Saturday, September 8, 2012

How to care for a limping dog

By Jerry Welsh


How can you help a limping pet? Limping is an indication that the dog is in pain. To be able to alleviate the pain that makes the dog uncomfortable it is necessary to determine the cause of the dog's condition. Any one that have had the chance to have dogs for a pet would know that these animals are very energetic. Inactive or bored dogs becomes uncontrollable thus dog owners ensure that the pet is regularly provided with opportunities to exercise. But how can a dog get its full quota of exercise if its mobility is impaired due to a limp?

There are several reasons why the dog's ability to walk or to run is impaired. No home cure can help a dog if the limp is caused by broken bones. Other reasons for the dog's impaired mobility can be determined by a pet owner by doing a thorough hands-on examination on the dog. Simple cases that makes a dog limp like cuts on the foot pad, a thorn or a cut on the foot or even a small rock between the toes can be easily treated at home. The limping dog is obviously in pain and the discomfort can be eased by removing the thorn or by treating the wound. If the limping is attributed to these simple causes, the dog will be up and about in no time.

Because dogs are very energetic, soft tissue trauma or what is commonly known as pulled muscles and sprains are common. Limping that arises from these conditions can also be treated at home as the joint or the muscle simply need to be rested. The dog's mobility may be restricted by the limp but being highly energetic, dogs would still try to use the injured limb so that a dog owner would be challenged to restrain the dog. Confining the dog to a crate would force the dog to rest.

Limping can be associated with the advancing age of the dog. Mature dogs similar to old people are weighed down by pain associated with the deterioration of joints and ligaments . Abnormality of hip and leg bones, arthritis and hip dysplasia are some of the most common conditions that make a dog limp.

These cases would put the pet under agonizing pain thus a pet owner has to bring the pet to a veterinary facility as soon as possible so that the pain the dog is suffering from can be alleviated. X-rays and a thorough medical examination will be necessary to give proper diagnosis. Limping dogs would suffer immense pain thus vets commonly prescribe medications to alleviate the pain and discomfort.




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