My lab mix has soft knots, limps, and leg trembles. What's wrong?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bruno. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. He may need x-rays of his rear legs. I am worried that he may have arthritis or another joint condition that is contributing to his pain. The skin can be assessed at the same appointment. However, it is probably a separate issue from the mobility problems. In the meantime, do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Lameness can be caused by a number of things. Unfortunately, in this breed, ACL injuries are common and are typically due to degenerative changes with the ligament (if this is a back leg lameness). Also, if this is an ACL injury, there is a > 50% chance that the opposite leg will be affected by the same problem down the road. On the examination with the veterinarian, they will check her knee joint and see if there is an instability called a cranial drawer or a tibial thrust. Both of these manipulations help confirm the suspicion of an ACL injury. Most of the time, an ACL injury requires surgical correction to fix. This can be discussed further with your veterinarian once diagnosed. This may not be an ACL injury and may be osteoarthritis or hip dysplasia causing discomfort. I would recommend x-rays of the affected leg. If this is a front leg, there are other possibilities such as arthritis, a bone fracture, infection, ligament injury, elbow dysplasia, etc. I would definitely get Bliss on a joint supplement along with omega 3 fish oil. I typically recommend Dasuquin and Welactin for supplements, which can be found online quite easily. 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. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Rocky's limp can be caused by many conditions including trauma, certain infections which target the joints, an issue with the ligaments (for example, a ligament tear, similar to ACL tear in humans) and arthritis, which is very common in older dogs. I recommend having him seen by a vet to determine the cause of the limp and begin the appropriate treatment. The limp can improve with weightloss if Rocky is overweight and glucosamine chrondroitin supplements if caused by arthritis. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Oh no, poor Sky! It sounds like he is in a lot of pain. He may have injured his leg on the stairs somehow. Labs are prone to hip and knee injuries so this could be why he's limping. Unfortunately there are no safe medications you can give at home for pain so Sky really needs to see a veterinarian. If he is crying in pain and not using the leg I really think you should go as soon as possible. A veterinarian can decide if he needs X-rays to make sure he doesn't have a broken bone. They can also dispense safe pain medication to get Sky feeling better. Until you can get to a vet make sure to keep Sky rested so he doesn't injury anything further. But again, it sounds like Sky really needs to see a veterinarian right away. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Sky is feeling better soon!

Poor Drake. These lumps could be lypomas or growths (benign or malignant). Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call to make him an appointment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would be looking into the possibility of this being something affecting the joints per se such as immune mediated polyarthritis or perhaps something like hypertrophic osteodystrophy given his young age. These are possible things your veterinarian can look into. Treatment of course would depend on findings. At the very least they can try pain control medications and anti-inflammatory drugs. Best of luck!

Hello. Limping & a lack of appetite may be a sign of some metabolic problem or an infectious disease. Tick fever is one thing that comes to mind that can cause lameness & illness at the same time. The weight loss is concerning because this indicates that this may be a chronic problem. Before things get any worse for your sweet girl, it would be best to have her evaluated by your veterinarian at your earliest convenience. The sooner you can find out what is causing her symptoms, the sooner you can get her back to feeling better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.