The dog is limping on its front or hind legs. Why does a dog limp on its front leg without visible damage?

Often, owners notice that their pets do not move freely, but with a limp. The reason for this is problems with the limbs. What does it mean when a dog is limping on its hind leg? Is this condition always a cause for concern?

About the causes of lameness in dogs

There may be a lot of them. Veterinarians name the most common causes of the problem:

Injuries. An unsuccessful jump can cause sprained ligaments and broken bones. In the best case, that is, with a slight sprain, lameness can go away on its own, without drug treatment, if the dog’s body is strong. Injuries to the pads of the toes, in particular cuts, broken claws, can also be the reason that the dog does not step completely on one hind paw. You need to inspect it carefully for small wounds and stuck pebbles. If the dog does not stop pulling its hind paw for more than three days, and no external injuries are found, then it is necessary to contact a specialist.
Dislocation of the kneecap. Owners note that the dog may suddenly begin to drag one hind limb behind it. At the same time, something like this happens abruptly and literally everything falls into place. In such a situation, most likely, we are talking about a dislocated kneecap. Veterinarians call it patella dislocation. It can occur in any breed, but most often it occurs in small breed dogs and is a manifestation of a genetic predisposition to the problem. When the kneecap dislocates, it moves out of its normal position. It turns out that it acts like a wedge, tightens the ligaments around the knee, and the paw simply does not bend. Then the kneecap itself takes the correct position - and the animal begins to move as usual.
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. It is typical for representatives of small breeds at a young age. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease is also called necrosis of the femoral head. Pathology is also inherited from parents. Its reason is that the normal blood supply to the femoral neck is stopped. It collapses, and behind it the joint. The pathology leads to severe lameness and requires long-term treatment and surgical intervention.
Arthritis. This is an inflammation of the joints that can be caused by birth defects or infection. The dog experiences difficulty getting up and refuses to walk due to pain. Delaying contact with the veterinarian may lead to the fact that it will simply not be possible to save the dog without surgery. Lameness will turn into immobility of all paws.
Interdigital cyst. This is the name of the swelling between the toes. She's sick. The cyst can become infected. It may contain small foreign bodies. Visually, upon examination, it is clear that the area between the fingers on the upper side of the limb is swollen and swollen. In this case, treatment will most likely be based on the use of antibiotics.

What should the owner do?

First of all, carefully examine the dog’s sore limb. If the reason is its cut, it is necessary to treat it with an antiseptic. You can wash your paw with furatsilin using a syringe without a needle. A chlorhexidine solution is also suitable for this procedure. The paw must be bandaged so that the infection does not cause the problem to worsen. Typically, cuts on the toe pads of healthy dogs heal quickly.

If you discover that an animal’s claw is broken, it must be completely removed at a veterinary clinic. The bleeding is stopped with special medications, and a tight bandage is applied. The dog will gradually return to normal and stop limping. The new claw will grow in a few months.

When, during the examination, you do not find any external injuries, you need to call a veterinarian at home, because transporting the animal to the veterinary clinic will involve pain and discomfort for the dog.

After examination and palpation, and, if necessary, after an x-ray, the doctor will announce the diagnosis. If this is a fracture, then your pet will have to endure strict fixation of the limb for a long time. When the doctor detects arthritis or other inflammatory diseases of the skeletal system in the dog, the treatment will be lengthy.

So, the cause of the animal’s lameness and the owner’s further actions will be determined by an experienced veterinarian. To prevent such pathologies from arising, it is necessary to regularly examine the dog’s limbs and monitor the health of the fingertips.

Lameness refers to an impairment in the gait of one or more legs. The animal's gait changes dramatically, and asymmetry appears in its movements. Only a veterinarian can give the correct answer to the question of why a dog is limping without visible damage. In some cases, we are talking about diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The dog is limping on its front leg

Lameness is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Veterinarians distinguish the following types of striding disorders:

Intermittent.
Hanging limb.
Supporting limb.

Lameness is not a separate disease, but a symptom.

In the first case, we are talking about an unsystematic change in the animal’s gait. It appears spontaneously and goes away on its own.

Dogs of decorative breeds are more often susceptible to lameness on the front legs.

This symptom is usually observed in dwarf decorative dogs.

