Lameness
If your dog has injured itself or suddenly sprains a paw, it's a shock at first. What should I do? Do I need to go to the vet immediately? It is particularly difficult if the discomfort just happens and you cannot attribute it to a specific event. In the best-case scenario, the cause is harmless and it is just a torn claw or a small foreign body that is hidden between the pads of the toes. Sometimes, however, the lameness is caused by acute trauma, i.e. an accident or injury. For example, if your dog has stepped into a hole in the ground during a walk or fallen while playing, then an injury to the ligaments or joints cannot be ruled out.
Injured? Strained? Sprained?
A quick trip to the veterinary practice is now advisable. Even osteoarthritis or a broken bone can cause your dog to suddenly limp or become lame. Fortunately, not every cause of lameness is serious, but it should still not be underestimated. Early treatment can help to prevent consequential damage and permanent movement restrictions.
DEFINITION
What is trauma?
Trauma is defined as any injury or damage to healthy tissue caused by an external force. If your dog has suffered a cut, bite or graze, this is referred to as open trauma, as the skin is damaged. In blunt trauma, on the other hand, the structures under the skin (e.g. muscles, tendons, joints or internal organs) are injured. Blunt trauma often occurs in the form of bruises, strains or sprains, e.g. after play or sports injuries or due to knocks or falls.
You can usually recognize trauma by the fact that your dog is suddenly lame or avoids certain movements. Other symptoms may also occur. The classic signs of inflammation often appear:
- Warmth
- Redness
- Pain
- Swelling
- Restriction of movement
Shortly after blunt trauma occurs, there is often nothing visible on the outside. Sometimes you can feel swelling on the affected leg. However, signs of inflammation may not appear until hours later. You should therefore keep a close eye on your pet.
Good to know
Pay close attention to your dog: unusual behavior such as aggression, withdrawal or increased restlessness can also be a sign of pain.
DIAGNOSIS
Examination and diagnosis
Lameness or limping is always a sign of pain and therefore an important message from your dog to take a closer look.
Even if the trauma seems harmless at first, it is advisable to have it examined by your vet. If the healing process does not go smoothly, even minor injuries can lead to chronic pain or result in a permanent restriction of mobility.
After you have described what you have noticed, your dog will be thoroughly examined. A so-called lameness examination will also be carried out. Here, the animal's gait, at a walk and trot, will be observed. Your four-legged friend will then be palpated and examined. Does your dog react to special manipulations such as pressure or certain movements with defensive reactions? Or are there other tangible or visible changes? In many cases, a diagnosis can then be made. Imaging procedures such as X-rays or ultrasound can also help to determine the extent and consequences of the injury.
Your vet may ask you these questions:
- What is your dog's general condition?
- How long have you noticed the lameness or the other symptoms?
- Did the symptoms appear suddenly or did they develop gradually?
- Was there an accident or something similar?
- Does your dog have any other illnesses?
Good to know
You should always have emergency numbers for the veterinary practice or veterinary clinic on hand, especially during a walk or on vacation. Also have a list with the most important information about your dog such as illnesses, medication that needs to be taken regularly or allergies.
TREATMENT
What can I do?
Is your dog suddenly limping after playing outside in the garden? Have you noticed after a walk that he is staying off a paw? How your dog's injury needs to be treated depends on the type and severity of the trauma. You can do a lot yourself for acute injuries.
But be careful: if your dog is in pain, it may react unpredictably. Even very peaceful animals can bite or show aggressive behavior when in shock. It is therefore always important to calm the animal before and during first aid, approach it slowly and in a controlled manner and avoid hasty movements. Keep your dog on a leash so that it does not run away in panic and only touch the injured area if you are sure that your dog will allow you to do so.
First of all, you should stop any activity when you are out and about with your dog. It is important that your dog does not put any more weight on the injured leg. Dogs often "forget" their pain. However, walking on the affected leg could lead to further injuries or aggravate the existing injuries.
You should stop heavy bleeding immediately with a pressure bandage and go to the nearest veterinary practice/clinic. You can clean superficial and smaller wounds first if necessary by removing coarse dirt and rinsing the wound. Sterile saline solution or lukewarm tap water is suitable for this. Allow the wound to dry and spray it with a skin disinfectant spray, if available. To avoid infection, ensure that your pet does not lick the injured skin.
If there is no open wound, you can cool the injured area with a wet cloth or cooling pad. Caution: Always wrap the cooling pad in a kitchen towel beforehand so that the skin is not overcooled or damaged.
If your dog allows it, carefully examine the affected leg for any features that are different from the other limbs. Gently move the leg to see if there is any swelling or redness, or if the dog is bleeding. Also check the paw (between the toes, pads and claws) carefully for signs of wounds, swelling or foreign material (small stones, burrs or even broken glass).
In the event of bleeding wounds, severe swelling, sudden severe lameness or complete immobility of your dog, you should visit the vet quickly and without fail. Basically, if you feel unsure, it's better to go one time too many than one time too few!
To support the healing process of trauma, the affected area should be rested and not overstressed. Your dog should therefore be kept on a leash for the time being. Strenuous activities such as cycling or running around on the dog run should be avoided at all costs.
Regardless of the injury your four-legged friend is suffering from: Every injury triggers a complex, but also healing-promoting inflammatory process in the body. Inflammation is a good sign: it means that your dog's immune system is active and ensures that damaged tissue is repaired.
However, this can sometimes lead to an excessive inflammatory reaction, which delays the healing of the injury. The consequences: persistent pain, swelling and restricted movement. The body then needs support to steer the inflammation back on the right track.
Many different switch points and receptors in the body are involved in "processing" the injury, and therefore the inflammation. The natural veterinary medicines from Heel Vet have therefore been developed as combination preparations that are specially formulated for the respective clinical picture. Consisting of several individual substances (multicomponent), they act simultaneously on numerous parts of the body (multitarget) in order to remove the causes of the disease, e.g. trauma.
Talk to your vet about the possibilities of treatment with Heel Vet's veterinary medicines during your visit.
For mild to moderate blunt trauma such as bruises or strains, temporary immobilization of the affected leg is usually sufficient. In this case, of course, this means that you have to keep your dog still for a while.
Signs of inflammation such as pain and swelling can be treated with appropriate medication. Dislocated joints can be reset by the vet under anesthetic and then immobilized to protect them. If your pet has suffered serious trauma such as a broken bone or torn ligaments, surgical measures are usually necessary.
