Has anyone noticed in their experience if how a dog carries it's injured leg if this points to what/where the problem is? E.G Hank hurt his leg the other day, no idea how I was standing right there and nothing happened he just picked his leg up and that was it, but he picked his back leg up high and folded under him but when Raven did hers she carried it straighter and out and down. Does anyone know what these differences point to? Just curious??? Hanks been on rest for a couple days and he seems to be moving pretty well again just a little proppy when I take him potty on a leash!

 Quote: Brad Higgs

Has anyone noticed in their experience if how a dog carries it's injured leg if this points to what/where the problem is? E.G Hank hurt his leg the other day, no idea how I was standing right there and nothing happened he just picked his leg up and that was it, but he picked his back leg up high and folded under him but when Raven did hers she carried it straighter and out and down. Does anyone know what these differences point to? Just curious??? Hanks been on rest for a couple days and he seems to be moving pretty well again just a little proppy when I take him potty on a leash!

I can only answer from personal experience, Brad, but with JD, he'll carry his leg high up no matter what hurts. I usually just start from the foot and work my way up the leg until I see if I can figure it out.

Thanks Dana, just had me wondering if how they carried it had anything to do with the injury or just how the dogs did it.

 Quote: Brad Higgs

Thanks Dana, just had me wondering if how they carried it had anything to do with the injury or just how the dogs did it.

It seems that mine will carry theirs differently if it's just their foot - like they've just stepped on something - than if it's farther up the leg, but it's usually just a subtle difference. If it's just their foot they tend to not carry it as high. But if it's farther up the leg mine will carry it high and I just have to start poking and prodding and trying to pinpoint the spot.

I know that doesn't help much but I think it's probably an individual thing with each dog. I also think their pain tolerance has a great deal to do with it, too IMHO.

One other thing, how do you bring your dogs back from an injury? Once you see they move Ok do you slowly start their exercise again and build it back up or leave it a little longer to completely heal?? He seems to be moving pretty well, still a little proppy occasionally but took him for a short walk this morning he was going nuts not getting out, I don't want to cause any more damage. He's off to the doggy chiropractor as soon as he gets back on the weekend.

How old is he, Brad?

 Quote: brad higgs

One other thing, how do you bring your dogs back from an injury? Once you see they move Ok do you slowly start their exercise again and build it back up or leave it a little longer to completely heal?? He seems to be moving pretty well, still a little proppy occasionally but took him for a short walk this morning he was going nuts not getting out, I don't want to cause any more damage. He's off to the doggy chiropractor as soon as he gets back on the weekend.

First, I lock my husband in a closet so he can't take him outside to play full on fetch....

Then I do start back slowly until I see how he does. A little outdoor play where I allow him to go at his own pace while on lead and monitor very carefully. No fetch or anything that over-ride his common sense of "pain" meaning "stop running stupid it hurts!". 5-10 minutes out at a time and on soft ground, no cement.

I try to just use common sense. It also depends on the extent of the injury. Sore paw from stepping on somehting, not so much down time. Crash into 100# sister and bad limp....several days at least of only going out on a leash to go potty morphing into short times outside to stretch legs.

I also do things like adding daily massages to the area (especially if I'm pretty sure it's a strained muscle, etc). If I think it's involving a joint I might give him a couple of days of Novox to get the inflammation down and add arthramine to his diet for awhile. So far he's only had to make one trip to the vet when he kept re-injuring his shoulder (please refer to note about locking husband in closet ).

JD is so long-legged that I'm probably a little more careful with anything involving those bones that I am for my tank of a Rottie.

Of course there was always the "got the head stuck in the Jolly Ball at 8 weeks old" incident that only required me taking 3-4 days off

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

How old is he, Brad?

He's just turned 14 months, for the first couple days it was only outside to potty on leash then a day or so just on his own (moving much better) then supervised with the others and he took off like an idiot and no signs of anf problems but put him back inside just in case, I've taken him on two short walks and seems to be moving fine but worried about over doing! Silly little guy it looks like he forgot what leg it was as he was kinda carrying the opposite one for a little bit this morning??? I haven't been able to pinpoint where it's sore as he doesn't mind me playing with his whole leg and shows no signs of soreness or swelling or anything when I check him? Thanks Dana I'll try and find that stuff in case he shows any signs again. He's supposed to be showing again tomorrow so I'll trot him in the morning and see how he moves, slightest sign of a limp I'll pull him out, I really think he's enjoyed the week of rest he really is lazy!!