My dog is weak, panting, can't stand, and has a swollen leg. Why?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. With these symptoms, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Dangly so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. With the swollen leg and vomiting, there could be a systemic illness or infection going on. I would have his blood tested and have x-rays taken of the leg and abdomen. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on your description, I would recommend having a veterinarian recheck Duke so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The leg swelling could be due to an injury or a systemic illness. The coughing could be related to heart disease, respiratory disease, infection, allergies, etc. The coughing and leg swelling could also be related to heart disease. I would recommend chest x-rays to assess the heart and running what we call a ProBNP test to check and see if Duke is in heart failure. The sooner he is seen the better. 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.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. These symptoms are concerning, especially coming from an older pet lIke Blue. His warm feeling body could indicate an internal infection or inflammatory disorder, and his panting and swollen stomach could indicate underlying heart disease, an infection, or even cancer has to be considered here. I would highly recommend taking him in to your vet to have some testing done as soon as possible. The vet needs to do some bloodwork analysis and an x-ray to find out the underlying cause for his symptoms, since there are several disease processes that can cause the same symptoms. I do hope that Blue is able to make a full and speedy recovery with a diagnosis that is readily treatable. I wish you all the best! Take care.

I'm sorry to hear that Diamond isn't doing well. There are many potential reasons for lameness and lethargy. The first thing that comes to mind would be a tick-related illness such as Lyme disease. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses can cause significant joint inflammation, fever and general malaise. I would ensure that Diamond has easy access to food and water and that you offer him some yummy options such as low-sodium chicken broth to drink and boiled chicken to eat. You can also try applying a cool compress to his swollen paw. If these ministrations are not successful and Diamond continues to be lethargic and inappetant, I would strongly recommend that you have him seen by a veterinarian. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are relatively easy to diagnose and are treatable. Other potential causes for his symptoms would be an injury, infection or cancer. Your veterinarian will be able to determine what is going on.

I can see the swelling from the pictures you posted. It appears the swelling goes form the foot all the way to the knee. I see that you live in an area where snake bite is possible. I would check thoroughly for any punctures along the entire leg and see if Diamond is painful in any particular area. If not, other causes of swelling like this could include infection, allergic reaction, trauma, cancer, among others. Sometimes swelling in an entire limb can be caused by decreased lymphatic flow - this can be caused by damage to lymph nodes or a structure under the skin or inside the body that is impinging on the lymph flow. I have also seen swelling like this with a flare-up of a mast cell tumor elsewhere on the body. I agree with your vet; if the medications prescribed to not make a difference, additional diagnostics are warranted. They may include bloodwork, abdominal x-rays, tick testing, or sampling of any small masses found.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. When dogs are 'non-ambulatory'- not walking on a leg, this is usually a sign of significant pain. Also, swelling is concerning for either a significant injury (fracture/dislocation), an infection or abscess (pocket of pus), or in older animals we worry about cancers. I would recommend having Swayde seen by a vet to see if anything serious is going on, and would recommend x-rays. Best of luck with Swayde.

Poor Pepper! The slight shaking can be a sign of pain, and if the leg looks swollen and she's lethargic, I would be concerned that she is in pain. The swollen leg can indicate an injury or an infection. I know it's Sunday in New Zealand, but there are vet clinics who are open for regular hours today here. I would take her into a vet today to have her leg examined and treated. Please do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. If you absolutely cannot find an open vet clinic today, rest her. No running, jumping, or playing. Take her out to toilet on a lead only, and bring her right back in when she's done. Then take her into the vet first thing Monday. Find an ER vet if her leg becomes very swollen, she becomes very lethargic, and/or she stops eating. Good luck, I hope this helps!