# lame on back leg



## grovsey (Jan 9, 2009)

hi all 
i have got a female working viz that has just turned 12months ,was out today on some stubble and was a very cold day ,then she started carrying her back leg ,i checked her pads when i got home and washed it with warm water and could not see anything and also pressed on the pads to see if she reacted and she never ,is it poss that she could have a muscle cramp or the ;likes in her back leg,i know i could be a pulled muscle .


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## 1notenough (Sep 6, 2008)

you should have massaged the leg to see if you could have pin pointed the area that is giving her pain.if it was a cramp.i have seen my dogs go lame but only for a few minutes.again checked pad and seen nothing then dog seemed to walk it off.all better.was she still limping after you got her home?


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## grovsey (Jan 9, 2009)

yes she is limping on and of as though its a pulled muscle ,had a heat pad on her for 30mins then put her in her pen to rest will see how it is tomoz.he is a very hypo viz and goes 100miles a hour when out ,


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## treetops1974 (Jan 10, 2009)

I too had a similar episode with our 6 month old male (Rio) yesterday. He was rough-housing with a couple of larger dogs - as he usually does at the park- I noticed that he stepped aside from the action and was lifting his back left leg. I walked over and quickly examined him. I touched, rubbed and pressed every square inch - no reaction or sense of pain from him. I then leashed him and we walked it off. 

About an hour later he was still favouring it - eventhough he was putting weight on it and jumping up on me ... he doesn't seem to be in pain. He was calmer than usual ... not sure if it was a result of the injury or energy expended from the play session ???

I'm not so much concerned about the injury but moreso what it could be an indicator of ... HD :-[

Did some quick internet research on symptoms of hip dysplasia ... and the I'm still on the fence. We have an upcoming appointment with the vet. 

Just wondering if anyone can help shed some light with indicators of HD for V's ... if they differ form other breeds?

Any help would be appreciated.


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## 1notenough (Sep 6, 2008)

well let me tell you a story about two crazy v,s.I have just had to nurse one from a hole in the bottom of the foot that was packed with mud.I had not seen any sign of discomfort from the dog all afternoon,then i looked at the foot to my astonishment it had swelled up to almost twice its size.two days later we seem to be much better.Same dog six months earlier stepped on something bled like he was cut by a knife.Other dog stepped on something and bruised his foot, some dog went lame with front leg after running all afternoon.The first time he hurt his foot i figured he twisted something or he stepped on something that gave him a deep tissue bruise.the latter who knows rubbed him good made sure to massage the lymph glands and he was good the next day.These dogs are going to be prone to sports type injury's and they are going to step on things ,they cover a lot of ground.Remember to ice an injury early keep the dog calm for a day or two and don't give deep tissue massage gentle with the rub downs.Massage is vitale to an athletic dogs well being.I don't know if you should be too concerned with HD if you have a very young dog but you should have the hip score on any papers from your breeder witch should give you information about your dogs susceptibility to HD. You could always pay for an Xray..


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## treetops1974 (Jan 10, 2009)

thanks for the reality check  NB. I checked and his parents were both cleared of HD - whew. I think it make have beena sports injury. It's been 3 days and no signs of any furher discomfort. The true test was yesterday - a full day at daycare - the dogs spend all day playing in an open area and there are 2 other young V's that attend also - he was fine.

I may just get the x-ray if I see any further issues.

thx


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## Wetworks (Feb 23, 2009)

The first time my dog pulled up lame with that, my hurt sunk right into my stomach.  She shook it off within a few minutes and was running full bore shortly thereafter. Like 1notenough said, these dogs are going to have this happen. They are athletes in the canine world, and like all athletes, when performing at a consistently high level they will occasionally get injured (think hamstrings and football players).


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## UplandV (Feb 8, 2009)

Mine have cut themselves, or ran threw barbwire so much that I got my own stapler...it get's tiring having to pay the vet 200-300 bucks for three-four staples on an emergency basis. 

Like the others said, these dogs are high performance athletes, and have a one wire mind, I've seen a dog put a stick into their chest and not realize it. If the dog isn't acting lame and you don't see swelling, I wouldn't worry about an X-ray.

Chris


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