# Limping



## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

On Monday, I took Miles and Chase to the beach in the morning for a fetch session. At lunch, we did a long off leash hike. No problems, Miles was completely normal. My husband gets home before me usually and called me after work saying Miles was limping on his back right leg. 

We can't find any paw irritation, any cuts/ splinters/ redness. I've moved all his toes and joints around, pushed on the bones and can't find any tenderness. It's very sad, he's limping around yet wants to be active. He wants to play and jump. If I had to guess, I think it is is paw he is avoiding. 

Has anyone else experienced this? I haven't been exercising him, but I am debating whether or not this is needed if I can't find any sore spots. As a physical therapist, sometimes our patients limp during recovery and it's ok, but I'm not a vet and haven't had this problem with him before.  I've been soaking it in Epsom salts and icing his foot.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Its hard to say what part of the leg he strained. I had a vet (orthopedic surgeon) sit on the floor, and manipulate a dogs leg in every position possible looking for the problem. 

If he puts weight on the leg, I would put him on rest. There is a good chance it will clear up on its own.
Just like humans they can strain things. Unlike us they can be very stoic, and not give the strain a chance to heal.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

My husband has been poking around at Miles today and now we think it is his outside toes on the back right foot... We've noticed he prefers to run so he can lightly touch his paw to the ground and push off vs. walking he has to put the whole foot on the ground so he limps.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I'd rest him up for a couple of days rather than risk aggravating it, then see how it is.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Excellent advice harrigab.

When Cash strained his front leg/shoulder on a hunt, I put him on 2 weeks rest. The limp appeared to be gone, so we went hunting. At the end of the hunt, the limp reappeared.
Put him back on rest for three weeks, and the next hunt it reappeared again. My vet did xrays and a orthopedic surgeon did a full work up on him. 
The surgeon told me I was not giving him enough time to fully heal. His best advice was to put him on a full six weeks of rest. If the limp returned after that, a MRI would be the next step. But he felt certain that the rest would take care of it. It did, and was a expensive lesson.
Sometimes you just have to put these hard charging dogs up, as they will not slow down on their own.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

T-Red: what do you mean by "rest"? How restricted was Cash's activity?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Inside he was in his crate, or with me on the couch.
Anytime he set foot outside, he was on leash.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Thanks for the advice! 

I've been keeping him home during our usual morning run, poor Chase is so confused. He is awful running by himself, sprints in crazy circles looking for Miles or just stops and refuses to go. He seems frantic and disoriented without Miles, poor guy. 

Been leash walking Miles for 5 min in the morning to go to the bathroom, and a leashed lunch walk. At night my husband has been taking them to the park and letting Chase play fetch while Miles trots around. He is getting better, limping less percentage of the time. He wants to play and is happy ;D


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