Dog Limping - Nails

It could be his knee or even hip. A vet is the best way to go $$$ sorry! It'll be worth it though.

Our lab regularly plays outside on the concrete pad but walking her does not wear down her nails because we don't have sidewalks. We take our dogs to a local pet supply place about every 6 weeks and get their nails trimmed. It's only $8 each and both our dogs hate to have their feet touched so they get mad at the tech, not me. I would say that you should inspect your dogs pad carefully if she will let you. In the winter, especially if they have been walking on ice, their pads can crack and be very painful just like if your hands were to get very dry. Also she could have stepped on something that cut her or gotten something between her toes. In our area we have horrible goatheads and our dogs have to wear booties to protect their feet when they go on walks.

Please take your four-footed baby to the vet and have her checked out. There's definitely something wrong, even if you can't see it. Dogs do need to have their nails trimmed. Pets usually don't do enough walking to keep the nails trimmed back enough. Dog nails aren't like people nails - the quick grows with the nails and it's easy to cut the quick if the nail is very long. This is will hurt your dog and make a mess for you! So you might want to ask your vet to do it this time (and maybe take a lesson from him/her so you can know how to do it safely yourself).

Definitely trim the nails. Take her to a groomer if you don't want to do it yourself.

Too bad you are not in CO. I know a great animal chiropractor. I'd definitely start there before going to the expense of a vet. Often, it is a structural alignment issue that the chiropractor can handle. She has definitely extended the quality of life for my dogs - 15 and 16 1/2 lab mixes.

I can give you info on some natural technologies that can help her (magnetics, infrared, etc.) even if you have to go the surgery route. Also, I share my glucosamine with my dogs as well. You don't mention her age.

I also do energy work on people and animals called The Emotion Code. Got lots of amazing stories, but worked recently on a rescue dog that would be running and suddenly lift her back right leg in pain. Turns out there was lots of trapped emotional energy in that leg and once that was released, she has not had any problems with it (2 months). They only shared some other issues she had with men and other dogs, so it was very interesting when they told me about the leg. It sounds crazy, but distance does not matter for this kind of work.

Finally, get a book on animal acupressure and do some work on your dog. Anyone can learn to do acupressure and massage. I have "The Well-Connected Dog" book.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.
Take care,
S.

Hi Marci,

I own two German Shepherds ... you do need to trim their nails. If you don't want to do it yourself, PetSmart will do it reasonably priced.

L.

When we had our dog, he started limping too. I knew it was probably his nails so I took him to the vet. I found out while there that one of the nails had gotten so long that it had grown back into the pad. It had only been maybe 4 months since I had his nails trimmed. It wasn't too serious but once his nails were trimmed, he stopped limping. I would take your dog into the vet and get it checked out!

Hi Marci - I'm late responding but my sister has this cool gadget for filing down her big dog's nails. You can probably find it on the "as seen on tv" website. It's a rotating emery file and you put the dogs nail inside a little hole. The emery board files down the dog's nail to the proper length with no cutting. They come out shorter and rounded smooth.

Also, dogs paws are like our feet. If we step on something or step on it wrong, it can strain ligaments or cause a bruise. It's a good idea to check your dogs paws every couple of weeks anyway.

I would take her to the vet. Our dog had a nail disease that I can't pronounce, and even though we trimmed her nails they would break off and bleed everywhere.

Yes nails need trimmed even if they do go on walks. The petipaws is a great tool because it can not hurt them (unless you give them a friction burn) but alot of pets don't like the sound of it. Only 1 of my 4 dogs will allow me to use the petipaws. Still working on it with the other 3.
As for her yelping and limping did you check in the pads of her paws she may has something as small as a tiny pebble stuck in there causing problems. If you can't find anything and she is still limping and in pain you better call the vet.
Hope this helps :)

I see you're already planning to trim your dog's nails which is great. My dog HATES having it done, so it's not done as often as it should be. As the nails grow out, so do the quicks(the pink part on our nails). I've been told many time that regular trimming(4-6 weeks) helps eventually get them back to normal. Twice my dog has ripped off a long nail in the yard with lots of blood everywhere and pricy vet bills, so good to stay on top of it!

dog nails should be short enough that they do not touch the floor when the dog is standing. your vet will trim your dog nails for you for nothing or a tiny fee.

as for the limp, your vet can help you with that as well, same office visit.

A.

For the nails yes, go to the vet or a groomer and have them do it for the first time. You can watch and see how the dog reacts. If you think this is something that you can continue, get a good pair of clippers or the pedipaws and get to work. If not, be prepared to pay the cost of maintaining the dog.

The sidewalks don't keep the nails short enough, and there is still the dew claw. I have seen that nail so long that it curled around and dug into the dog's leg. We had to muzzle and restrain the dog to get to it. You can't believe the relief of the dog after that.

As far as the limp, I am a bit more skeptical than most. After two recent limping experiences, and vet visits only to find out nothing was wrong, we take the wait and see approach. Does the dog seem in pain or uncomfortable? Was the limp short lived and now gone? Make sure that you reall study the foot, and put your hands everywhere. Those goathead barbs can break off to small pieces. Then use your judgment and take her in if she needs it, don't make her suffer.

I am only guessing, but I have to think you are trying to avoid a veterinary visit and based on what you describe in your request, the concerns you have with your dog are not going to met to the satisfaction of providing relief for your pet with the responses here---your pet needs to be SEEN in order for that to happen.

As far as the nails, it is possible that the exercise is enough for the nails associated with the digits/toes that predominately carry the weight to be worn down. A veterinary technician can perform a nail trim and determine how far down the nail the quick/blood vessel has grown and if this is at all associated with the lameness.

As far as the lameness, there are many things that can affect a large breed dog that can be dependent on age and level of activity fo the dog---just by watching your dog limp, your doctor can sometimes tell whether the lameness is originating in the paw or the shoulder. In the instance of a sprain/strain, rest and relaxation with some anti-inflammatory medicine (like Rimadyl or Deramaxx---never Tylenol or Motrin or other human meds) is sometimes all that is needed and if things don't improve then maybe x-rays are indicated.

I hope your dog is feeling better soon. Best wishes.

I sed to walk my dog *a lot* and was forever trimming her nails. I used a Dremel with the sandpaper thingy. It massaged her feet and nicely sanded her nails down without cutting into the vein. We tried the clippers exactly once; I cut her nail too short and she was mad for days. I think the pedipaws is a dremel-lite, but if you have a dremel already, use it.

GL!