My senior Chihuahua's back leg hurts for a week. Does she need a vet?

Thanks for using PetCoach! I'm sorry to hear about Xena. So if the position you describe (with the hurt leg extended) is when she is SITTING, I am most suspicious of a torn ACL. This is especially suspicious if she will walk on 3 legs but not the injured leg. Staffies between the ages of 1 and 5 are textbook for that particular injury. If it is when she is standing, that would be an odd way to carry herself and not typical of the usual injuries. (And I would see your vet). Finally, with this information, I cannot rule out a back injury or disk problem - more likely if she truly cannot stand, even if you help her up and put her back legs under her. You don't list Xena's age but as I mentioned before, if she is young, some sort of soft tissue injury is more likely. If she is older, an arthritis flare up or other problem may be more likely. Long story short, I recommend getting her in as soon as possible for evaluation and some safe pain medication. We as veterinarians have so many wonderful pain medications that are safe for long term or occasional use. As such, I would strongly recommend heading to your vet and NOT giving over the counter pain medication (it is not as effective and can interfere with what we would ideally prescribe). If you are unable/unwilling to go to the vet, probably the “least bad” choice would be aspirin. Be sure to use a product labeled for dogs and use the dosing on the bottle. See the link below for more information about the safe use of aspirin. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/aspirin/ Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Xena!

Hello. The hips do look pretty good. I would ask your veterinarian to examine & determine if it is possible that Zoi has injured her knee. I would be especially interested in your vet conducting an exam looking for a cranial drawer sign that would indicate an anterior cruciate ligament tear, a common injury in larger breed dogs. Hope you find an answer to Zoi's pain & discomfort & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bob. You could be correct with your assumption. Small breeds often have patellar problems in one or both knees due to anatomical problems with their knees. The other concern I would have is a cruciate ligament injury. Another possibility would be other soft tissue injuries or injuries to the bones of the leg. This can be assessed by your vet when you take Bob for an exam. Your vet may want to sedate Bob to fully assess the knee and take x-rays. I think you can probably wait but if his pain level increases to the point of him not eating, then I would advise that you take him today or this weekend. Once a diagnosis is made, a sound treatment plan can be implemented.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Suzie. I am sorry to hear about her fall. If she is still acting normal otherwise, I would keep her very quiet to allow her body to rest. Carry her if possible (which may not be an option given the size included in her profile) or you can roll up a towel to use as a sling under her belly to help support her when she needs to walk. By limiting her movements, you can limit any further swelling that may accompany her injury. Do not give her any over-the-counter pain medication as these can be toxic to dogs. If she is not significantly better by tomorrow morning, she will need to see her veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is possible that he has a fractured bone that is causing him discomfort and lameness. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having x-rays taken of this leg to rule out any bone fractures as the cause. 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.

Good Evening...thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry that Luna is experience some trouble with her left front leg. Since the lameness seems to be reoccurring, I would recommend you bring her into a veterinarian for an examination. Young dogs can often experience many conditions that can cause lameness. These can range from conditions such as panosteitis (growing pains) to congenital conditions such as elbow dysplasia, or OCD lesion of either the shoulder or elbow. Certainly a soft tissue injury (muscle strain or sprain) may also be the culprit. Regardless, it may be nice to see if the veterinarian can determine her "pain point" and localize where her lameness is coming from. They will also be able to give you prescription medications that ma help to ease her discomfort. I hope this information helps, good luck and I hope Luna gets some relief soon! :-)

This is most likely from a bulging intervertebral disc pressing on the nerves to his legs. I recommend a veterinary exam and spinal X-ray to be sure. Then as long as he’s walking I recommend pain medication, muscle relaxers and I treat these dogs with laser and acupuncture. He needs to rest, no running or jumping and short slow leash walks for three weeks. Usually this will improve with treatment in three to four weeks. He also could rupture the intervertebral disc and become paralyzed. That is a medical emergency and he may need surgery by a specialist so he could walk again. Please take him in soon and get treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Armor.