How symptoms manifest

Sometimes this sign signals that The dog had a dislocated kneecap . The pet usually does not experience significant pain. If left untreated, serious physiological changes are observed in the affected joint.
In the second case pain occurs when the animal moves its paw . The main provoking factor is considered to be muscle injury. This symptom usually indicates inflammatory or degenerative joint diseases.
In the third case, painful sensations appear when when the pet leans on a limb . This condition may be caused by injury to the nail, ligaments, or tendons.

Painful sensations may occur due to injury to the nail.

Causes of temporary lameness

Temporary lameness is possible due to dislocation.

If a step disorder appears suddenly, it may indicate deep damage to a limb joint or bone. Most often this occurs due to a dislocation or fracture.

Causes of permanent lameness

Constant lameness occurs with arthrosis.

Sometimes constant lameness indicates diseases of the internal organs.

Hereditary pathologies

Diseases that cause lameness can be inherited.

The main hereditary pathologies that cause lameness in dogs include Patella and. Treatment in these cases may not always help.

What are the signs without visible damage?

If the animal is limping on the forelimb, then at the moment the body weight is transferred to it, an upward movement of the head and neck is observed. And also the following signs accompany a violation of the step:

decrease in muscle volume;
change in gait;
changing posture in a sitting and lying position;
the presence of specific cracking in the joints;
change in the shape or size of bones.

Invisible lesions in the paw change the dog's gait.

Dislocations and pathologies

With arthrosis, a dog will experience lameness after sleep.

Swelling may occur when dislocated . A fracture is characterized by a sharp change in the shape of the paw. The pain is so severe that the dog refuses to walk.
With arthrosis, gait disturbance is observed after sleep . When the animal walks, the lameness disappears.
Pathologies of the spine are characterized by the appearance of a staggering, unstable gait . The paws twitch and the dog gets tired quickly.
About the course of osteosarcoma indicates the presence of a small compaction the size of a pea or bean.
For Perthes disease The appearance of “attacks of lameness” is characteristic. The pelvis dries out, and signs of necrosis of the femoral head appear.

Establishing diagnosis

The movements of a healthy dog, which is not bothered by anything, are free, springy, and smooth. You can evaluate them at various gaits:

step;
lynx;
gallop.

You can walk your pet through wet sand or wet ground. Then you need to measure the length of the step using the paw prints.

If a limb hurts, then it moves outward and turns inward. At the same time, the step is shortened.

Sometimes the irregularity in stride may be barely noticeable. If you see him in time and contact a veterinarian, you can avoid the development of serious complications.

The clinic carries out secondary diagnostics. The doctor examines the animal and, if necessary, sends it for an x-ray. An R-image is required. Projection - lateral and straight. Computed tomography is used as an additional diagnostic method.

At the veterinary clinic, the dog will be examined and, if necessary, sent for x-rays.

Help and treatment for lameness

Treatment tactics depend on the underlying cause.

A bandage may be prescribed to treat lameness.

Help with dislocations and fractures

You can't try to fix it yourself. Incorrect actions can seriously harm your pet. The owner should apply a piece of ice to the sore area and apply a bandage.

Apply a piece of ice to the dog's sore spot.

If an animal breaks a paw, it must be securely fixed. The pet’s further ability to move depends on how quickly its owner acts.

Help with arthrosis

It is impossible to completely get rid of the symptoms of this pathology. Treatment involves supporting the dog's joint. You can also “introduce” an implant. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed as medications.

Arthrosis of the knee joint in a dog.

During drug therapy, ulceration of the intestinal and gastric walls may occur.

Therefore, instead of anti-inflammatory medications, the animal may be prescribed the use of chondroprotectors.

Treatment of osteosarcoma

Tumor growth can be stopped with the help of special medications.

If this is not possible, then the veterinary oncologist prescribes surgery. The prognosis depends on the stage of the disease. Cases of recovery are not uncommon.

Osteosarcoma is treated with surgery.

Treatment of Perthes disease

Conservative treatment only temporarily relieves symptoms. Medicines do not eliminate the cause. Therefore, the only correct decision made by a veterinarian is surgical intervention. During surgery, the doctor removes the damaged portion of the femur.

During surgery, the damaged area of bone is removed.

A dog with this disease should be excluded from breeding.

Treatment of Patella

The sick dog is prescribed strengthening therapy. The use of chondroprotectors is controlled by a veterinarian.

Strengthening therapy is supervised by a veterinarian.

You cannot increase or decrease the dosage on your own. If these medications do not help, it is recommended to stop treatment. No deterioration of the condition is observed.

