My senior dog limps after jumping. How can I ease her pain?

Hi there. So sorry to hear that Snowden is limping and in pain. It is not recommended that you give her any over the counter medications at home. The medication may mask the severity of her problem during the vet's exam and it could interfere with the medication your vet will want to prescribe. Dogs are actually very sensitive to non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and should really only take the ones made for dogs that you can only get from your vet. Just keep her as calm and quiet as possible and only take her outside on leash to use the bathroom and then right back inside. At her age it is also more likely the medication could upset her stomach. If you are really worried about her pain level you could always get her to the emergency vet this evening or you could look for a clinic that is open tomorrow during the day.

Hello, while I am glad you have been using a good joint supplement, it sounds like your girl needs some more serious pain medication for her osteoarthritis. There are many to choose from, and they can literally give an aging pet a new lease on life. I have literally seen crippled dogs that owners wanted to euthanize become happy, active pets. The first thing to do is see your veterinarian for a thorough exam, blood work & possible x-rays & hopefully start your pet on a medication to ease her pain. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Since your pup can't talk, only a physical exam will be able to determine the source of the lameness. Just like people, the pain/limping can be related to many causes including a ligament tears, soft tissue injury, a knee cap out of place or even a hairline fracture. Since she is not bearing any weight on the leg, I recommend to have her examined today. She may need radiographs and the doctor will determine this based on the exam. She needs STRICT rest until she is examined. I hope she starts feeling better quickly.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Max. Poor boy! He's limping because he's in pain, and unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications you can give him. Many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. You need to take him into a vet immediately to get examined and treated. Best of luck.

Limping is a sign of pain in dogs, so Aires is feeling pain from jumping off. She could have strained a ligament jumping off the bed, possibly torn her cruciate ligament, done meniscal damage to her knee, or may have fractured a bone. I would try resting her for 48 hours to see if that helps. No running, jumping, or playing. Take her out to toilet on a lead only, and bring her right back in when she is done. Keep her as quiet as possible. If she is still limping at 48 hours, or if in that time she stops putting weight on it at all, I would take her into the vet right away for an exam. Do not give her any human pain medications, many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. The vet can prescribe safe pain medications for her, and can decide the best course of treatment based on the diagnosis of her limping. For example, cruciate ligament rupture and meniscal damage requires surgery to fix.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Limping is a sign of pain. It sounds as though it is likely a strain or a sprain. The best thing to do it limit his activity because continued use will not allow a strain or sprain to heal. So no running, jumping, no stairs or jumping on/off the furniture and leash walks only for at least 7 days. If the limp doesn't improve with in those 7 days Shadow should be seen by a Vet or sooner if it worsens. It is not wrong to have Shadow seen sooner than later as well. Do not give any human pain medications, dogs do not metabolize drugs like people do and they may interfere with medications your Vet may want to prescribe. I hope this helps and I wish Shadow a speedy recovery!

Since she's been lame for a week, an exam with your veterinarian would be recommended. X-rays to diagnose fractures may be indicated after a physical exam. There are very few OTC medications you can give a dog for pain at home. Most are toxic or easy to overdose. Do not medicate Diamond without the advice of your veterinarian.