My pittyx was limping and I thought for sure I had another ACL injury on my hands.(My labx has one that's greatly improved, but still calcified) Took her to the vet and she's got a pulled lateral collateral ligament. Hopefully 1 week in the crate and consecutive week of no playing will help her. He said if she's not better after the 1 week he will xray. I love having a vet that's also does chiro on my dogs. Anyone have any experience with this injury? I feel like we dodged a bullet as he was relatively certain it was just a pull. I though for sure we'd be missing our first RallyO show. (June 26)

I don't know what the injury was that our dog had a few years ago (jumped off a chair and her foot stayed put - was stuck in the metal grating of the chair). Never took her to the vet. She hopped three-legged on the leg at first each morning, then gingerly began to walk, and limped for 2-3 weeks. Finally, it healed and she was back to 100% Don't know what her injury was, but my bet was sprained ligament.

In human athletes, treatment is 3-6 weeks of reduced activity. As long as it's not a complete tear, the ligament repairs itself. It's just harder in dogs to keep them completely off for healing.

Good luck. (there was a thread the other day on "toys for mind games" that someone posted who had to crate their dog for 6+ weeks).

Here is what Dr. Google said:

"Leg injury in dogs is very common because of everyday activities. There are some breeds that have a higher likelihood of suffering from certain leg injuries. There are different types of dog leg injuries found and the most common ones are cuts, sprains, torn ligaments, and broken bones. Out of all the injuries, sprains are the most common in dogs and are usually caused by overworking a joint or accidentally moving the leg in an unnatural manner.


A sprain is caused by damage to the tissue supporting a joint. This is mostly ligament damage. In general, most of the sprains tend to get better with rest in about 48 hours. However, in some cases, sprains could be more problematic and painful. There are three grades of sprains and each may require different treatment.


Grade 1: Sprains in which a small portion of the ligament is torn. The ligament still keeps the bones together and is functional. Symptoms include swelling and pain.
Grade 2: These are sprains where the ligament is partially torn but still connected to the bone. They are characterized by swelling, pain, and inability to fully use the joint.
Grade 3: This sprain is the worst kind of leg injury, where the ligament is completely torn out and there is total inactivity of leg use."