Rottweiler

Question
hi, my 7 month male rottweiler keeps limping and holding his foot in the air while he walks he has done this 2 times now since i got him nearly 2 months ago. it does not appear to be broken as i can freely move and bend his foot.
can you give me any information on what you think it may be thank you
Emma

Answer
Hi Emma,

If your dog continually favoring one foot, then you can bet something is bothering him. The problem might not be in the foot, but higher up on the leg or even his shoulder, if it's a front leg, or in his back, if it's a rear leg.

Some large breed puppies develop Panosteitis (or Pano as it is more commonly known).  This is a disease that commonly effects young dogs (usually between the ages of 6 and 18 months of age). The first signs of Pano are limping and favoring of a paw or leg. This lameness can last a day to a few weeks.
Pano is an inflammation of the bone itself and through x-rays a vet can often determine if this is indeed the problem a dog is experiencing (as opposed to hip or elbow dysplasia or another orthopedic issue).
There are many different approaches to treatment of Panosteitis. Some vets recommend supplementing dogs with high doses of MSM, glucosamine and vitamin C, others provide anti-inflammatories to keep them comfortable. Whatever route you go, keep exercise to a minimum and know that if it is indeed Pano, your dog will grow out of it.

Though rare, hip or elbow dysplasias can occur in large breed adolescent dogs, typically 6-18 months of age.

Lyme Disease can cause limping and joint pain. If you live in an area where there are ticks, this would be something for your vet to consider.

So your first step in finding out what's the problem is to have your veterinarian examine your dog.

Best of luck,

Patti