My dog is limping and has a rash on her arm. Should I see a vet?

The two problems seems unrelated given your description. On one side the rash could represent a localized skin infection, which requires some skin testing to be correctly diagnosed. Systemic antibiotic may be needed. On the other side the limp could represent either a soft tissue (muscles, ligament etc etc) injury or a neurological problem. Both problems require a check up at your local veterinarian and a physical examination to be appropriately recognized. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Limping can be due to many reasons that go from relatively uncomplicated such as soft tissue injuries and osteoarthritis to more complicated and serious injuries such as fractures and even bone tumors. I highly recommend that you have Roxy evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to localize her pain and decide what the next diagnostic step which will likely be radiographs. At the very least, they can start her on pain control medications. Good luck and have a good day!

I am sorry to hear about Rambo. The lumps we see here make me concerned he could have hives, or an allergic reaction to something. We often treat this with diphenhydramine (an antihistamine) and a steroid, in addition to bathing in case a topical allergen was encountered. If they are not hives we would be worried about a skin tumor, but without seeing your dog and getting an in depth history that is difficult to determine. Limping can be from a wide variety of problems ranging from an injury to a toe nail, a torn ligament, a fracture, a tumor, tick borne disease, and more. I would recommend getting Rambo in to the vet to address these issues and determine what is causing them to better guide treatment.

Poor girl. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do for a musculoskeletal injury. Over the counter pain meds shouldn't be given to pets b/c of a high risk of liver and/or kidney damage. You can try doing alternating cold and warm compresses on the sore area for 5-10 minutes a day. Also a warm water Epsom salt bath can help with some of the soreness. If she just has a minor injur like a muscle sprain, then letting her rest the leg and the cold and warm compresses should help improve her limping over the next 4-5 days. Also leash walking her only outside and not encouraging jumping and rough play can help the area heal. Here is a website link that also has some financial resources that may be of assistance for getting Princess seen by your vet. It sounds like she may need a radiograph of the leg and appropriate treatment depending on the underlying injury if things don't get better soon. http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html Best wishes and take care.

Great question! I would definitely take her into the vet for an x-ray since Moka has been limping for the past few days. The leg is obviously bothering her, or else she wouldn't limp at all. Keep in mind as well that limping is a sign of pain, and you don't want her to be in pain any longer. It could be that she has arthritis, which would get worse when the temperature drops at night, or it could be something more serious like a torn ligament in her knee. I would have her seen by a vet tomorrow if possible. I hope this helps :-)

Poor puppy. At this stage Reese needs images taken of his entire leg to pinpoint the problem area and get a good game plan together on how to help improve his mobility. He may have a ligament tear in his knee or even a congenital defect of the bone that wouldn't otherwise be known about if not for radiograph imaging. It's best to schedule an appt with your vet soon to get some solid answers about Reese's leg. I hope things improve soon.

Did the limping start today? I wonder if Pawl injured a muscle when he got hurt. It sounds like if the limping is intermittent that it might be ok to wait a short while, but I always worry about fractures and if delaying the exam would cause delayed healing as well. However, many soft tissue injuries will heal in their own with a few weeks of strict rear and possibly anti inflammatory medications if he needs them. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian, but as long as the limping is improving then you may be able to wait until next week. As far as the scratch goes, keep it clean and keep her from Licking it. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.