Arthritis in dogs can occur over time with natural wear and tear, as a result of injuries, or as a result of a disease like hip dysplasia for example. This is why you should always check the official OFA hip and elbow certification of your puppy and their parents before you buy — and get a guarantee on the health of the pup against latent defects developing. With hip and elbow dysplasia, a malformation in the joint leads to deterioration of the cartilage.
The result can be inflammation along with pain, and sometimes arthritis and debilitation. Panosteitis is an inflammation of the leg bones particularly in long boned bigger dogs , and leads to lameness for one or more weeks — which can cause a limp.
Tick infection can cause lyme disease which can cause lameness in the leg. There are also other infectious diseases, and cruciate ligament disease, neuromuscular disease, and cancers which can cause limping. Defects in the body at birth, like German Shepherds with shortened spines or dwarfism can lead to limping and lameness.
The best person to let you know which legs on your GSD are affected by a cause of limping is your vet. As in with humans, a dog might have a chronic disease like arthritis for example. The joints may deteriorate and the dog might develop a limp, but the leg may simply become lame with little or no pain. You should rest your dog for at least two days if you notice a limp.
Rest means lead exercise only and short 5 minute walks at a time. Stay with them in the garden and even put a lead on to restrict their exercise and help them if they need to go upstairs, downstairs or jump up anywhere car, sofa, bed etc. Signs of pain in a dog can vary greatly. Some dogs are very stoical and brave while others are more delicate. You may hear your dog whining, crying or whimpering. You may notice the dog is licking the affected area or sometimes an area nearby. Some dogs go off their food and may be more clingy and attentive than normal.
On the other hand, some dogs will become more distant and want to be on their own if they are in pain. Sometimes the subtlest changes in behaviour or demeanour are enough to tell a vigilant owner that their dog is in pain. If you notice a limp after exercising it may be that the dog is doing too much at once.
You could try shorter walks more often, rather than one long walk and if there is no improvement then you could call us at PetGP to help assess the lameness. The most obvious sign of hind leg lameness is a little hop or skip when they are walking and running. Sometimes this can develop into them holding the leg up and not wanting to put weight on it. It could be a simple strain so try resting your dog for a day or so but if you think your dog is in pain then you should contact a vet.
You might have noticed your dog is reluctant to go on walks or is favouring one side more than the other. If there is nothing to see, try resting him for a day or calling us at PetGP. In older dogs this can be a sign of arthritis. The joints become stiffer as the dog gets older. You may notice that after a few minutes of walking about the lameness improves. In dogs that are still growing it can be the sign of other joint problems. At PetGP we can help assess the animal over the phone and let you know if we think you need to contact a vet.
This process will hopefully rule out the more serious cases which must be dealt with by a vet and leads to advice on what you should do next for your pet. Call us at PetGP if you are unsure or worried and our expert nurses will advise you on what to do next. If the situation does not merit a trip to the vet, we will give advice for managing the situation at home.
If the lameness is caused by a simple sprain or strain, then 48 hours of rest and restricted exercise may be enough to improve the situation drastically. Good luck. Hope he gets better soon. I can recommend a great Bowen Therapist in Frankston Sth. Not sure if you are nearby or interested, but feel free to PM me if so. He may need to be crated and actually just need to rest and recover if it is something simple like a sprain, because he might be re-aggrivating it each time he plays with the other one.
There's a lovely lady in Melbourne called Carol who show Collies who manipulates and has Herbal remedies for dogs. My GSD pup had an intemitten limp between 5 to 8 months with nothing showing up as wrong with him. At almost four years old now and I only ever saw him limp once and that was after catching a ball in the air last year and he landed badly on one back leg and limped for about half an hour after that he was fine and didn't limp again.
He was lucky he didn't do any damage as it was a fair bit of weight to land on one leg. I would probably just not be too quick to crate for complete rest until you find out exactly what the issue is. Not meaning to jump on your toes missmonaro. Depending on what the complain is, crating or complete rest can result in some quantities of muscle atrophy and incorrect growth patterns in legs, which can then cause a whole other set of issues.
Yes, definitely there are some situation where complete rest is called for, and yes a sprain or strain would possibly be one of those, but a correct diagnosis is required first.
Until you find out what is wrong, my suggestion would be separating the pups, and encouraging natural restful behaviours when and where possible. If you already crate overnight, that is fine, but do not do it all day until you know what is going on With the side gate to look at each other through hehe.
Dash is growing at a enormous rate - he's 9-months and hit 38kg a couple of wks ago. Yes, as I mentioned in previous post, Panoestitis growing pains is something that dogs grow out of, but it is very painful for them.
It can go from leg to leg and can appear to disappear and then return. It is more ideal to find out why he might have it, and solve the underlying issue, rathern than letting him do what he wants knowing he will grow out of it.
I would be cutting out all forced walking on leash walking for a couple of months if the vets think it is Pano. Also if you feeding lots of bones, ie the ones he can ingest like chicken carcasses etc, I would be cutting them out or down, to lessen the intake of calcium.
Others may disagree, so I am not necessarily saying do what I suggest, but at least have a think about it and find out some more information. Others may have more experience with Pano, so may be able to advise better.
I would also suggest you put him on Collagen as opposed to Glucosamine if the vets say it is Pano. Collagen is better for joints, Collagen for bones. However, the vets cannot know it is Pano until they xray for it. Some say that pressing of the legs is a method of diagnosing pano, but I would not recommend you do this.
Prior to testing, your veterinarian will perform a physical examination of your dog to test for tenderness, pain, and range of motion in his limbs. You can also do your own examination at home before you call the veterinarian. This information can help your veterinarian determine whether or not your dog can wait for an opening or if he needs to come in on an emergency basis. While this may sound intimidating, in most cases the sooner you get your dog in to see the veterinarian, the better the prognosis.
While you are waiting for your appointment, try to keep your dog as calm as possible and abstain from exercise or play to avoid making the limp worse, and if necessary, crate your dog in the car to prevent further injury.
Note: Never give any over-the-counter or prescription human pain medication—including ibuprofen or acetaminophen—to dogs as this can be toxic or fatal. Always consult your veterinarian. GLM contains beneficial nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Combined with glucosamine and chondroitin, GLM can help decrease pain and preserve joint function. Compare Breeds Compare up to 5 different breeds side by side.
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