My Dog has been Limping for Months – What Could be Causing It?

If your dog does not walk the same way that he used too, and you find behavior changes in the dog’s walking ability, you need to be inspecting the problems to counter any health issue. A dog limping can be a sign of many things. In most cases, limping in dogs can result from a variety of reasons. To truly dissect why your dog is limping, you need to take it to the veterinarian. Moreover, you have to evaluate their behavior and deduce the occurrence of the limp. Is your dog limping occasionally, or is the limp persistent? If the limp is persistent and and the problem is getting worse with time, then this means that the lameness requires an urgent visit to the vet. Alternatively, if the onset of a dog’s limp occurs sudden, then you may just have to check its paws to look for an injury, wound, or a foreign object in the paw area. Usually, sudden lameness in dogs will involve reasons such as a sprained ankle or stones stuck in the paw. Even though sudden limping in dogs is not often a sign of worry, you  should still take all the precautionary measures and bring your dog to the vet.A vet can then perform an x ray and confirm that the source of pain and lameness is not stemming from any soft tissue injuries, or other more serious leg problems. Carefully monitor the behavior of your dog and look for any noticeable changes that may be hinting to an urgent veterinarian check up. Below are the possible reasons dog owners should be aware of:

All  of these are the general causes of limping, each carrying different risks and severity. Some are easily treatable at home while others need immediate attention of the vet.Not all of these conditions require you to take your dog to the vet on  the exact same day, however, in the face of a minor physical injury or trauma, you can wait for about fifteen minutes to see if the dog is slowly progressing into recovery, or gradually getting worse.  If the dog is showing improvement with time, then you can wait a day or two and make amends to their nutrition and restrict their movement to see whether the joint pain or whatever the cause of the dog’s’ limping gets better.  

The causes of limping in a dog can vary depending on the gravity and the cause. These diverse range of causes also have different treatments. For instance, if your dog is limping from a falling over or getting physically hurt, it greatly differs in treatment from if the dog’s limp comes from their battles with bone disease such as arthritis or maybe an internal problems of the ligament and muscles. Whatever the reason may be, you must understand that if a dog is limping, this means that either their legs are non-functioning, or that they are in excruciating pain. This means that if a dog is limping, they have undergone the depths of pain and have no option but to relieve pressure on their legs by limping. The most practical and obvious cause of limping is pain. Even if your dog may not show it, lameness of any kind means that it is feeling some kind of pain. Nevertheless, the following are reasons why you should go to the vet immediately on the same day.   

If your dog is showing these symptoms or something similar along with limping, then make sure that you have the best veterinarian care. Identifying the exact source of your dog’s lameness is incredibly difficult. But you can still estimate the severity of the condition by looking at other symptoms along with limping in the dog. 

Finding out that your dog is limping when the dog’s leg problems have gotten worse is the worst thing for any pet owner. This is why you have to keep monitoring your dog even if they do not show any evident symptoms so that you are able to spot any problems earlier on. A condition that occurs due to the gradual onset of an injury or minor wear and tear usually will transpire into something worse when the dog grows older. This is another reason why you should not take minor injuries lightly and have them checked by a vet as soon as you discover them.  Most dogs that develop worse conditions show progressive patterns of limping. In this, a minor injury becomes exacerbated over the years of consistent pressure and stress by the dog until the joints can no longer bear the weight of the dog and they start to deteriorate. This weakening and minor damages accumulated in the leg over the years also result to many other problems in a dog. Thus, a limp can worsen, or even trigger when some of underlying conditions begin to spring out. If your dog is limping due to any of these causes of limping, then it is likely resultant of these common causes:

This is a very common degenerative bone disease that you can often find in older dogs. It refers to the gradual decay of bones, and one of the common causes of limping in dogs that are eight years or older.  There are not many cures to arthritis, and some breed of dogs are most susceptible to developing this disease. Other similar diseases that can lead to limping include cruciate ligament disease. 

Hip dysplasia is another condition that particular dog breeds are most likely to suffer from. These mostly include smaller dog breeds such as jack russell terriers. Hip dysplasia refers to the abnormal settlement of the ball and socket joint in the hip. In some dogs, the hip joint grows awkwardly and abnormally, making the dog lame in its stride. Often times, a dog with hip dysplasia may limp. 

If you suddenly find your dog limping, you have to first inspect the dog and isolate the part of the dog that is causing the limp. Find out whether it is the front leg, back leg, left leg, maybe the paw or shoulder.  How you can do that? Well there are many give your dog a physical examination, but you want to start with the toes. Make sure that you run your finger between the toes to check whether there is something stuck in between. Moreover, you also want to check the nails and make sure that they are short. Look underneath the foot and see if there is a swelling, wound and rash because of playing in rough surfaces. If you do find something in the paws, then you can put some ointment on it, and give your dog some light anti inflammatory drugs. Then, you can slowly move your way up to the leg and look for damages on the wrist joint and the legs. Try putting on light pressure on the logs leg and instigate a reaction. Look for a reaction from the dog when doing this, but be very cautious as there may also be a violent reaction such as biting. If your examinations leads you to believe that your dog may be suffering from something more serious, then you should definitely take your dog to the vet.  Following the veterinarian visit, make sure that you follow the treatment that the vet prescribes and keep your dog well rested.   

Apart from the conventional treatment options such as drugs and physical therapy, you can do plenty of things to ensure prevent the onset of diseases in your dog. These include certain holistic and remedial therapies, along with a good nutrition, supplementation and exercise. 

Diet is one of the most important aspects when keeping a dog healthy. A good balanced diet for a dog is one that depicts it’s carnivorous past. Many people find the raw meat diet as most healthy for their dogs but you can also give them dog food that is high in proteins. Make sure that their nutrient intake is sufficient. Moreover, here is information regarding good organic diet of a dog. 

Exercise allows your dog to maintain its weight. Weight management is most important preventative measure. Obesity or overweight dogs usually develop joint problems that lead to limping. Read this article to learn how to better deal with obese dogs. 

Supplementation can help your dog acquire the necessary micronutrients that they lack. Some supplements, such as omega 3 fatty acids are known to be instrumental for joint and leg issues. Apart from supplements, there are also natural ways to boost your dog’s immunity, read this article to find out. 

CBD, or cannabidiol is the naturally existing substance that you extract from a hemp plant. Over the years, CBD has become a popular healing aid for dogs that suffer from degenerative disease pain. CBD serves as a great alternative to standard medicine, since you can find it in yummy treats that the dogs love to eat. 

If your dog has been limping from months, then it is likely that it has a condition that you may not be able to cure by home remedies alone. Following the vet’s treatment plan and process of recovery will be the best option for your dog to have a better quality of life.

The dog will only resort to limping due to an involuntary action to release the weight and pressure off of its leg so that it does not have anything left.  Thus, a limp can go away if the pain goes away. However, if the limp occurs due to lack of mobility, then it is less likely to go away. 

Apart from the conventional treatment options such as drugs and physical therapy, you can do plenty of things to ensure prevent the onset of diseases in your dog. These include certain holistic and remedial therapies, along with a good nutrition, supplementation and exercise. 

If the limp persists and and worsens with time, this means that the lameness requires an urgent visit to the vet. In contrast, if the onset of a dog’s limp occurs sudden, then you may just have to check its paws to look for an injury or wound.