dog injury

Question
I have a 2yr old pit-bull/akita male. He has been limping for approx. 2-3 weeks. In the beginning he was quite swollen across his withers. I massaged him, which he seemed to appreciate, and the swelling went down. His pain fluctuates, sometimes due to activity other times he just yelps for no apparent reason. I don't know if it is a pulled or torn muscle or if it is a dislocation, he plays pretty ruff with his little girlfriend and we do have horses, but i found no obvious evidence of a horse kick

Answer

Hi Candy,

Your dog has been limping around in this condition for far too long. He isn't yelping for "no apparent reason", the reason is he's in pain, as you would be if you had these symptoms!

There  is absolutely no way to look at your dog's injury and be able to tell if there is a fracture, or if this is soft tissue injury.  Your dog needs to be examined by a veterinarian, who will probably want to take x-rays. Since you've given this injury up to three weeks to improve, but it hasn't, I suggest having your dog examined by a vet immediately.

If you are having trouble afford veterinary care, first talk to your regular vet. Ask your veterinarian if he or she will let you work out a payment plan. Many veterinarians are willing to work out a weekly or monthly payment plan so that you do not have to pay the entire cost of veterinary care up front. Another option is to contact your local shelter or Humane Society. Some shelters operate or know of local subsidized veterinary clinics or veterinary assistance programs. If you happen to live within driving distance to veterinary school, check with them to see if they offer discount services to the public. There are two special credit cards to apply for which help with medical bills (including veterinary bills) read about them here:

http://www.carecredit.com
http://www.healthcard.citicards.com

Best of luck,
Patti