Our pets are our family members, so it’s normal to get worried when they’re in pain. Like us, dogs and cats limp for many reasons. However, unlike us, they can’t tell you where it hurts or what happened. This scenario commonly leaves their parents struggling to find out why their pet is suddenly limping.
Your veterinarian is the most valuable source of information for determining what’s wrong with your pet. But, if you’re like most of us, you want to know the common causes in the interim. So, we’ve compiled the following information discussing the most common reasons dogs and cats limp.
Acute traumatic injury and consequent soft tissue , joint or bone damage
An acute injury is any type of trauma that happens suddenly. This can range from small cuts on the paw pad, to something more serious, like being hit by a vehicle. In most cases, sudden injuries cause pets to limp due to the pain or inability to move the affected area(s). Acute trauma can cause soft tissue injuries like inflammation, partial or even complete rupture of the muscle, nerves, tendons, ligaments, or bone fracture or joint luxation.
If you’re lucky enough to know what happened to your pet, you can judge whether a vet needs to be seen or not. However, when you’re unsure, or limping takes more than a few hours it’s always best to take your pet to the vet to be treated.
If you have an older dog or cat, which is limping or slowing down they may be suffering from arthritis. This inflammatory disease affects the joints and causes a pet to feel stiffness when moving. Though some owners erroneously believe that their pet is losing mobility due to old age, and lack of energy it’s typically arthritis and pain causing the issues.
If your pet suffers from this condition, it’s essential to see your veterinarian to see what pain managment options they have available which meets your pets needs, this can be including anti-inflammatory pain medications, joint supplements, injections, laser therapy and physical therapy. Sometimes even a cost effective plan makes a big difference.
If your dog is bit by a snake or insect, the injury will most likely be to the legs or paws. A sting or bite on these areas will cause your dog to limp for some time. Though most insect bites and stings are not fatal, some dogs are prone to allergic reactions, which can put their lives in serious danger. On the other hand, venomous snake bites can take lives in the matter of a few hours. Hence, it’s always important to call your veterinarian if your dog has been bitten and you’re not sure by what.
Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Fibrosarcoma and Multiple myeloma are only a few examples of many cancerous issues which can affect musculoskeletal system and cause pain and lameness. If not found and treated properly some can quickly spread to other organs and significantly decrease the life expectancy.
Some times limping can be caused by neurological disorders, anywhere from an inflamed or pulled nerve to spine, or brain injury or even some infectious diseases like meningitis which other than being painful can be life-threatening, if not treated promptly and properly.
This is a serious, chronic health condition that commonly affects dogs. It’s carried by ticks and is transmitted to pets through bites when the skin is broken. It’s imperative to always check your pets thoroughly and remove ticks immediately, especially after time spent in tall grass and woods.
As the matter of fact, some tick born diseases like Lyme disease has a wide array of symptoms, but some dogs are asymptomatic for a long time. Difficulty walking and stiff joints can be associated with this condition, so it’s important to have your dog tested if it’s limping and you live in a location where these types of diseases are common. To prevent ticks, be sure to keep your pet on flea and tick preventatives.
Immune-mediated polyarthritis or IMPA is a disorder of the immune system leading to inflammation in one or eventually multiple joints. This condition in dogs is similar to the rheumatoid arthritis in people. Immune-mediated polyarthritis is different to osteoarthritis which happens much more commonly after injuries or due to old age.
Though most causes of limping in pets aren’t immediately life-threatening, allowing your dog to limp over an extended period of time can lead to other complications for your pet later in life.
Contact your veterinarian if your pet limping lasts for more than a few hours or at most one day. By working together, we’ll identify why your pet is limping and devise a plan to manage the underlying issue.
Remember your pets can’t talk for themselves.
