# Bridget is limping



## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

I don't know what happen to one of her front paws. But she limping on it. Two days ago she lost her balance but seemed fine afterwords. She let me hold her paw without any fuss but I can tell it is bothering her. 

Do I go to a vet now? Or do I wait a few hours to see what happens?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Rotate her elbow and shoulder also - often they will limp in their foot but it's not the foot that's the problem

Look carefully between and in her pads. 

It could just be a strained muscle, too. I wouldn't go to the vet until you wait and see if it resolves itself.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

After checking her over for external wounds (cuts, bites, etc): 

I would rest her well (crated when inside, leashed walks when outside only) for the next 2 days. If she's still limping on it by then, take her in. Most of the time if they're limping on a front right foot, its a soft tissue injury that isn't going to show up on x-ray anyways. If you have any anti inflammatory meds they will help take some of the swelling down. If she's still limping by Wednesday I'd get her in.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

No external wounds that I could see. Rotated her elbow and shoulder and she didn't complain at all but it feels a little swollen below her elbow. She wants to cuddle and lick me which is only true if she is really exhausted or in pain. 

As for keeping her in the crate. That is where she choose to lay at. I froze her food so she could enjoy chewing on it and now I wish I had something that wasn't frozen for her to eat.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

See if she will stand an icepack on the area that you think has been hurt as well. You can try very, very, gently, flexing her wrists and watch for any tiny reaction, quicken of breath, eyes opening wider, stiffening of her body. Try the same range of movement on the other side too.
Mol was limping really badly on one front leg a couple of months ago. Of course I rushed her in to the vet who confirmed she had sprained her wrist/ankle whatever it is you call it. She got some muscle relaxants and orders for complete bedrest for 10 days. He said that if she hadn't improved drastically within a week, to bring her in for x-rays.
But, she recovered a lot over the first week. The anti-inflammatories obviously made her leg feel better, but I was so paranoid about her re-injuring it, we stuck to the 10 days religiously.
Like Natalie told me back then whilst I was fretting away, if a dog has to hurt a leg, it's preferable that it be the front leg, often it's a lot more serious injury when it involves the hind leg.
Good luck, hope it's just something minor.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

When Rebel had something wrong with his front leg it took awhile to find it - he was never limping when we went to the vet. 

She had me walk him up and down the hallway and something about the way his head bobbed told her that yes, it was hurting him. Then she had to find whether it was in the foot, ankle, elbow. 

X-rays showed nothing but he limped, sometimes severely to the point where he would put no weight down at all, for about eight months. I guess it wasn't anything serious, because it appears to be gone now.

Very frustrating. I hope Bridget's is someting temporary.

On the other hand, Snorkels was shaking herself so hard after a bath that she did something to her leg - she hopped around on three legs for a couple of hours and then she was fine. You just never know.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> See if she will stand an icepack on the area that you think has been hurt as well. You can try very, very, gently, flexing her wrists and watch for any tiny reaction, quicken of breath, eyes opening wider, stiffening of her body. Try the same range of movement on the other side too.
> Mol was limping really badly on one front leg a couple of months ago. Of course I rushed her in to the vet who confirmed she had sprained her wrist/ankle whatever it is you call it. She got some muscle relaxants and orders for complete bedrest for 10 days. He said that if she hadn't improved drastically within a week, to bring her in for x-rays.
> But, she recovered a lot over the first week. The anti-inflammatories obviously made her leg feel better, but I was so paranoid about her re-injuring it, we stuck to the 10 days religiously.
> Like Natalie told me back then whilst I was fretting away, if a dog has to hurt a leg, it's preferable that it be the front leg, often it's a lot more serious injury when it involves the hind leg.
> Good luck, hope it's just something minor.


She does have a quicken breath when I flex her wrest. 

