Dog Leg Injury

Dog leg injuries and dog paw injury is a very common problem because the dogs' legs are very fragile. Any problem in the muscles, tendons, ligaments or bones of the leg can cause a lot of problems in the movement of your pet.

Dog paw injury is the most common of all. The paws of the dogs are very soft and the paw pads are very sensitive. It is best to inspect the paws of your pet every once in a while to check for any injuries, cuts, or swellings. If your dog is limping, there is a good probability of it having sustained a paw injury. Usually, after a dog has injured its paw, it is not able to sustain any pressure on the injured paw. If on inspection, you find an object embedded into the skin, you may have to take the dog to a vet. If the dog has been injured by a nail, there may be swelling in the paw. Get your pet checked by a vet in such a case.

Dog Front, Hind Leg Injury

The implications of front leg injuries are sometimes different from  dog hind leg injury. If the dog has sustained muscle injuries like a sprain or has strained a muscle, there may be difficulty in moving. Such injuries are usually characterized by severe swelling and loss of movement. If it is a joint that the dog has injured, the dog will be unable to put any weight on the leg. If the dog limps for more than 3 days, help should be sought from a vet.

A ligament injury in dogs is the most serious injury to its legs. In such an injury, the anterior cruciate ligament of the dog gets torn or damaged. Larger breeds of dogs or those who are overweight may develop such problems. Dog leg surgery is the only way of treating such injuries.

For dogs who have sustained such injuries, inflammation and tendonitis are the most common symptoms. Excessive jumping around and running can cause this injury. However, even without such excessive physical exercise, the tendons can sometimes get swollen.

Treatment for tendonitis is simple and involves a lot of rest. It is easy to find out whether your dog has got cured because the swelling will subside and the dog will not cry out when weight is put on the affected limb.

The symptoms can be identified by observing the dog's gait and size of the swelling and by checking for any wounds and injuries.