Why is my senior Labrador's back leg dragging and not moving?

A number of medical conditions can cause limping. Labrador Retrievers are prone to several joint problems that can cause pain and thus limping, including elbow dysplasia and patellar luxation. But there are a host of other problems that can cause limping, and in very simple terms it's just a response to pain, so the source of the pain must be determined first, using physical examination and x-rays, in order to determine what's causing the pain, and how to treat it. For more facts and characteristics about Labradors, visit PetCoach's breed page: www.petcoach.co/breed/labrador-retriever

You are correct that limping can be an indication of pain, and Millie sound like she is in a lot of pain, so please make an appointment to have Millie seen by a veterinarian. Causes of the limping could be infection (such as an abscess) trauma, a muscular or nerve injury, a fractured bone, a tumour/mass, or a foreign body embedded in the leg. Some infectious diseases such as Lyme disease and joint diseases such as arthritis or joint infection can cause limping as well. Please make an appointment to have Millie seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine the cause of her signs and guide treatment. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to Millie without consulting with your vet.

It sounds like the lameness get worse and now it got to a point of non weight bearing, so in this case I would recommend to take him to a vet. The vet will examine him, asses the lameness as well as probably give him pain relief and joint supplement. The vet may want to consider to run some diagnostics if indicated from the physical examination. Good Luck

Poor Shadow! Since it sounds like the limping has been happening on and off for a while now, yes - I would definitely recommend taking him to the vet to have this checked. Your vet can do a thorough orthopedic exam to help determine what is causing the limp, and may also take x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem. Shadow may need pain medication or an anti-inflammatory to be used when he limps, or he could even need surgery to correct the problem depending on what is found.

Great question! I would definitely take her into the vet for an x-ray since Moka has been limping for the past few days. The leg is obviously bothering her, or else she wouldn't limp at all. Keep in mind as well that limping is a sign of pain, and you don't want her to be in pain any longer. It could be that she has arthritis, which would get worse when the temperature drops at night, or it could be something more serious like a torn ligament in her knee. I would have her seen by a vet tomorrow if possible. I hope this helps :-)

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Rocky's limp can be caused by many conditions including trauma, certain infections which target the joints, an issue with the ligaments (for example, a ligament tear, similar to ACL tear in humans) and arthritis, which is very common in older dogs. I recommend having him seen by a vet to determine the cause of the limp and begin the appropriate treatment. The limp can improve with weightloss if Rocky is overweight and glucosamine chrondroitin supplements if caused by arthritis. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

The symptom you report could have a few origins; the nervous system, bone, muscle, blood vessels, or the soft tissues. If he is limping (toe touching or hopping) this could be a knee related issue (cruciate injury) which is a common problem. If he is dragging the limb and not placing his foot over correctly (dragging the top of his foot and not flipping it to put the pads down) this may be a neurologic issue. There are a few disease processes that can cause neurologic impairment so a neurologic exam by your vet would help to localize if this is the issue. If there is no trauma a vascular event (clot) is also possible as well. Is the foot warm? It is good that Lakota does not seem painful although sometimes not using the leg is their symptom of pain, any swelling anywhere on the leg? I think what is best is an exam with a veterinarian to localize which organ system is causing the issue, orthopedic (bone, soft tissues) vs neurologic, and help ease your mind about what is causing this. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!