Usually, most owners manage to provide a dog with this diagnosis with a decent life.

conclusions

The animal's physical activity decreases during treatment. If the dog was trained on a special area, then training needs to stop . But the pet is also prescribed a diet that reduces the amount of fat.

During the treatment period, physical activity for the dog should be reduced.

If the cause of the step disorder was oncology, then motor activity decreases forever. The animal must be registered with a veterinarian and undergo regular tests. A dog with osteosarcoma is prescribed a special diet. It must be adhered to completely, since the life of the pet depends on it.

Video about broken paws in dogs

In this article I will talk about why a dog can limp on its front leg, even if there are no visible injuries. I will explain how to determine the cause of lameness and what to do to cure the dog.

Lameness is a disease of the limbs that makes walking difficult and causes changes in gait.

Why is the dog limping, but there are no visible injuries to the paw?

Changes in gait, expressed by asymmetry of movement, occur with dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system. This manifestation is a symptom of many canine diseases.

There are many reasons for such diseases:

injuries (bruises, sprains, dislocations, displacements, fractures, etc.) of joints, ligaments and bones;
diseases of the nervous system;
changes in the functioning of the spinal cord or brain;
various neoplasms in bone, muscle or brain tissue;
dysplasia;
degeneration of cartilage tissue;
inflammatory processes;
untreated infectious diseases;
malnutrition;
excessive physical activity;
arthritis, osteochondrosis, osteoporosis, etc.

When the dog cannot partially or fully load the leg, cannot step on the paw and transfer support to it due to pain in the limb, back or neck.

It is also possible to change the gait due to neurological problems (dystrophy), when the dog does not feel pain, but the limb is weakened and cannot withstand the load of its own body. Or, conversely, a muscle spasm occurs, and the dog cannot relax its paw for normal walking.

A dog's front leg may most often limp due to dislocations and sprains.

On the hind paw for pinched nerves in the spine, joint damage due to excessive physical activity.

How to correctly determine the cause of lameness

Lameness may appear suddenly or worsen over time, or it may appear periodically.

A sudden change in gait is usually caused by an injury to the back or limbs. External disturbances in the shape of the body may not be observed, but they are noticeable from the dog’s movements.

For example, a dog was running and frolicking and suddenly began to whine, howl, limp, or stopped moving altogether. Most likely, the cause was injury to some part of the body.

It is unlikely to independently determine the exact cause of the pain. The dog needs to be shown to a veterinarian. At the veterinary clinic, your pet will be carefully examined, x-rayed, and treatment for the injury will be prescribed.

In case of periodic lameness, for example after sleep or long nailing in one position, specialists' suspicions fall primarily on arthritis or arthrosis.

If chromate is periodic and worsens over time, to determine the cause, the dog will have to undergo a comprehensive examination in a veterinary clinic.

The reason for this is internal degenerative changes in bone and cartilage tissues, pinched nerves and neoplasms. Without a veterinary examination, it will be impossible to identify the true cause.

Lameness is always associated with severe changes in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.

It causes your pet a lot of problems, discomfort and pain. In the absence of timely treatment, the dog in most cases remains disabled.

Treatment

Treatment for lameness is prescribed by a veterinarian after a comprehensive examination of the dog, which consists of:

thorough visual inspection dog (the amplitude of movement of the affected limb, gait, pain is assessed);
tactile examination by palpation(the integrity of muscle and bone tissue, the presence of tumors, and extraneous sounds during movement are assessed);
taking anamnesis according to the dog's owner;
X-ray, CG, in rare cases, arthroscopy;
laboratory tests.

Based on the data obtained, the veterinarian will prescribe a comprehensive treatment for the dog:

Symptomatic(pain relief, possibly physiotherapy to remove clamps or toning for tissue degeneration).
Treatment of the true disease, which caused lameness:
- ensuring limb immobility in case of injury;
- decreased physical activity;
- treatment of joints (chondroprotectors) for degenerative changes in the joints;
- establishing nutrition in case of deficiency of necessary elements;
- anti-inflammatory therapy (non-steroidal or steroidal drugs);
- Surgical intervention for tumors is possible.

You cannot independently diagnose and treat lameness in a dog.

The use of medications does not go unnoticed by the dog’s body. Some drugs cause side effects; incorrect dosage leads to complications and deterioration of well-being. You should only trust the health of your four-legged friend to professionals.

