sore leg

Question
what can you do for a dog limping with a sore leg, he went for a short walk last night and was limping shortly after
What can I do for him if anything?????

Answer
Hi Debra,

Needless to say, a limp can be caused from any number of ailments ranging from a sprain, or pulled muscle, to a broken bone or arthritis. If you haven't already done so, it would be helpful to check between your dog's foot pads to see if something is lodged there, or if there has been any injury to the pads.

You should give your dog a chance to rest up and heal. Most dogs tolerate aspirin well, and it's good for relieving pain and inflammation, so that's something to try.

Give your dog buffered aspirin or chewable baby aspirin, and not "safety coated" enteric aspirin or Tylenol or Ibuprofen. How much to give depends on how much your dog weighs. The following web site has a chart with the proper aspirin dose depending on what the dog weighs:

http://www.school-for-champions.com/animalhealth/aspirin.htm

If your dog is still limping after 48 hours, he should be examined by your veterinarian.

Best of luck,

Patti