Articles with dog lameness

Why Is My Dog Limping? Causes of Lameness in Dogs—Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog

Limping is a symptom that is easy to observe. That doesn’t mean it is always easy to diagnose. Most limping dogs never end up at a veterinary hospital. Minor sprains and strains can often resolve on their own with rest allowing the tissue to heal. But what if lameness doesn’t go away after a few days of rest? The whole…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Canine Hind End Paralysis: R.G.’s Hind End Lameness and Paralysis. What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Paralysis is the partial or full loss of body movement. Symptoms of canine hind end paralysis can vary in severity. Mild neurological deficit leads to weakness and knuckling. Full paralysis results in a dog dragging their rear legs. Associated problems include pain, potty accidents, inability to urinate or constipation. R.G. was a happy, active girl, until one day she suddenly…

by Jana Rade

Shoulder Injury in a Dog: It Never Rains … though Rain Did Have a Lot to Do with It

Playing in the snow is usually quite safe fun. Unless there are layers of ice buried underneath. We did get to the bottom of Cookie’s uneven stance. We treated, got her chiropractic adjustments and paid close attention to the right hind leg. Then I noticed that she seemed to have been dropping her front left shoulder when walking. It’s not easy…

by Jana Rade

Uneven Stance in a Dog: You Don’t Always Have to See a Limp—Cookie’s Physio Update

Since the beginning, Cookie has had her share of musculoskeletal issues, even though the first major lameness had nothing to do with any of those things. We thought she had busted her knee ligament; that’s how bad she looked. As it turned out, all that was caused by nothing more than a fragment of a porcupine quill in her foot.…

by Jana Rade

Is Limping an Emergency?

Limping is usually not an emergency unless … A limping dog should get veterinary help immediately if there were a significant trauma fracture or dislocation bleeding severe swelling hot limbs or dragging of limbs Limping is an emergency when accompanied by severe pain. What causes limping Limping always indicates pain or dysfunction of some kind. Whether or not it is…

by Jana Rade

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of America, and an award-winning author in my spare time. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care into my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to use 20 years of hard-earned experience to save others from the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way, as I did.

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