In the article I talked about why a dog can limp. She explained how to determine the cause of lameness and cure the dog.

In order to identify the cause, you should carefully examine the pet and observe its behavior. What will it give? You will receive valuable information about the presence or absence of external damage, and will be able to determine the location of pain.

So, a dog can limp for several reasons:

Damage to fingers and feet (one of the most common causes).
Splinter in the balls of the feet or between the toes.
Reptile or insect bites (usually wasps, tarantulas, snakes)
Ticks (in spring, pets often suffer from their bites)
Muscle strain or joint dislocation.
Bone fracture.
Ligamentous dysplasia (occurs in large breed dogs).
Secondary osteoarthritis.
Chondroid metaplasia of intervertebral discs.
Syringomyelia.

Other Causes of Lameness in Dogs

Besides cuts, damaged nails, and pebbles getting stuck between toes, there is a whole list of other causes of canine lameness. If the animal was hit by a car, played too intensely or ran a lot, it may begin to limp, but most likely it will not be possible to immediately determine the reason. In this case, she may have the following injuries.

Dogs, like people, can suffer muscle or ligament strains. This occurs with sudden movements during games and other vigorous activities. Most sprains go away within 48 hours. If after this time the dog is still limping, it should be taken to a veterinarian. He will identify the real cause of lameness and prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain. Early treatment promotes faster recovery from injury.

2. Fractures

Fractures are usually visible immediately. The leg does not support the weight of the dog. It is clear that the animal is in severe pain. The leg is deformed, and sometimes the bones protrude outward. In some cases, severe bleeding is possible, which is important to stop as quickly as possible. In this case, the dog must be urgently taken to the clinic, where it will undergo surgical treatment.

Boxer dog

3. Lameness associated with growth process

Large young dogs often experience leg problems as they grow. This happens to them, most often, at the age of 2 months. up to 2 years. Too much growth in the dog's body creates a lot of stress on the still fragile bones. The cause of lameness may be too high-calorie food, incorrect proportions of protein, calcium and phosphorus in it.

Although young dogs may experience lameness as they grow, older dogs may have other causes. Both the front and rear legs can be affected.

1. Lameness of the front legs

Elbow dysplasia

In this case, the dog will limp and experience pain when the elbow joint area is stretched. Sometimes the pain can be so severe that the animal loses the ability to use the limb.

2. Lameness of the hind legs

Cane Corso dog

- Hip dysplasia

The hip joint consists of a head and a socket. With dysplasia, due to structural defects, the head does not fit properly into the socket, which causes corresponding sensations. In dogs, hip dysplasia is a genetic disorder. All dogs must be tested for this defect before breeding. Large dogs with dysplasia have difficulty walking and lying down.

– Anterior cruciate ligament rupture

Sometimes the dog makes turns on its hind legs. This can cause rupture of the cruciate ligaments. It can also happen if a dog moves on any surface or is hit by a car. The most common causes of cruciate ligament rupture are Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers, and St. Bernards. The affected dog will typically be lame, and the affected joint may be swollen.

– Habitual luxation of the patella

If your dog is experiencing pain in the kneecap area, it may be due to a subluxation of the kneecap. This condition is common in small breed dogs such as Yorkies, toy poodles, and dachshunds. The problem often manifests itself when the dog is running.

Labrador dog

Large breed dogs are often susceptible to bone cancer, which can cause them to develop severe lameness and unexplained fractures from even minor injuries. Bone cancer is a very serious disease that can result in an animal having a limb amputated to relieve pain.

dog German Shepherd

– Arthritis

As dogs age, continued friction causes their joints to become inflamed and arthritis occurs. Arthritis most often affects middle-aged or older dogs. Animals have difficulty jumping out of a car or climbing stairs. They experience more severe pain in the morning, so they walk more slowly at this time of day. Anti-inflammatory drugs are very helpful in treating the disease. You can also use home remedies to treat arthritis.

– Lyme disease

This disease occurs after a tick bite. A few months after a tick bite, the dog begins to limp for no apparent reason. True, in the initial stage of the disease, lameness may be barely noticeable. When the process reaches its peak, the dog will no longer be able to walk. Lyme disease lameness may be accompanied by fever and lethargy. The disease responds well to treatment with antibiotics such as doxycycline or cephalexin.

