Limping in dogs has many potential underlying causes, ranging from minor injuries to serious systemic conditions, such as cancer or Lyme disease. Most importantly, limping indicates that your furry pal is in pain and should be seen by our Central Kentucky Veterinary Center team. Pet owners should know why their dog is limping and the actions they should take if their pet becomes lame. Here, we offer our overview of limping causes in dogs, when to seek regular veterinary care, and when an emergency visit is required.

What is limping in dogs?

Dogs limp (i.e., are lame) when one or more of their legs hurt. They shift their weight to take pressure off the sore leg, which can result in a subtle head-bob to a completely non-weight-bearing skip or hop. The underlying limping cause is usually pain, but nerve, muscle, or joint dysfunction can sometimes play a role. Limping is not usually a dramatic behavior, although some dogs are more pain-sensitive than others and may seem to be “acting” if their limp is disproportionate to the perceived problem.

Common limping causes in dogs

Limping in dogs can have orthopedic causes that stem from muscle, bone, or joint problems, or systemic causes. Limping may be acute, chronic, or waxing and waning, depending on the issue at hand. The most common limping causes include:

  • Soft tissue injury — A knee ligament tear (i.e., cruciate tear) is the most common soft tissue injury, but any ligament, tendon, muscle, or joint can be injured and result in an acute or chronic problem, frequently in active or working dogs.
  • Osteoarthritis — Arthritis impacts a large percentage of aging dogs and cats, causing joint stiffness and reduced mobility that is most uncomfortable immediately after rest but can wax and wane.
  • Panosteitis — Panosteitis, which is known as “growing pains” in humans, causes achy long bones in rapidly growing puppies.
  • Fractures — Traumatic injuries, such as stepping in a hole or a vehicle collision, can result in fractured toes, feet, or legs.
  • Nail or paw injuries — Torn nails, cuts, abrasions, and foreign bodies are common in dogs who spend time on rough terrain.
  • Developmental joint disorders — Floating kneecaps (i.e., luxating patellas), hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and cartilage problems (i.e., osteochondritis dissecans [OCD]) are some abnormal joint conformations that can lead to intermittent pain or limping in young to middle-aged dogs.
  • Spinal conditions — Conditions that cause spinal nerve compression, such as intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) or a spinal cyst, can lead to front-leg limping or rear-leg weakness.
  • Systemic or joint infection — Tick-borne disease (i.e., Lyme disease) can cause shifting leg lameness because of generalized joint inflammation. Less commonly, bacterial or fungal organisms can invade individual joints.
  • Auto-immune disease — An overactive immune system can attack a dog’s joints, causing signs similar to Lyme disease, but with no known underlying cause.
  • Cancer — Osteosarcoma is a common and aggressive bone cancer in large-breed dogs that causes limping when located on a limb.
  • Nerve damage — Nerves can be damaged during trauma or from a tumor or a primary nerve disease, causing reduced sensation or function in the affected limbs.

Regular versus emergency care for limping dogs

Whether you seek regular veterinary care, which can mean several days of wait time, or emergency care depends on the problem’s severity. If the limping is minor, comes and goes, is not significantly painful, or is not related to other illness signs, schedule a regular-hours veterinary visit. Consider an emergency visit if you see:

  • A known or suspected traumatic (i.e., sudden) injury
  • Your dog indicating moderate to high pain by not bearing weight on a limb, not wanting to move, panting or shaking, or irritability
  • Other illness signs, including poor appetite, vomiting, coughing, swollen lymph nodes, or extreme lethargy
  • A noticeable swelling or a painful lump

How veterinarians diagnose and treat limping in dogs

Your veterinary team will perform a complete physical and orthopedic examination to determine the most likely limping cause. Sometimes, they can diagnose the problem on examination, but further testing may be required. Tests for limping dogs may include:

If your veterinarian does not find a serious underlying cause, they may prescribe for your pet a course of anti-inflammatory or pain medications and cage rest to allow a suspected injury to heal and then reassess a few weeks later. Otherwise, they likely will perform additional testing so they can more specifically tailor treatment to the injury or condition causing the limp. Treatments vary widely, but may include:

  • Pain or anti-inflammatory medications
  • Immune-suppressive medications
  • Antibiotics
  • Rehabilitation therapy
  • Alternative therapies (i.e., laser, acupuncture, chiropractic)
  • Regenerative medicine (i.e., stem cell therapy, platelet-rich-plasma)
  • Surgery
  • Chemotherapy or radiation
  • Assistive devices (i.e., braces, carts, slings)
  • Household modifications

A limping dog is in pain, and our Central Kentucky Veterinary Center team should address the problem. Never give your pet over-the-counter pain medications, which can be toxic to the kidneys and liver or cause gastric ulcers and bleeding problems. Instead, contact our team to discuss the issue with a team member. We can help you decide whether we should see your pet during regular daytime hours, or if they need emergency care.