My dog is still hopping and limping. What diagnostics are needed?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Muneca is limping. Based off the radiograph, it looks like her fibula, the smaller bone in her lower leg, may be fractured. It is difficult to know for sure without an orthogonal view, but that may be the reason for her limping. I recommend restricting her activity to cage rest and leash walks only, do not let her run or play for at least 4 weeks to allow time for the bone to heal. I recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian who can perform bloodwork and see if it is safe to prescribe her anti-inflammatory pain medications to help her feel more comfortable. NEVER give human pain medications to dogs as they can be markedly toxic. I hope this is helpful!

That's a fair question, but not one I could fully answer without knowing her case as well as your veterinarian. I'm sure the main reason they want to x-ray your dog again is to check that it healed properly before advising about walking her again. Sometimes these fractures don't heal and will need further treatment. The fact that she doesn't seem painful is encouraging that it has healed well, but it's still possible that it didn't. I think it would at-least be worth it to have her rechecked by your vet. We can often tell a great deal from physical exam. I would then ask your vet how necessary they think the x-ray is. It would be good to ask what the potential complications are and what would be the treatment for those complications. For instance: If Nahla had a non-healing fracture, they might recommend surgery to correct it. If surgery is not a feasible option for you (because of money), then the x-ray would not really be worthwhile. Vets usually offer the best treatment recommendations for their patients, then scale it back as necessary. That's likely the situation here. I hope that helps and Nahla is all healed.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. I am sorry to hear about her recent troubles. How frustrating! There is a muscle known as the iliospoas that wraps around from the lower back to the pelvis. If this muscle is strained, it is extremely painful. This can be detected on a physical exam, but would not show up on an x-ray. Other problems can be related the spine itself such as disc disease. The most common cause of rear limb lameness is a torn cruciate ligament in the knee. Has she had stifle x-rays? More rare conditions are autoimmune joint disease or a tick borne infection. Both of these are typically accompanied by a fever. You may consider a referral to see an orthopedic specialist if you are having trouble reaching a diagnosis. I hope this information helps!

I'm sorry to hear about Freddie Harte's limping. I am not seeing any obvious defects on this x-ray. The challenge is that the findings on exam are extremely important in trying to diagnose orthopedic issues; it would help to know if Freddie has proprioceptive deficits in his hind end, decreased range of motion, muscle atrophy, medial buttressing, etc as well as trying to localize any pain that may be contributing to his limping - all of this information would be combined with findings on x-ray to try to reach a diagnosis. Small dogs such as Shih Tzus are prone to luxating patellas, which may not always be evident on an x-ray but would be detected on exam. Did your vet discuss the option of referral to a specialist for a more concrete answer? I'm happy to give you my input on the x-ray - but referral to an orthopedic specialist who will be able to put their hands on your dog, as well as look at these x-rays, will give you much more beneficial input. I know its frustrating to have a chronically limping dog without an answer! I hope this helps!

I personally believe it is always necessary to do an x-ray. Unfortunately, they are expensive but they are the best way to determine what is causing the pain in his leg. X-rays can help to rule out fractures, dysplasia, or soft tissue injury. A cruciate ligament injury is also a possibility, so your veterinarian may want to perform an orthopedic test to see if there is any laxity in the knee. There is no guarantee the problem will heal with rest and prolonging an accurate diagnosis may just make the problem worse.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hanz. Yes, I do recommend that he sees his veterinarian again. X-rays are warranted at this point. If possible, he may benefit from a pain and anti-inflammatory medication such as Rimadyl. This can help to not only control pain, but soft tissue inflammation. It will aid in cases of arthritis as well. In the meantime, keep him as quiet as possible and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

I am sorry Suki has not been feeling great. I would recommend having an x-ray done of her front leg since the limping has returned. It could still be a soft tissue injury. sometimes soft tissue does take longer to heal than an actual fracture/break. Soft tissue does usually include ligaments and tendons. With Suki being a rescue dog it is possible she has had trauma before that did not heal right, She could have arthritis, infection, a hidden fracture or even a bone chip lesion in the shoulder. An x-ray would be the next step for sure. I would continue her restricted activity for another 2-3 weeks to decrease more stress on her leg. You could also start an over the counter glucosamine and chondroitin supplement to help her joint health