So, as you can see, there can be a great many reasons for lameness in dogs. Despite the information contained in this article, you do not need to diagnose your dog yourself. The only way to find out the cause of her lameness is to take your dog to the vet for x-rays and other tests.

Pitbull dog

There are several causes of the disease. First of all, arthrosis appears with age. Injuries and microtraumas, which can be repeated several times, cause the onset of the disease. Large dogs and animals are especially vulnerable. In horses and dogs participating in sports competitions, the hock and carpal joints are damaged. Necrosis or infarction of the joint also occurs, the cause of which is overload and injury.

Heredity plays a major role in the spread of the disease in abnormal joint development. For example, dysplasia (anomaly of the hip joints) can be passed on to offspring, and arthrosis does not wait. In order to prevent genetically transmitted arthrosis from manifesting itself as phenotypes, you need to monitor the health of the animal: feed it properly, strengthen the immune system, and provide comfortable housing.

Shar Pei dog

The next reason is arthritis. With this disease, the composition of the interarticular fluid changes, which leads to dysfunction of hyaline cartilage; blood circulation in the joints and the structure of the synovial membrane are also disrupted. Metabolism in the body is of great importance. If metabolic processes are disrupted, crystals of calcium pyrophosphate and uric acid can accumulate in the joints.

German boxer

Damage to feet and fingers. The most common causes of lameness are injuries to the foot and toes while walking. In this case, you can conduct the inspection yourself. Wounds, cuts, and abrasions to the paw pads, toes, and tissue between the toes can cause lameness. Such injuries are usually visible to the naked eye. If, after examining your feet and toes, you find something similar, simply treat the injured areas with hydrogen peroxide.
Splinter. A dog may also get a splinter on its paw. Having got deep under the skin and into soft tissues, the splinter causes severe pain in the animal and, as a result, lameness. Remove the splinter with tweezers. You will also need a cotton swab moistened with an alcohol solution, which is used to pre-lubricate the skin. If the splinter is very deep and cannot be caught with tweezers, you should consult a veterinarian.
Insect bites. Short-term lameness can be caused by the bites of a bee, snake, tarantula, in short, any poisonous insect or reptile. Painful inflammation and swelling occurs at the site of the bite. It is recommended to treat the bite area with a soda solution (a mixture of water and soda in a ratio of 10 to 1). When stung by a bee, garlic juice is also effective, which can be squeezed out with a regular garlic press and applied to the stung area. After this, try offering your dog sweet tea. If you are bitten by a snake, tarantula, or have a severe allergic reaction to bee venom, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Ticks. In the spring-summer season, your pet may be attacked by a tick. If it sticks to the foot, it will not only cause discomfort, but can also become a source of dangerous diseases, such as encephalitis. How to easily detect a sucking tick?
Dislocation or sprain. Lameness can also be associated with a dislocation, sprain, or bruise of a joint. The symptoms of such injuries are approximately the same - the dog stops stepping on the paw, the dislocated joint may be deformed, there is pain when palpated, and the dog whines due to pain. It is better not to correct a dislocation on your own, as this can cause even more serious injury to your pet. If you suspect your dog has a sprain, try gently securing the joint with a tight cloth or bandage. You can apply ice on top, as you would with a bruise, to reduce the pain. After this, you should definitely consult a doctor, since a sprain or dislocation will not go away on its own, and over time will lead to an even more pronounced lameness.
Fracture. In this situation, most likely, the dog will not be able to step on the injured limb at all. Any touch to it will cause severe pain. If there is a fracture, you will not be able to help your pet on your own. If you leave everything as it is and neglect medical help, you can end up with the bone healing incorrectly and the dog limping and experiencing discomfort for the rest of its life.

It is more difficult to determine the reasons why a dog is limping on its front leg if there are no visible injuries.

In large breed dogs, lameness on one of the front legs (especially its sudden appearance for no apparent reason) is an alarming symptom. We may be talking about dysplasia of the ligamentous apparatus of the elbow and shoulder joints. This may also be a symptom of shortening of the tibia or wrist bone.

Lameness in any forelimb in adult representatives of medium and large breeds is most often caused by secondary osteoarthritis - damage to the cartilage tissue of the joint surfaces, as a result of dysplasia.

In adult small breed dogs, lameness may be a sign of chondroid metaplasia of the intervertebral discs. In this case, it is caused by radicular syndrome due to hernia of the spine, more precisely, its cervical spine. Also, the cause is often syringomyelia, a disease of the nervous system associated with the formation of extra cavities directly in the spinal cord.

