# Vets and vet techs: gimpy dog treatment **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 24, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vets-and-vet-techs-gimpy-dog-treatment/497486 "2009-05-24T19:22:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vets-and-vet-techs-gimpy-dog-treatment/497486/1 "2009-05-24T19:22:42Z")
Hi… my young, healthy, vibrant, fast, agile lab mix has been limping for about a month or maybe longer. Not a severe limp, but definitely noticable. There is nothing in his pads or between them that I can detect, and manipulation of the leg and foot doesn’t produce any noticable or specific area of sensitivity (he doesn’t like having his feet and legs touched as a general thing, but i haven’t noticed the bad leg being differently sensitive than the other). It doesn’t stop him from doing anything at all, he would happily, if I let him, do what undoubtedly caused the problem to begin with: play his favorite game that involves a lot of jumping and landing and fast turns, etc. We have played a few times when the limp seemed a little better, but then it worsened so I’ve not played with him in a few weeks. But when he’s excited, walking, playing, whatever, he ignores it and it can actually appear to go away. It seems worse after sleep, when he’s been off it for awhile. OK… I KNOW I SHOULD TAKE HIM TO A VET. I want to, believe me. Broke. And because it’s so damn mild I am 90% sure I’ll spend $100-$200 I don’t have to spend to have them tell me they can’t see what the problem is, I feel certain it’s somewhere in his tendons or muscles. All to ask: is the purpose of wrapping an injury to support it while it heals, to be annoying enough that the animal avoids using that leg, or what? I wrapped his leg in an Ace bandage and now he’s really staying off of it, which seems like it’s probably a good thing. I want him to let it heal, and since he’s so oblivious to it and will run and do whatever anyway, I think he’s slowing the healing. So any tips or information about the ways to help him let his body heal it so he isn’t a gimp for the rest of his life? (And he’s just turned 2 years old a few months ago, he’s very, very slim and strong and healthy, I have no reason to believe it’s arthritis or anything like that, and I’ve avoided giving him any kind of pain relief because I think that will allow him to push it even more… I want his discomfort to make him stop using it and let it heal!) ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vets-and-vet-techs-gimpy-dog-treatment/497486/2 "2009-05-24T20:56:21Z")
You don’t say which leg, but I’d guess “trick knee” or “floating patella” (in no small part because I’m suffering myself. It’s related to ACL injuries.) It might also be in his hip. > **[Luxating patella](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxating_patella)** > > A luxating patella, sometimes called a trick knee, is a condition in which the patella, or kneecap, dislocates or moves out of its normal location. It can be associated with damage to the anterior cruciate ligament. > Patellar luxation is a common condition in dogs, particularly small and miniature breeds. The condition usually becomes evident between the ages of 4 and 6 months. It can occur in cats, as well, especially domestic short-haired cats. > There have been several reports of patella luxat... > **[Hip dysplasia (canine)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_dysplasia_(canine))** > > In dogs, hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip socket that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause lameness and arthritis of the joints. It is a genetic (polygenic) trait that is affected by environmental factors. It is common in many dog breeds, particularly the larger breeds, and is the most common single cause of arthritis of the hips. > During growth, both the ball (the head of the femur, or thighbone) and the socket in the pelvis (acetabulum) must grow at equal rates. In ... Dogs display pain differently than people. If he’s showing signs at all, it probably hurts him a whole lot more than you suspect. Find out now which it is because if you wait he could end up needing surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vets-and-vet-techs-gimpy-dog-treatment/497486/3 "2009-05-24T21:44:20Z")
Well, it’s in the front, I shoulda said that part. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vets-and-vet-techs-gimpy-dog-treatment/497486/4 "2009-05-25T04:19:35Z")
How young is the dog? There is a common shoulder problem in some young large breed dogs, [OCD](http://www.thepetcenter.com/xra/ocd.html). If it is something like this you may have to find a way to get the dog to the vet. Read up on it and see if the symptoms fit your dog. ---
**Author:** ![Digger1914](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@Digger1914](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digger1914)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vets-and-vet-techs-gimpy-dog-treatment/497486/5 "2009-05-25T12:48:41Z")
My dog was diagnosed w/ OCD in his shoulder twice when he was young (1st 3 years). When the issue popped up a second time the missus and I decided to get the surgery. We had to cancel for personal reasons and by the time the next appointment was scheduled he was walking fine (no limp and no soreness) and hasn’t had a relapse. We didn’t do anything special to treat it, just tried to keep him from roughousing too much (Good luck, he’s a Border Collie) but before you jump into difficult dog surgery, be sure. It might still be growing pains ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vets-and-vet-techs-gimpy-dog-treatment/497486/6 "2009-05-25T16:49:47Z")
He’s a little over 2 years. I think he’s a Border Collie / Lab mix. I used to have Golden Retrievers, 80 and 90 pounds, I think he’s probably around 50. He looks more like a Border than a lab, black smooth coat, curled longer hair tail, handsome small narrow face, white blaze, white toes (all paws except the one with the problem) super smart and agile, and very, very, very prey oriented. Hence the favorite game, which is Weasel! - a furry tail on the end of a bullwhip. He can snatch it out of the air with no problem, he leaps up an dbackwards…he could be an amazing frisbee dog or damn, I forgot the word…the thing where they run a course of obstacles. DUH. Anyway, he’d kick ass at that. ---
**Author:** ![luvrbcs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@luvrbcs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luvrbcs)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vets-and-vet-techs-gimpy-dog-treatment/497486/7 "2009-05-26T18:25:46Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > He’s a little over 2 years. I think he’s a Border Collie / Lab mix. I used to have Golden Retrievers, 80 and 90 pounds, I think he’s probably around 50. He looks more like a Border than a lab, black smooth coat, curled longer hair tail, handsome small narrow face, white blaze, white toes (all paws except the one with the problem) super smart and agile, and very, very, very prey oriented. Hence the favorite game, which is Weasel! - a furry tail on the end of a bullwhip. He can snatch it out of the air with no problem, he leaps up an dbackwards…he could be an amazing frisbee dog or damn, I forgot the word…the thing where they run a course of obstacles. DUH. Anyway, he’d kick ass at that. AGILITY is the sport you are thinking of. I have two Border Collies and I used to attend Agility classes with one of them.