New dog has a limp?

niavd

We adopted a lurcher cross last Saturday from a shelter and about 2 days ago we noticed she has a slight limp in her front legs. She is only 7months old but we don't know anything about her breeding or her full background.
After her walk the past 2 evenings she went straight for a snooze and when getting up from her bed then she is quite stiff in her front legs and has a limp that lasts a few minutes til it disappears.
She is very active and has no problem jumping around, getting up and down off the couches etc.
I am going to bring her to the vets tomorrow morning but im getting really worried.
Could anybody shed some light and tell me it wont be anything serious :-(

bpmurray

Sounds like typical arthritic old age, but that doesn't fit the 7 months description. My lab is 10 years old & he's just started doing this the past year or so. Are you sure she's really limping and /or is stiff? It could be just worrying on your part. Bringing her to the vet is something you should do n any case, just to be sure she's OK.

tk123

She may have just over done it and needs to rest up so don't panic too much! My dog strolled out of the vets a few hours after a piece of bone was cut out of his leg and the two ends held in place with a plate and pins - they're very good at hiding their pain.

niavd

Yeh its a definite limp/stiffness. I was hoping to just put it down to growing pains or something or the fact she has gotten a bit more exercise than she has been used to but after watching so many episodes of Supervet now im freaking out its something serious like elbow dysplasia - seems a bit over reactive but cant help but worry :-/

VonVix

Growing pains certainly are a thing, especially if she is jumping down off a small height. Keep in mind with Lurchers, while they are typically a healthy 'breed', they are fragile physically.

niavd

VonVix wrote: »

Growing pains certainly are a thing, especially if she is jumping down off a small height. Keep in mind with Lurchers, while they are typically a healthy 'breed', they are fragile physically.

I did read up that they are a typically healthy breed and its rare for them to suffer from dysplasia and stuff but because she is such a broad mix im just a bit concerned. Fingers crossed it is just growing pains of some sort or that she just needs to take it a bit easier on her walks.

volchitsa

She's absolutely beautiful! Do you have any idea what mix she is, even roughly?

(I know you don't actually know, but I mean just from seeing her, her size and so on, is there any agreement about what may be in her?

DBB

Op, get a video of the stiffness you're describing so you can show it to your vet, as she won't be limping by the time you get her to your vet
She's gorgeous! She looks very much to me like a bull x collie x sighthound, the archetypal modern mix so favoured by a certain element in society for lamping foxes. Fast but strong and with a hell of a chase instinct. The fact that she comes back to you so readily might be why she ended up being dumped op?!

niavd

volchitsa wrote: »

She's absolutely beautiful! Do you have any idea what mix she is, even roughly?

(I know you don't actually know, but I mean just from seeing her, her size and so on, is there any agreement about what may be in her?

Thanks, I know, she is a little stunner. When we went to see her they just said she was a lurcher cross. When I brought her to my vet to have her stitches out he said maybe a greyhound mix and a staffie.

I honestly have no idea and I would be fairly knowledgeable with my dog breeds. All I know is there is definitely sight hound in her. She is a lot smaller than a greyhound though. She weighs a little under 18kgs and her back is up to my knee but she is only 7-8 months so still a little more growing to go.

With regards to recording her limping that is a great idea and I will do that this evening after she has had a little lie down.

niavd

PS she was dumped along with her 3 brothers and a lady took them in until her local shelter could take them off her hands. So sad

Milly33

Wow I was like that's not a lurcher but I see tis a cross.. Very strange mix but so so pretty...

We have a lurcher and to be honest I would not worry too much with the limp... Lurchers and greyhounds when you take them for a stroll or run they tend to go hell for leather and then just sleep.... the limp could be rickets which being a rescue is not a huge surprise they can grow out of it just to keep an eye on it, or it could be that she is just giving so much welly when running she might hurt it, or they way she is lying on it when sleeping...

Our one gets very stiff and after a long run can get so tired.. I find massaging her works wonders, and they are so sweet when you do it.. I know there is a massage oil or rub you can get but I cannot think of the name, a lot of the time I use nothing or else maybe some coconut when I know ill be giving her a bath soon..

best of luck with her

niavd

Heres a more lurchery pic of her as I know its hard to see it in the above pic..


Thank you Milly, that's just what I needed to hear. I will bring her vets tomorrow for more peace of mind and will let you know what they say.