What inflammatories should I buy? The only thing I found was naproxen sodium.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

OH NO! I take Mol and Windy outside, look back at my girl Mol and she's limping! Badly. The same leg as last time. I can not believe it, I have to take my own advice now. Why would that happen, I was so careful last time and she's done a lot of walking and running since it healed. Plus, she wasn't running or anything today, had a sleep, got up, walked outside. I did hear her shake though so maybe she did a Snorkels??? 
Off to get an icepack. My brain can't take all this stress, its one thing on top of another on top of another.
I sympathise Bridget.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> OH NO! I take Mol and Windy outside, look back at my girl Mol and she's limping! Badly. The same leg as last time. I can not believe it, I have to take my own advice now. Why would that happen, I was so careful last time and she's done a lot of walking and running since it healed. Plus, she wasn't running or anything today, had a sleep, got up, walked outside. I did hear her shake though so maybe she did a Snorkels???
> Off to get an icepack. My brain can't take all this stress, its one thing on top of another on top of another.
> I sympathise Bridget.


You and me both! So many stressers happening at once. I'm going to take Bridget outside to use the bathroom. She wants to go but it hurts her to walk.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> OH NO! I take Mol and Windy outside, look back at my girl Mol and she's limping! Badly. The same leg as last time. I can not believe it, I have to take my own advice now. Why would that happen, I was so careful last time and she's done a lot of walking and running since it healed. Plus, she wasn't running or anything today, had a sleep, got up, walked outside. I did hear her shake though so maybe she did a Snorkels???
> Off to get an icepack. My brain can't take all this stress, its one thing on top of another on top of another.
> I sympathise Bridget.



When was the first time it happened? This is exactly what happened with Rebel - I would swear it was healed, he would be fine for weeks.

I'm sorry this happened to Molly again. Maybe it is whatever happened to Snorkels and won't last long. It's awful when a dog can't exercise.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

xellil said:


> When was the first time it happened? This is exactly what happened with Rebel - I would swear it was healed, he would be fine for weeks.
> 
> I'm sorry this happened to Molly again. Maybe it is whatever happened to Snorkels and won't last long. It's awful when a dog can't exercise.


Yep. My large puppy is on bed rest. It really sucks. 

I really love that pic of Mollie. Bridget eats that way too. But today couldn't hold it right so she just had to her mouth. I just let it thaw before feeding it to her.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

The anti-inflammatories were Rimadyl 75mg. I'm pretty sure they are only available on prescription.
I'm calling the vet in the am, I think Mol might need to be x-rayed, hopefully she hasn't broken anything. Honestly, I am just gutted, I thought I'd done everything right and look what happens, just when you expect it least. It's worse than last time too, unfortunately my friends back me up on that, its not my imagination. She can hardly bear any weight on it at all. Is Bridgets like that too?
I can't believe both our dogs are injured Bridget, likely in the same place at the same time. Doesn't that suck? I walk Mol outside on her leash to pee, thats the extent of her exercise. Putting ice packs on her wrist (its her left one), lifting her down if she gets up on the couch or bed. This sucks, truly, utterly sucks. I'm going to get fat not exercising as I can't leave the house and leave her behind, no way.
Windy is going in for her annual check up on Wednesday and a teeth cleaning on Thursday, Mollie likely going in tomorrow, boy they are going to be sick of us down there - or very happy for the doe!

Yeah, thanks, that pic of Mol, she doesn't normally eat with her front teeth, I don't know how I scored that photo, she was so intense which is unusual, so I grabbed the camera.

I'll let you know what the vet says. Good luck with Bridget, I feel for you.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

No idea what happened to Mollie. I took Bridget to the vet. She had a swollen ankle but it wasn't broken. Vet blamed it on too much protein and the fault of her diet. Suggested I add rice. Choose not to add rice and gave her more time off. Her leg is doing much better even though I'm trying not to push her too much.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Yeah, take it easy and what ever you do, stick to the rest period. Mol is now on 30 days rest. Vet reckons she's now got arthritis in her ankle, you can't flex it all the way without her flinching. And I stuck to her initial 10 day rest period like glue, even longer than the 10 days.
So, even when you think Bridget is better, hold off for on running or jumping for another week or so.
And, your vet reckons a sprained ankle is caused by too much protein? Huh? I mean, mine is vehement anti raw, but even he never mentioned anything at all about diet causing a sprain in a joint.


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