Dog Limping: What to Check and When to See a Vet

Your dog is running around happily, then suddenly lifts a leg and starts limping. Sometimes it's just a thorn in the paw; sometimes it's a ligament injury that needs surgery. Knowing how to observe and check safely helps you decide whether to rest and watch or go to the vet now.

Common causes

In the paw

• A thorn, glass or small stone in the pad or wedged between the toes.
• A broken nail, overgrown nails or a nail growing into the pad.
• Paw pads burned by hot pavement, scraped or cracked.
• Insect stings, inflamed skin between the toes, or an abscess.

In muscles, joints and bones

• Sprains and strains: after running, jumping or slipping. Usually a mild limp that improves after a few days of rest.
• Cranial cruciate ligament rupture in the knee: common in large and overweight dogs. The dog suddenly holds up a hind leg, sometimes just touching it to the ground.
• Luxating patella (slipping kneecap): common in small dogs. The dog occasionally skips on three legs for a few steps, then walks normally again.
• Hip or elbow dysplasia: young large-breed dogs with a swaying gait, trouble getting up, reluctance to climb stairs.
• Arthritis: in older dogs, stiffness in the morning or after lying down for a long time, easing with gentle movement.
• Fractures and dislocations: after an accident or fall from a height. The leg looks deformed, is swollen and very painful.
• Tick-borne diseases: can cause joint pain and shifting-leg lameness, with fever and lethargy.

Checking safely at home

A dog in pain may bite, even its owner. Be gentle, and have a second person hold and soothe your dog's head. If your dog growls, snaps or is in too much pain, stop and go to the vet.

1. Watch your dog walk: which leg is affected, and does it hold it up completely or still touch down? A video of your dog walking on a flat surface is very helpful for your vet.
2. Check the paw: gently spread the toes and look at the pads, between the toes and the nails. Look for thorns, cuts, swelling or redness.
3. Feel along the leg: work upward from the paw, comparing with the other leg for swelling, heat or a pain reaction.
4. Make notes: when the limp started, after what event, and whether it's worse after rest or after exercise.

First steps

• A small, shallow, clearly visible object: you can gently remove it and rinse with sterile saline. If it's deeply embedded, don't pull it out; see a vet.
• A bleeding cut: press gently with clean gauze to stop the bleeding, keep it clean, and see a vet if the wound is deep.
• A suspected mild sprain: rest your dog and limit running, jumping, stairs and getting on and off furniture. Take it out only on a leash for short toilet breaks.
• Never give human painkillers. Many common human pain medicines can cause stomach ulcers and kidney failure in dogs. Use any medicine only as directed by your veterinarian.
• Suspected fracture: don't try to straighten the leg, keep your dog still, and use a board or blanket as a stretcher to get to the vet.

To lower the risk of future injuries, keep your dog at a healthy weight, trim its nails regularly, warm up with a walk before vigorous play, limit jumps from high places, and put non-slip rugs on shiny tiled floors.

When to see a vet

• Your dog won't put any weight on the leg.
• The leg looks deformed, is very swollen, has an open wound, or you suspect a fracture: go right away.
• Limping after an accident, being hit by a vehicle or a fall from a height, even if your dog seems fine.
• A mild limp that doesn't improve after one to two days of rest, or gets worse.
• Limping with fever, loss of appetite or lethargy, or shifting from one leg to another.
• A growing puppy with a swaying gait or limping that keeps coming back.
• An older dog that is stiff and struggles to get up: your veterinarian can help manage pain and improve mobility.
• Constant licking or chewing at one leg, or a hard swelling on a bone.