My dog is active and interacts with lots of other animals and people, now and then he catches a limp in his leg. Kind of like we pull a muscle is what seems to be the problem with him. He doesn’t cry or whine when pressure is applied; he is just more cautious of putting his entire weight on the injured leg. If your dog has been consistently limping for a few days, give it about ten days until you get worried, especially if they’re not in lots of discomforts. Dogs catch cramps just like humans and sometimes need the muscle to stretch and work itself out over time. If your dog just began limping and seems to be in lots of pain, just take them to the vet to prevent any further complications. A switch in their diet may alleviate the cramping and muscle injuries during lots of activity.
Dog’s may limp for some reasons; they may have twisted their (theoretical) ankle, or strained a muscle. Dogs are resilient animals and can usually heal very well on their own, occasionally your dog needs assistance, nursing back to health. As mentioned, my dog is very active, and sometimes he turns his leg the wrong way or lands on his leg hard from a jump. Usually his cramping and limping are on his hind legs, and I will massage it and try to keep activity to a minimum until it heals.
For a dog that’s in lots of pain, and limping is severe with whining and crying with minimal amounts of pressure, you should take them to the vet. There may be a serious issue like a torn ligament or broken bone, and injuries left untreated can become worse.
Dogs can be clumsy, and a minor injury here and there just means they are thoroughly enjoying themselves and just got carried away a little bit!
