Why is the dog lame?
Did the dog start to limp? Unfortunately, this happens often. Sometimes the cause is on the surface: an injury, a splinter in the foot, or a recent injection. And sometimes the owner throws up his hands in bewilderment: there are no visible injuries, and the pet suddenly stopped leaning on its paw! Why is this happening? What to do in such cases?
Lameness can occur due to a huge number of reasons. They can be divided into two main groups: external and internal.
External causes include mechanical damage: cuts, abrasions, injuries (dislocations, fractures, bruises, etc.), cracks in the paw pads, splinters, injections, insect bites.
Internal causes are inflammation of the muscles, joints and ligaments, which, by the way, can occur due to injury or hypothermia. And also: dysplasia of the knee or hip joints, osteomyelitis, circulatory disorders, formations (malignant or benign) and other ailments.
Many situations are impossible to predict and, no matter how much we want it, you can’t insure dogs from all the dangers. But proper pet care will reduce the risk of lameness and other diseases in general.
Try to protect your dog from injury and hypothermia: do not let him sleep on cold, hard surfaces, reduce walking time in frost and wet weather, and avoid ice. Always control your dog’s diet. It should be nutritious and balanced, and most importantly, suitable specifically for your pet. The entire body of the dog, including the musculoskeletal system, suffers from a lack of vitamins and minerals.
If the dog has begun to limp, the first thing to do is to conduct an examination. You may be able to determine the cause and eliminate it right at home.
Carefully inspect your pet’s paws. Often the cause of lameness is damage to the paw pads. This may be a splinter, abrasion, an insect bite, or, for example, a reaction to a reagent. A dog may limp due to a cut or bite from another dog. If the dog is injured and the wound is not deep, you can treat it yourself.
Sometimes the dog begins to limp after an injection. Some injections are quite painful, and the drug is absorbed for a long time. This causes pain and discomfort when walking.
In any case, it is best to consult a veterinarian for diagnosis. This is all the more necessary if the cause of the lameness is unclear. Perhaps the problem indicates inflammation of the joints or an internal disease that the owner of the dog did not even suspect. Don’t worry, there is no reason to panic. At the initial stages, most diseases are easily treated and eliminated without consequences for the body.
Be vigilant and do not delay the trip to the vet. Only a veterinarian can prescribe treatment after he has made a diagnosis. Depending on the problem and its severity, the treatment is always different, there is no single scheme for all cases. Do not risk the health of your pets and do not self-medicate. They trust us.
Healthy paws for your dogs!
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