Dog sprained leg, still in pain & panting. Should I go back to vet?

It sounds like he is improving and a sprain can take 7-10 days or longer to heal. If he does not continue to improve than he should be examined by your vet to determine the cause and treat the problem.

I would recommend to keep him in a quiet environment and rest him as much as possible. Monitor him for the next hour and see if he settles or not. Examine skin externally for any wound/swelling and see if he is still limping in an hour; if not continue to rest him and monitor him for today, otherwise take him to your local veterinarian for a check up as pain relief medications and a physical assessment would be ideal to determine exactly the nature of the injury and give you appropriate treatment options.

If you do not see any improvement since last Friday she definitely needs to go to the vet to get it checked, it could be more than a sprain, it could be a dislocation or a ligament injury for example and this will need to be treated differently.

Legally, we are prohibited from recommending any medication without a physical exam and a VPCR (veterinarian-patient-client relationship). Many OTC medications can be toxic to dogs, so it important to discuss them with your veterinarian before giving anything. If Max is extremely painful, have him examined at the nearest veterinary ER. If he is behaving normally, crate him or restrict activity until morning and have him seen by your vet when the clinic opens.

It sounds like the leg is very painful, and I would not try to examine it yourself as she may get upset. Instead, I recommend taking her into the vet to have it examined, and have some pain medication prescribed. It's best to have a vet examine it to make sure the underlying structures weren't damaged by getting twisted up in the shower curtain. Please do not give her any human pain medications, many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Because she had this accident last week and is still not using the leg, I would take her into the vet today.

Aww poor guy. He may have a muscle sprain. You can apply a cold compress onto the areas that appear sore for 5-10 minute intervals twice a day for next few days. Also limit his activity, don't encourage active play, and leash walk him only outside. If this is just a muscle sprain then he should improve over the next 48-72 hrs. However keep in mind that he should be able to at least move the limb somewhat, there shouldn't be a significant amount of noticeable swelling, and it shouldn't appear to be dangling (possible fracture). These are all signs that you shouldn't wait and should take him in right away. I do not recommend giving him any over the counter human pain medication, because these are not safe for pets due to high risk of acute liver and kidney damage. If he is still limping after that time frame, or getting any worse, then it is best to have your vet take a look at him to make sure he doesn't have more serious internal injuries (ligament injury, hairline bone fracture, dislocation).

If Chester is limping badly and one leg is shaking, then he is definitely in a lot of pain. Being unusually quiet is also a sign of pain. Rest him tonight. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a leash, and bring him right back in when he's done. Take him into the vet first thing in the morning. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. He may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Best of luck.