My 8-year-old dog suddenly limping on his back paw. What to do?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bruno! Possible causes of Bruno's limp are: strain or a sprain from being stepped on, if he is older it could have aggravated arthritis, a toe or a bone could be broken, or it could be something unrelated like Lyme disease. Since Bruno can hardly walk on the leg that indicates pain. I recommend having Bruno seen by your Vet for an exam. If there is concern for the paw then they may want to take X-rays, otherwise they may just prescribe anti-inflammatories and rest. I hope this helps and I wish Bruno a speedy recovery!

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Baby! I am assuming Baby is limping? Causes of limping really depends on whether it is a front or hind leg. It could be just a strain or sprain but it could also be Lyme disease, ACL tear and many other things. If he is acting lethargic and not eating he should see a Vet today. If he is otherwise fine then rest him and see how he is by Monday. If by Monday he is still limping then he should be seen by your Vet. I do not recommend giving Baby any human medications. I hope this helps and I wish Baby the best!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Without examining Brutus it is difficult to say but he may have developed soft tissue trauma from an injury or injured his bone / carpal joint. If the limping persists for the next 3 days, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at him and take x-rays of the leg to help rule out some causes of the lameness. For the next 3 days I would recommend exercise restriction and keeping him on a leash whenever he is outdoors and discouraging him from jumping up or down on any furniture to allow this injury to heal. 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.

Poor Bailee! Limping can be caused by a fracture, arthritis, sprain, infections, or even certain types of cancer. I recommend keeping Bailee calm until you can get her in to see a vet. Your vet can take x-rays to determine exactly what is going on. I hope all is well!

Hi there. Ouch! Poor Bear! If Bear is still limping in the morning, I would recommend taking him in to see the vet. It could be that he has more going on than meets the eye. If the residual soreness from the stickers wears odd and he is still limping-there's a chance he's injured himself outside. Anything from a broken toe to a broke nail to a sting or a bite is possible outside. Your vet will be able to prescribe him pain medication as well if he remains painful, which he will be very thankful for. I would try to keep him quiet and resting tonight-if he begins to act much more painful or you see signs of a reaction-best to take him in tonight. I hope he feels better soon!

Poor Leo! He could have injured his paw on the walk causing the limping. I recommend resting Leo for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a leash, and bring him right back in when he's done. If he still appears painful after this time, then I would take him into the vet for an exam. 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. I hope this helps!

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!