Why is my senior dog suddenly limping and holding his leg up?

Hi! Thanks for entrusting us with Jerry's care today! Lameness can be a sign of a few things that range from a muscle sprain to even a fracture. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian so that this can be further assessed which will likely include radiographs. Treatment will be dependent on findings though at the very least pain control medications can be prescribed. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

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.

She may have torn her cruciate ligament, have a problem with her knee cap, have a fracture, etc. Since she seems to be in pain, you should take her to your vet today for an orthopedic examination. Your vet can take an x-ray, if needed, to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. An anti-inflammatory and pain medications can be prescribed to help relieve any pain. Hope she feels better soon!

I'm sorry to hear that Murphy has been limping. Mild weight bearing lameness could be related to a soft tissue injury, cranial cruciate ligament rupture, degenerative joint disease/arthritis, osteosarcoma, among many other issues. I'm glad to hear that Murphy seems comfortable enough to run, but try to avoid allowing him to run until this issue resolves because he could worsen any existing injury. Any time limping is present (to any degree), this indicates a sign of pain. For this reason, I recommend taking Murphy to his vet for an exam, possible x-rays, and possible anti-inflammatory pain medication. Do not give him any over the counter pain medication since none are overly safe for dogs. Until you can get to the vet, try to restrict Murphy's activity to keep him in the kennel and only allow him out for short leash walks to eliminate. I hope that he feels better soon!

Her reduced activity level may be due to the lameness or arthritis pain. I recommend a veterinary exam for the lameness. They will feel her neck shoulder and the rest of the leg to determine the cause. They may also do X-rays to look for bone and joint problems. If they think Ruby is painful they can prescribe pain medication. I don't like older dogs to get too lazy and not exercise since they can gain weight and lose muscle mass which makes the lameness worse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ruby.

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.

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!