Ask the Veterinarian/My Dog Limps

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Expert: - 3/9/2011


Question
Hi; Thanks for volunteering for this service.  I just wanted to get your opinion here.  My son has a Lab mix that is about 6 yrs old.  We have her at our house some because of his work schedule.  He just took her to the vet and she got a clean bill of health.  But for the past 2 weeks, she has been favoring her right hind leg.  It seems like it stiffens up when she is laying, because she has trouble standing up.  Then she will limp a little, then she seems fine.  Outside, she runs normally.  My son thinks she may have just stepped funny on it while running, but it doesn't seem to be getting much better.  I feel that we need to have her seen by the vet, but for now, I just wanted to see what your opinion is.  Thanks much!

Answer
Could be that she is developing arthritis in her knee or hip joint. Not unusual for a lab of this age. Typical signs are stiffness upon rising and then it works out after walking a bit, just like with us.

A good exam is a good thing to have done for her at this age anyway. A good vet will put his hand on her hip and then her knee and *feel* the joint as he moves it back and forth. If there is any arthritis he will feel some crepetus in the joint- a mild grinding that you can feel when you manipulate the joint.

If she has a more serious injury such as ligament tear, she would not really "work it out" upon rising. They tend to limp for quite a while.

So yes, she still should see the vet, but it's not an emergency.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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