Dog Limping

Question
My bosses dog has been on a chain for a couple of weeks, he is recovering from Parvo and they are keeping him separated from their other dogs. When I got to work this morning he said the dog has been limping since saturday. I think he may have twisted his front leg because it may have gotten tangle up in the chain. There is no swelling but he is limping and he holds up his paw when sitting. Do you have any advice, they cant really afford another vet bill after the parvo treatment and asked me what to do.

Answer
Hi Michele,

It's a hopeful sign that there doesn't appear to be any swelling of the dog's leg. The sheer number of possible ligaments, tendons, bones and other soft tissue that may be damaged mean that there are endless answers to the question you've asked. It's okay to wait and see how the dog feels in a day or two, but after that your boss needs to bite the bullet, and get his dog the care it needs, namely a vet exam. Given the fact the dog has been limping for the past two days, I'd say it needs to be examined now.

Since the dog is in pain, his activities need to be restricted, and he should be kept as still as possible. The best place for him would be inside, in a crate, if he's crate trained, or contained in part of a room with the help of a child gate or two.

You didn't say if your boss's dog is being kept inside, or outside. A dog recuperating from parvo should not be left outside in the elements!

Also, if the outside area where this dog is being kept (assuming it's being kept outside)has been potentially contaminated with parvovirus it would probably be best not to expose other dogs or puppies to the area for at least six months and nine months would be better. Areas of the yard that are exposed to sunlight will require less time for the virus to die than areas of the yard that are shaded, moist or sandy. At the present time there is not a disinfectant product marketed for use in yards that has been proven to be effective against parvovirus.

Best of luck,

Patti