I have a 7 month old black lab dog. Just over a week ago he started limping on one of his front legs every time after sleeping when he is getting out of his bed. The limp literally lasts no longer than a few seconds or a few steps and after he’s had a stretch he’s fine with no reluctance to use the leg and no signs of any pain and it happens at no other time other than when he’s getting up after sleeping. I’ve looked on google and Elbow dysplasia has cropped up, could this be the problem?
Hi @Jane robertson yes it could be a problem as my girl was diagnosed with ED at roughly 5 months but personally I wouldn’t rely on google but make an appointment with your vet. It is best to get your puppy checked out pretty quickly.
Hi there, I do intend to get him checked out but can I ask were your pups symptoms pretty much the same as I’ve described?
Couldn't agree more with @Pilatelover . Google is a wonderful tool but not very good at diagnosing problems. A trip to the vet to have it investigated.
Yes they were but there are many many different reasons why a puppy limps. I’m really glad you are going to get him checked out, your vet will be able to give you the answers. I personally wouldn’t leave it any longer before I made an appointment. Good luck
I agree with the above; go and get him checked out as soon as possible but try not to drive yourself crazy about it. It could just be he's sleeping funny on it; my boy sometimes does this and isn't dysplastic. If it is something sinister, then you really need a diagnosis ASAP to get the best possible outcome, which is why the advice to go to the vet immediately. It's probably absolutely nothing, but best to make sure
Yes, the sooner the better, hopefully it's nothing but if your dog is in any pain which a vet will pick up straight away, then you can get pain relief sorted whilst you get your diagnosis. Dogs are really good at masking pain.
Amen to that (masking pain)! They are real good at it. Murphy somehow broke his toe when he was about 4 months old. Most of the time it was not apparent, only when he did certain things. As far as he was concerned "What broken toe?" Not much the vet can do for a broken toe, btw. Just like with people. It was difficult seeing him want to play and run and not letting him do it. I keep a close eye on him. A week ago I noticed he would suddenly lift his left rear leg, shake it, then get back to what he was doing. Sure enough, he had picked up a small burr that was lodged between his toes. One other time he drove a small sharp piece of a branch right through the web his toes. He thought it was best to just keep on playing! Murphy plays hard (like most labs). If he has played really hard and then lies down for a while, he is bit stiff like most of us would be. But no limping, just more of a "oh boy, I overdid it" kind of thing. We try to make sure he walks around a bit after he is done playing hard. That seems to prevent it.
Ouch! When Monty got a thorn stuck in his pads he refused to move. However, despite bilateral HD and ED he will still race around with other dogs when caught up in the moment, adrenaline masks it all. For me with Monty, limping would be a sign of significant pain and stiffness would indicate mild to moderate pain.
My boy has been to see vet today and had an X-ray and absolutely delighted to report his elbows are clear .... still no explanation for the lameness but vet doesn’t seem to think it’s anything too serious and just to keep an eye on it
