# Limping after a arun



## meggie (Mar 21, 2013)

Good morning! We just rescued a 3 year old male vizsla. He has been checked by a vet and is in great health. Needs to gain about 5/6 lbs, but otherwise fine. I have now ran with him 4 times.. 3 miles, 6, miles, 3 miles, and this morning 4 miles. We got him on Saturday. He is now limping on his front right leg. He didn't start limping until we came in the house. Should I take him to the vet or wait a couple days. Clearly, I will not run with him tomorrow or maybe all weekend. I am surprised by this... vizsla's love to run, so what is the issue. He didn't fall or anything like that. 
Any advice???
Thanks, Meggie


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi, meggie, and welcome to the forums!! 

It's probably okay to wait and see if the limp gets better on its own, at least for a couple of days. He might have just pulled a muscle or something like that. It occurs to me that dogs, just like humans, can get "out of shape". Then they would require a period of conditioning to get back "in shape". Maybe you just started out with too much, too soon. 

Anyhow, if he's still limping after a few days, then it's off to the Vet. 

Thank you for rescuing him! What's his name? Do you have any pictures you can post for us? ;D ;D ;D


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## meggie (Mar 21, 2013)

Now, I am thinking it might just be his paw. There is a round red spot on his paw that looks a bit raw and unlike his other paws. I wonder if his previous owner ever ran him or ever run him on conrete or asphalt. Maybe his paws need time to adjust to his new life style.


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## meggie (Mar 21, 2013)

His name is Milo and he is incredible with our 3 young girls. I totally think we lucked out on him. He is just wonderful and super loving. I will send a photo when I get to work this morning. My phone is having trouble transferring at the moment.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Definitely looks like he wore the skin right off that paw pad! Slow it down a little with the running. Yes, I think you need to ease into it to give him (and his body) time to adjust. 

And welcome to Milo!! Waiting for the photo... 

_p.s. You could put some Neosporin or Polysporin on that raw paw pad, or maybe get something from his Vet for it. Neosporin has a variety that includes anesthetic for the pain._


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## meggie (Mar 21, 2013)

Thanks for the advice.... I have attached some photos below. We are just so thrilled with Milo, but the girls are a little sad about his paw. I am sure it will heal in no time and then I will ease him back into running.... 

The photos do not do him justice, but he is still super cute. Needs to gain some weight though. He is eating again, so he must feel pretty comfortable with us now. Took him a couple days to get adjusted to us, but now he doesn't leave our sides.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Bag Balm helps the healing


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

Just like humans the pup needs to build up his fitness.

You are running him too often. Build him up. 

Try to run on soft ground as much as possible and not concrete. **** even I hate running on concrete.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Milo is really adorable!! Thanks for posting the pics. Did you happen to find out how he ended up in rescue? Just curious. My boy Willie was adopted from the dog pound at the age of two years. He had been picked up running stray. Anyhow, Willie is six now, and he truly is the light of my life!! Not all of my friends understand that, but everyone HERE does.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

What a handsome boy!!

It can take their little paws a while to toughen up, especially if they're not used to running on concrete/asphalt. You might try seeing if he'll run on the grass alongside the pavement instead (I say "try," because I can't get my dog to run on the grass if I'm on the sidewalk!). I'm not sure what kind of weather you're working with right now--if it's warm outside, check the sidewalk/asphalt with your bare hand/foot to see if it's hot. If it's uncomfortable for you, it's uncomfortable for him, and he can get little burns on those pads. Musher's Secret, which is typically used in the winter to help prevent ice balls and salt burns, can also help protect paw pads from friction or heat injuries on pavement. Other topical ointments others have suggested can definitely help with the healing. If you find that his paw pads continue to be problematic, or you start going on very long runs, you could see if boots will help (there's a thread about that somewhere in here), as long as they're built properly so that his tootsies can still breathe and lose heat (since that's where his sweat glands are). 

Again, what a very handsome boy, and the name is very cute. Thank you for rescuing him! I'm glad he ended up in the home of someone who understands exercise.


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## meggie (Mar 21, 2013)

Thanks for all the great advice. I will be heading to the pet store after work to see what kind of topical ointments I can find. 

One of the big reasons we got him was for the running aspect and b/c they are just gorgeous dogs and great with kids. My husband doesn't like me running alone so early in the morning, so figured the dog was a good compromise. He was a rescue in the sense that his previous owners did give him up. They had brought him back to the breeders that had sold them Milo when he was a puppy. I was actually inquiring about the pups when the breeder mentioned they had 3 year old Milo. I snatched him up quickly thinking he really needed a loving home and he did. He has just been wonderful, but I don't think he was run very much hence the issue with his paw pad. Once he heals I will ease him back into running with just a few miles at a time and maybe just a few days per week until he can build up his stamina and coarser pads. 

Again, I can't believe how lucky we got finding him. 

Thanks for the support and encouragement! Meggie


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Hey redrover - I have trouble getting Savannah to walk in the grass when I'm on the sidewalk, too. Good to know I'm not the only one. Slowly but surely, a new command has crept into our private lexicon. GRASS! now means get off the concrete. It would have been so much easier to train if I had thought about it as an issue to work on deliberately instead of haphazardly.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

meggie said:


> Now, I am thinking it might just be his paw. There is a round red spot on his paw that looks a bit raw and unlike his other paws. I wonder if his previous owner ever ran him or ever run him on conrete or asphalt. Maybe his paws need time to adjust to his new life style.


Haha... I was just about to suggest if you hadn't already to check out his paw pads. Bingo!  Try not to run a dog on concrete. It not only is abrasive to their little pads, but it also has no natural give in it and isn't terribly good for joints. I used to be a long distance runner and one thing we were always taught is not to run for any sustained distance on concrete.......


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## meggie (Mar 21, 2013)

What about asphalt? I am an early morning runner b/c I have three young girls. So, the prime time to run is before they are up. I can't run trails that early b/c it is dark and not safe, but is asphalt running better then concrete? Do I investiage those shoes that go on their feet and would he even like those? I am definitely giving him a break until he heals, but hoping this doesn't sideline our running.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Meg - get the bag balm - thoughens the skin - when back in shape - run him in the field - last time I looked these are gun dogs - the field is where they should be - an easy answer for a pup that was bred to hunt !!!! in the heat of the summer - take off your shoes and run beside your pup on concrete or asphalt - asphalt is the worst - heat releases the volital liquids


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## NowakVizsla (Oct 26, 2012)

When we first started running Igor he would get paws like your picture and they bled. We let them heal and then would run him again and now they don't bleed. I don't know if they naturally callus or just get tougher the more you run them. You can also get him little booties to run in if that eases your mind. We run him both on trails and on sidewalks. Neither seems to bother him. And we run him anywhere from 3-7 miles. 

Good luck. Also, if he's a rescue dog there is a good chance he wasn't ran on long runs before being rescued. I think starting out at 1-2 miles and building up is also a good plan. That's what we started at and worked up to more miles.


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