My senior Great Dane is hobbling, can I help her at home?

Hello. It is impossible to try & diagnose Bonnie's problems without a full exam. You see, some very large breed puppies can have issues with their bones & joints, something similar to growing pains in children. She may also have early issues with hip or even elbow dysplasia. She should be evaluated at your earliest convenience so that the proper diagnosis can be made. Once this has been done, medications, diet, environmental changes will all be looked at to try & help Bonnie grow into the healthiest puppy possible. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Diesel! Is he painful? You need to take him to your vet. In an older Great Dane, I am so sorry to tell you this but I would be most concerned about a possible bone tumor. Take him to your vet for an exam--they will likely recommend taking an X-ray. They can also prescribe some medication to help with pain. Don't hesitate to post again if you have any other questions.

Oh poor Dante! Absolutely you can ice the area, do it for 5-10 minutes at a time. Be sure it to give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and are fatal if given. Rest him and keep him as quiet as possible. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a lead only, and bring him right back in. If he's still limping on Monday, I would have him seen by a vet.

It could be that Rasta has pain in his back, hips, and/or joints due to arthritis or degenerative joint disease. This is common in giant breed dogs, and I would have him seen by a vet. He may benefit from pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Rimadyl (an NSAID) is a good drug to give to help with the symptoms of arthritis. I also recommend giving him glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, and you can use it in conjuction with Rimadyl to help maximize relief from his symptoms.

This is very concerning. Bamboo likely has a lot of pain in that leg. Since she is a Great Dane there is a very large danger of her having osteosarcoma. Of course she could also just have sprained or hurt her leg, however I would definitely take her to your veterinarian tomorrow for an exam and x-rays. Refusing food and water is also a sign of great pain.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Poor girl. It could be the meloxicam is no longer enough for her pain, and she may need an additional pain medication or an increase in dosage. She does sound painful to me. Rest her as much as possible tonight, and then take her into the vet first thing in the morning. I hope this helps!

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!