a physical exam, but would not show up on an x-ray. Other problems can be related the spine itself such as disc disease. The most common cause of rear limb lameness is a torn cruciate ligament in the knee. Has she had stifle x-rays? More rare conditions are autoimmune joint disease or a tick borne infection. Both of these are typically accompanied by a fever. You may consider a referral to see an orthopedic specialist if you are having trouble reaching a diagnosis. I hope this information helps!

Poor guy. I would be most worried about a vertebral disc issue with that description. It wouldn't show up on x-rays, only an MRI or other advanced imaging study. If it is related to a disc, quick aggressive treatment will give him the best chance of recovery. Since he doesn't have pain perception, this is an emergency and he should go to a neurologist immediately.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Vito. If a fracture has been ruled out by x-rays, then I suspect that he suffered a painful soft tissue injury. He likely has a fair amount of swelling causing the firmness that you feel. I assume that his veterinarian prescribed him pain medication. Keep him very quiet and give the medication as directed. If he was not given any medication, do not give any over-the-counter pain medication as these can be toxic to dogs. Contact your veterinarian for one if it was not provided. If he does have medication, but it does not seem to be strong enough than ask for a secondary one to be added. I hope this information helps!

If the radiographs were not remarkable, the pain Hugo is experiencing is likely from soft tissue and / or nerve pain. True ligamentous or tendinous ruptures do not often occur in the forelimb in the dog, though it is possible. Advanced imaging or scoping would be needed to confirm a diagnosis. We tend to see these issues in the hind end most often particularly in larger breed dogs like GSDs. The best things you can do for Hugo right now are the following: -Most important thing: he needs to rest his leg; that means no going outside unless on a leash, and even with leash, only to do his business. Should limit use of the leg as much as possible over the next 5 to 7 days. This will be difficult with GSD puppy but it is needed. If your veterinarian did not discuss the possibility of using a small sedative over the course of the next week, you might bring it up should it become too difficult to keep Hugo down. -Give any prescribed medications from your veterinarian as directed. If you walked into my office, I would have prescribed an anti-inflammatory and some pain medication. Hopefully your vet did the same. If he did not and Hugo is still experiencing discomfort you should call and request meds. Hope this makes sense. Consult with me if you have further concerns.

Hello. Unfortunately, x-rays do not show every kind of injury that can happen, especially when it may involve soft tissues like muscles, ligaments & tendons. A torn or partially torn tendon can take twice as long to heal as a broken bone & you can not tell Bane to take it easy or use crutches. I would give him at least another 4-6 weeks to see if this will heal, especially if he is showing some improvement. Rest & gently exercise are important, so working with a canine rehabilitation medicine specialist, especially if they offer water therapy can be very helpful. If you really want to diagnose the problem, the best solution would be an MRI, as this is how most sports injuries are diagnosed. It may be something to consider & talk to your vet about. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If they are not concerned about a broken bone, it may be a good idea to give Ben some time to rest up to see if this is just a soft tissue injury of some sort. I would give him a few days to a week on the medications and complete rest limiting his activity to see if he improves on his own. If no improvement is seen by then or he worsens in the meantime, have him reevaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!