Initial symptoms of a limping dog

These are the initial symptoms of arthrosis, and it is better to treat the disease at its beginning. The next stage leads to deformation of bones and joints. The limbs of the bones in the joint area begin to enlarge, the articular platforms become larger, and osteophytes appear. These are bone fragments in the joint cavity that appear during the disease.

Animals feel pain when moving, limp and try not to use the affected limb. As a result, joint atrophy occurs (they cease to normally secrete synovial fluid), inflammation of the synovial membrane and destruction of hyaline cartilage. When the distance between the joints becomes less than 70%, the cartilage almost completely disappears and the joints are in close contact with each other.

Chihuahua dog

Treatment of lameness due to arthrosis

If any of the three above injuries occur, it is necessary to clean the skin over the injury site, treat it with a disinfecting solution: brilliant green, iodine, chlorophyllipt, furatsilin, and apply a pressure bandage. After this, apply a thick layer of chlorethyl directly onto the bandage using an aerosol, which will settle in the form of frost.

If it is not a sprain, but a tear in the tendon, then it is necessary to increase the number of such typical “layers” by two to three times. If the tendon is completely ruptured, the bandaging procedure is carried out four to five times in the first day. The next day, this bandage must be removed. If you don’t have chlorethyl in your home medicine cabinet, you can use ice water, even from the tap. Our goal is to slow down the development of inflammation and scar formation.

Toy terrier dog

On the second day, when the swelling has subsided and the bleeding has stopped, the damaged tendon is sutured end-to-end, trying as much as possible to maintain its original length to avoid contractures. Fibrin clots and blood sludge are removed, an antiseptic is poured into the wound, then it is sutured tightly in layers and a plaster splint is applied.

dog French bulldog

To treat arthrosis, you need to provide the sick animal with rest and reduce stress. Some dogs have a habit of standing on their elbow instead of their paw. For this reason, the load of body weight on the joints increases, and bursitis develops on the tubercle. This may be chronic. To prevent arthrosis from progressing, you need to provide a soft bedding for the sick dog or cat.

Drug treatment is carried out using drugs that retain moisture in the joints well. Such substances include glucosamine and sodium hyaluronate. Glucosamine is an aminosaccharide that is part of cartilage tissue; it activates the formation of chondrocytes and proteoglycans. Hyaluronic acid maintains the necessary balance of water in tissues. Some steroid medications are injected directly into the joint and Wolmar Winsome is taken.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ketoprfen, are taken orally by animals in severe cases of arthrosis. For treatment, gel and ointment are also used, the effectiveness of which is low; they can be absorbed through the skin in small quantities. Physiotherapeutic procedures are especially useful, as well as dietary nutrition, which helps maintain the animal’s optimal weight.

A thorough examination, observation of the animal’s behavior and careful palpation (feeling) of the paw will allow you to determine how to proceed. In most cases, the animal owner can cope on his own.

Minor damage to the paw

Small cuts, wounds or scrapes often appear during walks in nature. If you find such skin damage, it is enough to treat it with hydrogen peroxide. This will neutralize bacteria that have entered the wound and speed up healing.

Splinter

If a splinter gets deep into the soft tissue, it may well cause pain and lameness in the animal. In some cases, the splinter can cause slight inflammation, and you will see redness in the area where the skin was punctured. The splinter is removed using tweezers, having previously treated the affected area with alcohol. If the splinter is located deep and you cannot remove it on your own, it makes sense to go to the veterinary clinic.

A bite of an insect

If you are sure that the cause of your dog’s poor health is an insect bite, you can treat the area with a mixture of water and soda (10:1). The following symptoms will allow you to verify this: slight swelling of the paw and inflammation. If your dog is bitten by a snake or tarantula, prompt contact with a specialist is imperative.

Sprained joint or sprained ligament

Does your dog whine, won’t step on your paw, and react painfully to touch? It is possible that your pet has a sprain or dislocation, especially if you notice deformation in the joint area and swelling of the tissues. This often happens during long runs or jumps. To alleviate the condition, the injured limb can be secured with a tight bandage and ice applied. It is highly advisable to seek professional help.

Fracture

If the paw is broken, the dog does not step on the paw at all and does not allow him to touch it. The best thing you can do is take him to a clinic for treatment.