# advise needed - limping pup



## tanyaazmi (Feb 5, 2020)

Hi,
my dog digby was playing around day before yesterday ( jumping to be honest that seems to be his favourite thing to do ) and while running he banged his paw against a ledge slightly and didnt even yelp but since then he has been limping a little. i took him to the vet who checked him out and said that there are no injuries however Digbys does have inborn bent legs as is the case with quite a few pure bred havanese. He has prescribed us some vitamins for joint support but i was just wondering if you guys had any other suggestions or tips as he is still limping but doesn't seem to be in any pain - he wants to play but i am not encouraging that and the doctor said i just prevent him from jumping.
i am quite distressed as he is not overweight and is only 1 and a half years old. any tips / suggestions to help him get back to his usual self would be super helpful. thanks a lot


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I have a yorkie who is a digging maniac and occasionally overdoes it and starts limping slightly. The vet has not been able to find anything wrong with him. They just think it is an overuse type thing. I never let him jump off furniture anyway but I do try to encourage rest and avoid him doing anything too stressful for a few days. Usually he is back to normal in a day or two. If your vet has ruled out injury, your pup may just need a few days to recover. I would stay in contact with the vet about this and take him back if it keeps up longer than the vet thinks is normal. My neighbor’s dog recently had an issue where her dog actually broke his toe! Never heard of that. But it took several days of rest for him to recover. I would definitely avoid jumping...especially off furniture. Also, I would avoid going down steps. That puts a lot of strain on the front legs. I would think light play would be okay as long as that is what your vet says. Hope your baby is better soon.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Well-bred Havanese SHOULD have straight legs, but it is true that there are plenty of Havanese bred who don't. One way or the other, there are plenty of Havanese with crooked legs who are NOT lame. I would want to find out why he was lame and address that. If your vet can't help with the problem. I would look for a second opinion.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> Well-bred Havanese SHOULD have straight legs, but it is true that there are plenty of Havanese bred who don't. One way or the other, there are plenty of Havanese with crooked legs who are NOT lame. I would want to find out why he was lame and address that. If your vet can't help with the problem. I would look for a second opinion.


I agree. Definitely a good idea to seek a second opinion if the current vet is not getting to root cause. I do think it is worth checking back with the current vet on the dog's condition and see what he says before moving on. This would be a good test of the current vet. However, I would not hesitate to go elsewhere depending on the response I got.


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## tanyaazmi (Feb 5, 2020)

thanks for all the suggestions - i have already booked to see another vet - i agree its important to know what the root cause is so it can be addressed.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

tanyaazmi said:


> thanks for all the suggestions - i have already booked to see another vet - i agree its important to know what the root cause is so it can be addressed.


Awesome! I hope it is nothing serious. Please let us know what they find.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

My frist Havanese had crooked legs. He lived to be 15 yrs old without ever having any problems due to his legs. Just wondering if your little guy hurt his front or back leg?


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

I would also look for a second opinion. While your dog may not have a specific injury presenting, the limping started after roughing his paw up, so there is likely some tenderness because of that. I'm surprised they didn't send a short course of a gentle anti-inflammatory just to cover that base. Give it a couple days, and if he hasn't "walked it off", get another doctor to check your little guy out


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Poor Digby! Hope he feels better soon.


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## tanyaazmi (Feb 5, 2020)

hi all,
thanks for all your support and suggestions - i am so glad i took Digby for a second opinion instead of just waiting it out as the first doctor had suggested. Turns out Digby is orthopedically sound as per the new doctor ( so nothing about bent limbs or anything of the sort )
he has a small wound on the inside of his paw pad and as he is quite hairy i guess i didn't see it. I am shocked that the first doctor did not do a thorough enough examination to see this but as you guys mentioned we now know what the root cause is hopefully. He has started digby on oral anti inflammatory and asked me to try and apply something directly on the wound itself. should hopefully clear in a few days !!! fingers crossed


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

tanyaazmi said:


> hi all,
> thanks for all your support and suggestions - i am so glad i took Digby for a second opinion instead of just waiting it out as the first doctor had suggested. Turns out Digby is orthopedically sound as per the new doctor ( so nothing about bent limbs or anything of the sort )
> he has a small wound on the inside of his paw pad and as he is quite hairy i guess i didn't see it. I am shocked that the first doctor did not do a thorough enough examination to see this but as you guys mentioned we now know what the root cause is hopefully. He has started digby on oral anti inflammatory and asked me to try and apply something directly on the wound itself. should hopefully clear in a few days !!! fingers crossed


Oh wow...so glad you got it checked! Thanks for updating us. Hope Digby heals quickly. This illustrates the value of getting a second opinion. Regardless of how much people "love" their vet, I think it never hurts to get a second opinion.


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