Milly33

Ah that's one alright so cute..best of luck with her

niavd

I took a video of her limping and brought her down to the vet this eve. She checked both her legs thoroughly and didnt find anything unusual/sore/hot or tender so said she isnt too worried.
Coincidentally there is a small slice on the pad of her foot that goes right through and she said this could be the cause of the limp.
She gave me antibiotics and painkillers/anti inflammatory tablets for her and said to limit her exercise for the next week and see how she is then. Really hoping this will do the trick.

Anyone else ever heard of a cut on the pad of a dogs foot causing a limp?

DBB

niavd wrote: »

Anyone else ever heard of a cut on the pad of a dogs foot causing a limp?

Absolutely
I'd say most owners experience this at some point, and will definitely make a dog lame. I stand open to correction but I *think* greyhounds tend to be a tad prone to paw splits.

niavd

DBB wrote: »

Absolutely
I'd say most owners experience this at some point, and will definitely make a dog lame. I stand open to correction but I *think* greyhounds tend to be a tad prone to paw splits.

Well if thats all it is then il be hugely relieved but im not sure im fully convinced. It doesnt really explain why she is sorest after she has been lying down for a while??
I think maybe she has just been over exerting herself a bit much so il limit her walks for the next week and try tire her out with learning tricks instead and can see if that helps after a week.

VonVix

Just an observation, and a weird one at that, but she has very Husky/Beagle-like feet.

Milly33

Ah glad to hear she is ok!! Sounds grand with the cut on her pad nothing unusual and would make them limp..Suppose just like you or me if we cut or had something sore on our foot... Their paws are indeed very open as such, to getting cuts on them...

maggiepip

niavd wrote: »

Well if thats all it is then il be hugely relieved but im not sure im fully convinced. It doesnt really explain why she is sorest after she has been lying down for a while??
I think maybe she has just been over exerting herself a bit much so il limit her walks for the next week and try tire her out with learning tricks instead and can see if that helps after a week.

When my dog split her paw pad, the limp was always worse when first getting up after sleeping. I think it's the fact that it dries up a bit while they rest, and sort of slightly re-splits again when they re put pressure on it. Also I think as they walk more on it they adjust to the discomfort a bit better.
I found putting a tiny bit of Sudocreme on it great. It can take a good while to heal.

niavd

She is already a little better today - a small bit. I have been putting savlon on it whenever shes lying down and she seems to leave it alone. Hopefully the limp will gradually disappear over the next couple of days.
Poor pet but im so relieved. Always fearing the worst haha

Gave her her first ever bath this morning so i gave it a good rinse then aswel.

Thank you so much for all the replies :-)

aonb

She is stunning

Niavd, I seem to remember a vet telling me not to use SAVLON on a dog (or horse, or hen!) but that SUDOCREM is fine. Cuts on paw pads are always the first thing I check for when a dog is limping in this house. Thorns in the pads are also something worth checking for. Sometimes (in the summer especially) there can be a bit of something stuck in the hair between the pads, if you are walking them on roads with softish tar. Get to know your dogs pads/paws - I check mine fairly regularly - nails/pads/hair between pads/condition of pads (splitting/cracks etc), dew claws etc. Lurchers/greys have long toes - sometimes they can have problems with toes, so be careful of letting her go too crazy on hard ground.

Wish you the very best with your lovely new dog

niavd

aonb wrote: »

She is stunning

Niavd, I seem to remember a vet telling me not to use SAVLON on a dog (or horse, or hen!) but that SUDOCREM is fine. Cuts on paw pads are always the first thing I check for when a dog is limping in this house. Thorns in the pads are also something worth checking for. Sometimes (in the summer especially) there can be a bit of something stuck in the hair between the pads, if you are walking them on roads with softish tar. Get to know your dogs pads/paws - I check mine fairly regularly - nails/pads/hair between pads/condition of pads (splitting/cracks etc), dew claws etc. Lurchers/greys have long toes - sometimes they can have problems with toes, so be careful of letting her go too crazy on hard ground.

Wish you the very best with your lovely new dog

Thanks a mil for that. I normally check my other dogs feet regularly, dont know why i didnt think of it with her, i guess the limp was so bad i just presumed it had to be something else.
She still has a slight limp but its definitely improved. The cut is still there and seems to be taking a long time to heel, probably because the skin down there is so thick.