My senior dog's paw clenches when lying down. What's the cause?

Thanks for using PetCoach. If she is slipping on floors, ToeGrips are sometimes more helpful than booties. https://toegrips.com/ If it is pain or weakness sometimes acupuncture can make a world of difference for senior dogs. Please be sure that you find a veterinarian that does acupuncture in conjunction with her current medications. If it has not been done X-rays to try to localized the cause of her problem can sometimes help determine the best therapy. (Ie back or hips or knees or all?) Best of luck I hope this helps.

Poor Bobby. I can definitely tell that he has been messing with it since the hair has changed colors. This could be allergies or something between his paws pads or on his nails that is bothering him. You could try Benadryl twice a day to see if this helps. See link below. If not, I would have your vet take a look at it to see if they can find the cause. Your vet will be able to prescribe him antibiotics if needed and stronger allergy meds if needed. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/#

Hi there. Usually splayed feet indicate that they are not using their limbs fully, Ruby is sore on one leg so she's compensating and using the other one more, therefore putting pressure on that side and causing the toes to splay. Both sides do look splayed, so it may be that she's also sore on the hind limbs and putting more weight on the front. I would start her on a joint supplement, I like Dasuquin advanced because it's FDA regulated to have the right amount of ingredients in it to work. You can also take her in for xrays to identify what's going on and perhaps start some anti-inflammatory meds from your vet.

Thank you for using Pet Coach! This sounds like it may be positional and might not be anything to worry about. It does not sound normal for him to be holding his foot in such a way but every dog is different. You did not mention he was limping at all so I assume that he is not showing any signs of lameness? If he is in pain, he may be showing this by holding his paw up. This pain could be from a soft tissue injury or growth problem in that particular leg. If it continues and does not resolve, I would get your veterinarian to check the leg out during an examination to rule some possible diagnoses out and to determine if it is nothing to worry about. Please feel free to contact me again regarding Ziggy. I would be more than happy to help answer any other questions you may have.

The most likely cause for your dog's pain would be arthritis based on her age and the description of the problem you provided. Arthritis is an extremely common condition in dogs. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam. There are definitely good medications that can be used to make her feel better. ( https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8896028 )

Sorry to hear about Sooty's discomfort. If you could potentially post this question again with some pictures of the lesions, I or another expert might be able to give you a more informed opinion on the matter. There are many different possible problems that might be the cause of the Sooty's problems. If the discomfort is bad enough that you believe it is affecting his life, I would recommend having your local vet examine the affected regions. At the very least, he might be able to prescribe medications aimed at controlling pain and inflammation. He may also be able to help differentiate if the cause of the problem is something dermatologic, cancerous, or another process entirely. Hope this makes sense.

It could be that Lester has injured his paw, or he has a foreign body in it such as a foxtail or grass seed causing him to hold it up when sitting or resting. I recommend resting Lester for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a lead only, and bring him right back in when he's done. If he still appears painful after this time (holding up his paw is a sign of pain), then I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. He may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given.