Why does my older dog's leg get stiff after rest, then she runs fine?

Hi, in my opinion it sounds like Frankie could have potentially injured her cruciate ligaments. This would be a potential diagnosis provided the lameness seem to affect just one of her legs. If both legs should be affected, and she should be hopping like a bunny it could be that she is suffering with hip dysplasia. I would recommend to have Frankie rechecked. I hope this helps and that all goes well !

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Intermittent, painful lameness in dogs of her breed is often related to slipping patella, hip problems (for the hind leg) and sometimes elbow dysplasia (for the front leg lameness). A visit at your local vets is recommended. Full clinical examination should allow making the diagnosis and starting treatment, if required.

Something is obviously hurting Maggie as you are seeing crying when she gets up. You can try resting her for 24 hours (no running, no walks, no jumping) and see if it improves. A soft tissue strain will generally get better with rest. If she is not improving, then I recommend to take her into the vet. You could obviously go ahead and take her into the vet who can look her over to figure where the pain is coming from as well as provide safe pain medication. It could be a soft tissue strain but an injury to one of her joints is not excluded. I hope this helps!

Her reduced activity level may be due to the lameness or arthritis pain. I recommend a veterinary exam for the lameness. They will feel her neck shoulder and the rest of the leg to determine the cause. They may also do X-rays to look for bone and joint problems. If they think Ruby is painful they can prescribe pain medication. I don't like older dogs to get too lazy and not exercise since they can gain weight and lose muscle mass which makes the lameness worse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ruby.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! Many things can cause lameness in dogs. For a young active dog, the most common injury is of soft tissue in origin. Soft tissue can be anything from a strain / sprain, bruising, pulled muscle or a ligament / tendon injury. Bone trauma is another possibility with fracture and dislocation as possibilities. If she is bearing full weight on the leg after a while, then I would likely suspect this to be a soft tissue injury in nature. I would suggest resting Angel for the next 7-10 days. A strict exercise restriction should be in place to prevent Angel from worsening the injury. This means no jumping or running, only leash guided walks that are short and controlled. If no improvement occurs within 7-10 days, I would have a veterinarian examine the leg to help determine what is going on. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Storm. Just by the description an ACL injury (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) would be suspected but there are other causes also including hip or other joint problems (arthritis, degenerative joint disease), trauma, puncture wounds, fractures, soft tissue injuries to tendons/ligaments, muscle injuries, tick transmitted diseases, etc. ACL injuries usually occur when dogs are chasing squirrels, cats, birds, etc across the yard. They are fine and then they return lame, holding up the leg or bearing partial weight. That ligament when examined microscopically is undergoing a degenerative process in almost all of the cases. The strain on the ligament eventually tears or rips it completely. That same process can occur in the other knee and that's why this is so important to diagnose properly. Some dogs tear one ACL, get it fixed and then tear the other one. There are multiple ways to fix an ACL rupture or tear and I would discuss these with your veterinarian. Some of the newer techniques are specialized procedures only certain vets perform and they require that hardware (plates, screws) be put into the area to stabilize the knee joint. One older technique is called the lateral imbrication technique and I still think it works well if an experienced surgeon does it. It is much cheaper also compared to the newer procedures. There are some braces out now also for dogs that are unable to have a surgical repair done but I don't have any experience with those. So I would advise taking Storm to your vet if this condition persists, worsens, or other signs develop. They can evaluate her, gather a history, and then make a diagnostic plan, and eventual treatment plan. A physical exam may include sedation/anesthesia and x-rays to fully assess the knee. Good luck with Storm.

Poor Sage! Since Sage can't talk, only a physical exam will be able to determine the source of the lameness. It's also the only way to know if the nodes are related to the limping or if they are unrelated. Just like people, the pain/limping can be related to many causes including arthritis, a ligament tear, soft tissue injury or even a spinal issue. You may try strict rest for a few days (no walks, running, jumping or stairs). If Sage does not improve, have him examined by the veterinarian. He may need radiographs and the doctor will determine this based on the exam. A joint supplement for dogs and an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets may also help. I hope he starts feeling better quickly.