The dog is limping: why and what to do?

Behemoth’s veterinarian, orthopedist and trauma surgeon says that if your pet is raised, fed properly and gets enough exercise, you can expect 80%. good luck that the joints will be healthy and your pet will avoid lameness problems.

But what to do if the dog is limping on the front or hind leg?

Even the smallest leg injury can cause a dog to limp. A dog may be limping due to a broken nail, injury on the foot or between the toes, joint disease, bone injury, genetic factors, malnutrition or overweight, lack of physical activity.

A dog may be limping due to joint disease

The most common cause of lameness in dogs in veterinary medicine is joint diseases. Joint diseases can be inflammatory and traumatic. Canine osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, or osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint disease in dogs, associated with ongoing joint trauma and aging processes.

This is the most common cause of lameness in dogs over the age of 5. Inflammation of the joints can cause the dog to limp in the front and back legs.

Arthritis is often treated with anti-inflammatory medications and special joint supplements. Begemoto veterinarians always choose treatment based on the dog’s condition and the owners’ needs.

Dog lameness caused by arthrosis in older animals – veterinarians – orthopedists recommend an innovative and long-acting method of medicinal treatment, one injection of which relieves the dog’s pain for a month, and sometimes even longer.

The dog is limping due to knee ligaments, torn meniscus and luxating patella

Traumatic joint diseases are not only the trauma of the joint itself, but also the lack of parts related to it, such as the ligaments or meniscus. Torn ligaments or meniscus of the knee joint are the cause of hind leg lameness in dogs.

The vet points out that the dog usually limps on its hind leg after jumping out of bed and running outdoors. Such lameness cannot be ignored, it is very important to seek help from a veterinarian – orthopedist or traumatologist in time, so that torn cruciate knee ligaments or a torn meniscus do not cause further complications in the joint and muscle development stages.

In small breeds such as poodles, bichons or terriers, hind leg lameness is more often associated with kneecap problems. In small dogs, the doctor often diagnoses patellar luxation due to lameness of the hind leg.

In veterinary orthopedics and the Begemoto clinic, a surgical treatment method is increasingly used to treat the causes of lameness of the hind legs in dogs. This type of surgery, according to the orthopedist, eliminates the cause of the lameness of the dog’s hind legs for the rest of its life.

The dog is limping due to broken bones

A dog may be limping due to an injury. Broken or cracked bones during trauma often cause a dog to limp when he does not rest his limb on the ground while walking. A fracture suffered following an injury must be diagnosed as soon as possible and operated on within 24 hours of the injury, when all surrounding tissues have fully reacted. An open bone fracture can be very life-threatening to a dog.

A dog can be lame due to genetic inheritance

Elbow and hip dysplasia are painful, genetically transmitted diseases. 15-40% of these diseases. cases are hereditary and characteristic not only of large dog breeds, but also of small «short-legged» breeds: dachshunds, bulldogs, terriers.

Changes in the joint occur during the growth of puppies in 4-6 months, when the blood vessels that supply the bone become damaged due to impaired bone development. Symptoms of articular dysplasia can be observed only in the later stages of the disease, when the dog begins to limp, the gait changes.

Elbow dysplasia causes pain, lameness in the dog’s front leg, while hip dysplasia causes lameness in the dog’s hind leg, pain when standing or lying down. Dogs with joint dysplasia should not be bred, and all offspring should undergo preventive examinations at the age of 12-18 months.

If during the dysplasia examination changes are detected in a 12-18 month old dog, it is very important to apply the best possible method to maintain healthy joints with supplements and proper exercise. Proper nutrition, joint supplements and adequate movement can delay joint pain, discomfort and lameness.

Where to turn if your dog needs help due to a lameness?

In the Begemoto veterinary clinic, all the most innovative methods of diagnosis and treatment of the causes of lameness are applied. In the Begemoto veterinary clinic in Vilnius, dog lameness is diagnosed with the help of X-rays and ultrasound, arthrosis is treated with injections of hyaluronic acid into the joint, tendons, capsule between the joints, which lubricates the joint from the inside. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is also used to reduce pain and inflammation.

According to the Behemoth specialist, the causes of lameness in dogs, especially joint ones, are treated conservatively, with painkillers, various therapies are applied, therapeutic exercises are performed and a rest regime is required.

If these methods do not help or the lameness is of traumatic origin, surgical treatment is necessary, during which the anatomically altered joint is identified, fixed and an implant is inserted. Dogs can have artificial joints replaced just like humans. Larger joints are usually replaced: knees, elbows, hips and rarely shoulders.