6 month old puppy limping after walks?

Perfect_Pirouette

Perfect_Pirouette

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Have a 6 month old lab pup, on Friday morning we noticed she was about 2/10ths lame on her left fore after being taken for a walk. She was haring around a bit so we just thought she’d pulled/strained a muscle and ‘box rested’ her and she was fully sound again by Friday night/ Sat morning but rested her until yesterday afternoon when we took her for a walk and we kept her on the lead and just walked her for 20 mins, fine, sound.

This morning I took her for a walk before work and let her off the lead, obviously she then ran around but seemed fine. I’ve just gone back to let her out for a wee on my lunch and noticed when she was running about in the garden that she’s lame again, again, about 1-2/10ths, not that noticeable.

I’ve felt the leg and can’t feel any heat, nothing looks swollen and you can poke and prod and she doesn’t react. Not acting like she’s in pain at all, tries to charge around every chance she gets.

My boyfriend is away with work until Friday, I’m unsure what to do really. Should I box rest her again but this time for longer and if she comes sound just keep it to slow, steady walks for a week or walk her but just short, slow walks on the lead and see if she comes sound? OR take her to the vet (though that will have to be on Friday unless it becomes serious as I’m working all week)
 
If she was mine and only about 1/10s lame at the mo i would keep her on a lead and would give her some Metacam because if you took her to the vets now that is what they would advise. If you dont have access to Metacam I would still keep her on a lead for 3/4 days and would do a bit of extra training to tire her out so she is not hooning around and potentially doing more damage. Hope its something she has tweaked and will recover after rest.
 
It may be panosteitis or growing pains, I would rest her for a couple of days if still lame take her to vets. I would not be giving painkillers without seeing the vet, it may just cover up something more serious.
 
No, don’t worry, I wouldn’t ever give pain killers. She doesn’t seem to be in pain but I want her to feel it if she is to stop her charging about so pain killers definite no go. Just not sure what to do for the best re resting her completely or bring her for short, slow walks. She’s a puppy so obviously has a lot of energy that builds up if she’s not walked. I guess I could ring the vet and see what they say.
 
You do need to be very careful about how much exercise a young big boned pup gets. Too much too soon can cause a lot of problems. Things like going up and down stairs or long walks should be left til they are older.
 
She’s never been up or down the stairs in her life. She gets walked for 30-45 mins a day. She’s my boyfriend’s dog, not mine so he does what he wants really. She goes to puppy training classes once a fortnight and has just joined a gun dog club that she’ll start attending when she’s a bit older. If the injury has been caused by too much exercise then it’s definitely something we’d bare in mind but I’m not sure it has been.

I just hope it's nothing serious.
 
Our Springer went through a bit of a phase of limping around the same age and like you we were panicking than she had overdone it, as you can imagine how much they hare around!! We took her to the vets and they checked her over and did x-rays and found absolutely nothing. The limping stopped soon after so I'm convinced it was just growing pains.
 
It probably isn't, most likely she's just pulled herself or it could be panosteitis. If it was me I'd rest her and take her to vets if no better in a day or two. I'm sure you have already but check her pads well in case it's a thorn or splinter or bit of glass etc. Grassseeds are common at this time of year and can cause problems.
If you are very worried take her to the vet, might put your mind at rest.
Hope she's better soon. They like to worry us.
 
Our malamute x lab cross started with a mild limp. Turns out he has elbow dysplasia. He had an operation at 12 months, which really helped him. But seven months on, he is limping badly again. He cant have NSAIDs like Loxicom and Metacam and so takes Tramadol on vet advice. I hope your lab gets well soon x
 
At 6 months old your pup should be getting no more than 30 mins exercise a day. Have you been following the 5 min per month of age rule? Over exercise in breeds like labs can cause problems.
 
Perfect_Pirouette said:
She’s never been up or down the stairs in her life. She gets walked for 30-45 mins a day. She’s my boyfriend’s dog, not mine so he does what he wants really. She goes to puppy training classes once a fortnight and has just joined a gun dog club that she’ll start attending when she’s a bit older. If the injury has been caused by too much exercise then it’s definitely something we’d bare in mind but I’m not sure it has been.

I just hope it's nothing serious.
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The basic rule for exercise is 5 mins for every month of age, so at 4 months 20 mins, 6 months 30 mins etc. If you do a bit more for some reason one day then do less the following day. I would give the pup a quiet week or two with on lead walks and playing in the garden. Use the time to perfect heel work, stays, play find and seek around the house etc so you keep her brain busy but rest her joints.
 
I think I'd be cage resting for a few days, no running round indoors (what's your flooring like?) and no lead walks til she's stopped limping. Is she a good weight for her age?
 
Thistle said:
The basic rule for exercise is 5 mins for every month of age, so at 4 months 20 mins, 6 months 30 mins etc. If you do a bit more for some reason one day then do less the following day. I would give the pup a quiet week or two with on lead walks and playing in the garden. Use the time to perfect heel work, stays, play find and seek around the house etc so you keep her brain busy but rest her joints.
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This. We couldn't let our Lab x Rottie run around too much until she was 18 months old. The vet we had at the time does international studies on exercise and it's effects on young dogs and he said labs are the most susceptible and should have their exercise very closely monitored until 18 months old, but especially up to 12 months. If you're seeing negative results now, when she's only 6 months old, just think how that will have compounded itself by the time she is a veteran.

I'd honestly rein back the running around. It's really hard because they can be such balls of energy, but it's just too much for them and their growing skeleton. xx
 
It sounds like classic pano and the timing is right. You won't feel heat or see any swelling in the leg...pano is a shifting disease of the red blood cells in the marrow in the medullar cavity of the long bones. Diagnosis is by x-ray so you need to consult your vet even if only to ELIMINATE this as a possibility.
 
She seems fine again tonight, sound, no limping so perhaps i was being paranoid/imagining it at lunchtime?! Either way, I'll rein back the walking this week and see how she goes. Maybe she's been slightly overwalked, I don't know but she honestly doesn't do anymore than 40 mins and she's 7 months next week. I'll see how she goes over the next few days but I'm hoping I was just imagining it earlier as she's completely sound again now. Argh, animals!
 
gunnergundog said:
It sounds like classic pano and the timing is right. You won't feel heat or see any swelling in the leg...pano is a shifting disease of the red blood cells in the marrow in the medullar cavity of the long bones. Diagnosis is by x-ray so you need to consult your vet even if only to ELIMINATE this as a possibility.
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What is Pano?
 
Panosteitis, young dogs sometimes get it, usually rest and sometimes painkillers help it resolve, but you do need it confirmed by a vet. It does come and go and shift limbs.
 
Okay. I'll rest her now til Friday when my OH gets back and then if there is a sign of anything over the weekend we'll take her to the vet on Monday.

God I'm worried now. That dog is life itself, don't know what we'd do without her :(
 
Perfect_Pirouette said:
God I'm worried now. That dog is life itself, don't know what we'd do without her :(
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Pano is not life threatening, although I must admit that I came close to putting one bitch down that had it on and off for the first three years of her life, due to the lack of quality of life that she had.

If it is pano, do your research on breed lines....it can be very enlightening. Also, make sure you adhere to 5 min/month exercise rule and check the live vaccines you put into your pup.
 
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