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So I come home from work yesterday evening to find my male Shih Tzu, Murphy, limping.  I told my husband he probably got hurt during his failed attempt at jumping up to the bed–I distinctly remember him jumping and not making it, his hind legs smashing against the side of the mattress, the day before. I immediately checked his leg and tried to massage it and stretch it out, but he didn’t seem to be  in any pain. It looked like he had been licking part of his leg perhaps because it was bothering him, though I didn’t find anything else wrong.

This morning he was still limping, but had no problem playing with our other dogs. He would have some difficulty going up the stairs, and we try not to let him jump on furniture.

I decided to call the animal hospital, where a tech was helpful enough to walk me through some simple instructions over the phone. She said this would be the same exam they would do at the vet’s office:

• Check for any cuts, thorns/splinters,  especially between the toes
• Look at the paw pads and see if they are oddly shaped compared to the other paws (look for burns or blisters)
  
• Look for any nails that have become infected
• Find any heat spots–parts of the leg that seem warmer than the rest–and swelling

So far I didn’t find anything, so she advised to restrict exercise for 24 hours and we’ll check again tomorrow.

I did some research, and sure enough most dog limping seem to be cured just by restricting exercise for several days, and the causes are usually unknown. Cuts and wounds caused by thorns and other splinters are also very common, and small lacerations can be treated by soaking the paws in a warm hydrogen peroxide solution. However, GO SEE THE VET IF:

• limping lasts more than a few days
• the dog is completely lifting the leg up (to avoid putting weight on it) or he is completely dragging it
• he has difficulty getting up and down the staircase
• your pet can’t get up
• your dog is whining, crying or yelping
• your pet won’t let you touch his paw
• the leg is swollen and in an odd position
• there is swelling in the toes or feet
• there is a bad odor around the paw
• your pet is constantly licking or biting his feet
• the nails are broken, cracked, or bleeding
• there are cuts, blisters, growths, or burns on his paw pads
• the had ticks before the limping began (might be a sign of Lyme disease)
• your pet is lame first in one leg and then another

Other common causes of limping in dogs:

• Overgrown or overly short toenails
  • Overgrown nails can splay the feet
  • Overly short nails flake easily and may expose the quick of the nail, causing pain
• Unstable elbow and hip joints
• Broken or loose cartilage in the elbows and shoulders
• Inflammation of the tendon of the shoulder and bicep muscles
• Popped knee cap
• Ligament injury
• Trauma to the knee
• Arthritis

Less likely causes of limping are bone tumors and uncommon diseases that affect the muscle tissue.

We’ll keep Murphy from running around for a few days and hope, as most people say, the limping will just go away!

Sources:

AllExperts.com

2ndChance.info

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I realize I’m a little late in discovering this piece of news, but it just tickled me happy that I just had to share with others who have not heard of this.

We’ve all seen all kinds of animal odd couples, but these two are such great friends they’ve even landed a spot on the Oprah Winfrey show!

Suryia the orangutan and Roscoe the Bluetick Coonhound met in a sanctuary for endangered animals two years ago in South Carolina.

Roscoe was an underfed stray, but Suryia quickly took him under his wing.

Dr. Bhagavan Antle, founder of The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) in Myrtle Beach, told the Daily Mail that Roscoe followed him and Suryia through the park’s gate one day. As soon as he saw Roscoe, Suryia ran over to him and they started playing,” Antle said “It was unusual because dogs are usually scared of primates; but they took to each other straight away.”

After a few unsuccessful phone calls to find an owner, Antle said they decided to let Roscoe stay.

Now the the pair have a ball frolicking around the park. “They will spend a few hours each day together rolling around, swimming,” Antle said. “Suryia will take Roscoe for walks around the enclosure and even feeds him some of his monkey biscuits.”

~ABC News

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