My puppy limps after waking up, then runs fine. Is it normal?

Oscar may have injured one of his legs or may have a joint abnormality. It is fairly common for dogs with various joint injuries or arthritis to be more painful when waking and then 'warm out' of the lameness. I would recommend seeing a vet if the limping continues for an exam and potentially some x-rays and/or pain medication.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your puppy. If she is otherwise normal, then I recommend keeping her very quite. Carry her if you are able or take her outside on a leash. No running, jumping, stairs or playing. Many causes of mild lameness can resolve without treatment. However, if the lameness gets worse, she is not acting normal or the lameness does not resolve, then she needs to see her veterinarian. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Some causes of hindlimb lameness in growing dogs that are less than 12 months of age include: Hip dysplasia, Avascular necrosis of the femoral head - Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, where the ball of the thighbone in the hip doesn't get enough blood, causing the bone to die Osteochondritis of stifle - fragments of cartilage or bone have become loose within the knee joint Patella luxation - medial or lateral disorder, in which the kneecap dislocates or moves out of its normal location Osteochondritis of the hock - fragments of cartilage or bone have become loose within the hock, the joint of the hind leg Panosteitis – inflammation of the bones Hypertrophic osteodystrophy - a disease characterized by decreased blood flow to the part of the bone adjacent to the joint Trauma to the soft tissue, bone, or joint Infection – may be local, or generalized (systemic) Nutritional imbalances Congenital abnormalities (present at birth) If the lameness persists, even if she seems better afterward, I recommend getting her seen by your vet as soon as possible to check for one of these conditions and get her started on treatment if need be.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Nico! He is adorable!! If Nico has been limping with out improvement for the last 2-3 days I would have him examined by your Vet. Limping indicates pain even if you can't localize it. Hopefully it is just a sprain or a strain but it could be a chip fracture or a growth plate fracture since Niko is so young. You Vet may want to take 1-2 X-rays of the area they find pain in. Hopefully Nico will only require rest and anti-inflammatory medications. Do not give Nico any human OTC medications, He is very young and dogs do not metabolize human drugs like we do and they have a narrow margin of safety in dogs. It will also mask his pain for the vet and will interfere with medications they may want to prescribe. I hope this helps and I wish Nico a speedy recovery!

I am sorry to hear about Boomer! It is not unusual for a dog to limp but then run around as if there is no problem. Dogs are great at hiding their pain and often a young dog will get excited and forget they are hurting or just ignore the discomfort for awhile. If the limping has been going on for more than a few days, I would recommend an exam by your vet. If there is any bruising or swelling a vet exam is recommended. Check all the toenails and be sure none are split or torn and look on the underside of the paw and between the paw pads to check for wounds. If you find nothing, then I would recommend activity restriction for Boomer for several days. He should be crated or confined to a small area and only go outside on a leash to go to the bathroom- we want him to rest his foot. If after several days you aren't seeing any improvement then a visit to his vet is recommended. Best of luck to you and Boomer!

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!

I see that Lexi is Lab, which is considered a large breed dog. Large breed puppies can be prone to a condition called hypertrophic osteodystrophy, which is an inflammation of the long bones. It will cause intermittent lameness, and this could be the cause of Lexi's current lameness. I would take her into the vet on Monday for an exam. The vet can do x-rays to confirm if she does have hypertrophic osteodystrophy or not. There is no cure for it, but most puppies recover on their own after a couple of episodes. In the meantime, take Lexi out on a leash only, no running or jumping, and keep her as quiet as possible.