My dog's leg is swollen and painful. What can I do until the vet?

Poor girl. This sounds very serious indeed. Black discoloration is a sign of possible necrosis (dying off of healthy tissue) and the swelling is likely cutting off circulation of proper blood flow to the leg. I would recommend taking her in to your vet immediately. Here is a website link with financial resources that may be able to assist you. http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html If you can’t get her in right away, then try soaking the leg in a warm water bath of Epsom salt (can reduce some swelling and discomfort) and flushing any outward wounds with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water for a good antiseptic cleanse. Do not give over the counter human pain meds as these can cause acute kidney or liver failure in dogs. It’s best to only treat her with pain meds and additional treatment through your vet. I hope that your pet is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes and take care.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would still keep the appointment you have with the veterinarian. In the meantime, you could start a pain medication to help her out. I would recommend Well & Good Buffered Aspirin. You can find this product at PetCo and it is specifically for dogs. Follow the dosing on the bottle as directed. The veterinarian will likely give you a different medication that is safer to use long term. I hope this helps! I would definitely get x-rays of the leg tomorrow to look into this further and rule out any bone fractures.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am concerned that this may be a broken bone injury judging from the pictures. For pain relief, you can use Well & Good Buffered Aspirin, which you can find online or at your local Petco quite easily. I would also consider looking into CareCredit to see if you are able to apply for a line of credit to address any medical problems for Chino. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Poor Angel! It's actually quite serious that it's swollen and she cannot bear any weight on it. This is not something that can be treated at home, she absolutely has to see a vet for it. I would see if you can borrow money from family and friends to afford the vet, and I can give you some resources that may help. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if one can help you. Please make an appointment for her asap. Best of luck.

Do not give any medications to your dog without the advice of your veterinarian. Many OTC medications can be toxic to pets. Ideally, Ziggy should be examined by your veterinarian or a veterinary orthopedic specialist to diagnose ligament damage, arthritic conditions, fractures or tumors. X-rays of the knees and hips will likely be recommended. These can be done under anesthesia or sedation. A veterinary house all service may be an option for an exam. Afterwards, a sedative and/or pain management can be dispensed to make the trip to the clinic easier and less stressful for all parties.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Bite wounds are very dangerous, particularly, when a large dog with powerful jaws bites smaller dog. The main damage is under the skin, the extend of trauma cannot be appropriated by only looking at the punctures. What's is more bite wounds are painful and almost always get infected. Please, take Buddy to your local vets as soon as possible as he may be in serious trouble.

You can try restricting activity to just leash walks for elimination. Prevent any running, jumping or rough play. If the lameness does not begin to improve after 24-48 hours, then Bella should be seen by your veterinarian. If you notice any bruising or swelling, this is also reason for an exam. Do not give her any OTC medications for pain as many are toxic or easily overdosed. Contact your vet to discuss pain management if necessary.