URGENT PLZ - Dog in pain

[Martin_M]

Hi folks, I came home this evening to find my 3.5 year old german shepherd limping on her left foot and whining. She ate her dinner but as the night has gone on she is whining more and more. At present, my wife is beside her on the floor and she is whining almost continuously.

She isn't reacting when I manipulate her leg but clearly she's in pain. My only option at this time of night is to take her to an emergency vet which isn't going to be cheap but I don't want her to be in pain all night so if I have to I will.

What do we think? Is there anything else I can do? We applied some ice around her whole leg but to no avail?

I have googled giving dogs pain killers and see some articles about aspirin - is there anyone qualified on here who can advise?

Thanks,

Martin

[Turn7]

Martin_M said:

Hi folks, I came home this evening to find my 3.5 year old german shepherd limping on her left foot and whining. She ate her dinner but as the night has gone on she is whining more and more. At present, my wife is beside her on the floor and she is whining almost continuously.

She isn't reacting when I manipulate her leg but clearly she's in pain. My only option at this time of night is to take her to an emergency vet which isn't going to be cheap but I don't want her to be in pain all night so if I have to I will.

What do we think? Is there anything else I can do? We applied some ice around her whole leg but to no avail?

I have googled giving dogs pain killers and see some articles about aspirin - is there anyone qualified on here who can advise?

Thanks,

Martin

.....

[Munter]

I say. Phone the emergency vet. Talk to them.

[R8VXF]

Emergency vet asap. At least to get some painkillers till the morning.

[Mr Tom]

Don't whatever you do give it pain killers without veterinary advice! No one on here should/will give you advice on that. Take the dog to a vet and get it seen. Whining like that for so long could mean it has fractured it's leg or something as bad.

[Pesty]

Please take her to a vet.


I'd also Advise get insurance. Best thing I ever did.

[R8VXF]

Pesty said:

Please take her to a vet.


I'd also Advise get insurance. Best thing I ever did.

X2 on the insurance. Petplan pay our vets directly so we do not even incur the (considerable) costs that treatment for our cats has cost.

[Martin_M]

Thanks for the replies, she's asleep for now so will see how we go.

I have Pet Plan insurance but they have never paid out on emergency out of hours visits before. I've spent no less than £600 over the last 3.5 years on such visits and it's always something that rectifies itself. Will re-assess in the morning.

[FlyingFin]

If you do not know the answer to the question already, you should really ask yourself if you are the right person to have a pet.

[bexVN]

Animals don't cry/hold limbs up for hours without good reason, She went to sleep probably worn out trying to tell you she was in pain bless her.

I hope she is better but ANY sign no matter how slight today I would do as everyone suggested and get her to a vet.

I don't understand your claim re the insurance. They don't tend to pay for home visits but generally everything else will be covered assuming you go over the excess.

[paintman]

Martin_M said:

I have Pet Plan insurance but they have never paid out on emergency out of hours visits before. I've spent no less than £600 over the last 3.5 years on such visits and it's always something that rectifies itself. Will re-assess in the morning.

So do we & have been with them for over 20 years. They don't cover home visits. When any of the cats have needed to go to the emergency vet then they've been taken immediately. Its a 20 odd mile round trip. I pay the vet. Subject to the excess I have never had any problems with them refunding us after submitting the claim forms.
What prevented you taking the dog to the vet?

Edited by paintman on Friday 20th March 08:28

[Jasandjules]

bexVN said:

Animals don't cry/hold limbs up for hours without good reason, She went to sleep probably worn out trying to tell you she was in pain bless her.

Actually some do. 99% don't however. There are recorded cases of dogs who fake illness for sympathy. But no, absolutely for most dogs, get the vet out.

We also had a dog who didn't move for 12 hours, refused to put any weight on her leg. When the emergency vet came out (had to home call, no chance of lifting 11 stone of mutt into a car) the dog screamed blue murder. That was when the vet said she'd not touched the leg yet I kid you not. Then the vet moved the leg around and our dog didn't say a thing. Then she fecking stood up and walked off........ Dogs eh?

[bexVN]

^^ splitting hairs a bit It is rare and much more likely to be a problem (as you said 99%!)

[themanwithnoname]

Jasandjules said:

Actually some do. 99% don't however. There are recorded cases of dogs who fake illness for sympathy. But no, absolutely for most dogs, get the vet out.

We also had a dog who didn't move for 12 hours, refused to put any weight on her leg. When the emergency vet came out (had to home call, no chance of lifting 11 stone of mutt into a car) the dog screamed blue murder. That was when the vet said she'd not touched the leg yet I kid you not. Then the vet moved the leg around and our dog didn't say a thing. Then she fecking stood up and walked off........ Dogs eh?

Yup, my old collie cut her one of the pads on paw quite badly when she was a pup and was showered in sympathy, antibiotics, dressings etc. For the 12 years she lived after that event if she was even slightly admonished, or told to go to bed, or to get off the sofa etc the paw immediately came up with a comedy limp. A proper 'strong' leg hop which cleared the floor, and so 'bad' on landing her chin would practically scrape the floor


Stupid hound faked being OK as long as she could in the end as well, gave us 2 days notice that her insides were riddled with tumours, she kept eating, playing, jumping around and being an awesome lively dog despite, as we found out being in what must have been agony for months without so much as a whimper or a wince. Even when she couldn't stomach her regular food, she found a place for treats and people food. I'd have sold the house to get her treated if that's what was needed had she'd have let us know. Proper trooper.

Smarter than they look.

Seriously though OP - get to the vet it could be something and nothing but better for peace of mind and the welfare of your dog.

[spadriver]

Loved the post about the Collie, loody typical of the breed.
Until recently we had a neigbour who was always moaning about vet costs.He was even prepared to just let some of his sheep die through flie strike, if you not seen it or smelt what maggots do in just a short time to a fully healthy animal--
He also had a fantanstic GSD, Becks, she really was adorable, very obedient and a pleasure to be around.One evening Becks got hit by a car, dragged herself three quarters of a mile to get home.This tts wife asked if I would look at Becks to see what I thought, Becks was obviously in pain, couldnt move but there was good responses from both of her back paws.
tt decided to leave her overnight and then take her to the vet.I got a call from his wife telling me Becks would not be coming home as her back was broken, absolutely no feeling in her back legs or paws!
Couple of weeks later I was talking to a mutual friend who informed me that tt had said there was no way he would fork out £1400 for a dog as he had to pay for his BMW wheel refurb. Like I said tt!
DEFRA were informed and given photos of the dead sheep, he is no longer allowed to keep animals.

[Mr Roper]

Sounds similar to what Marley had last week. His leg went completely dead, although he wasn't in any pain. We called the vet out that evening and her first diagnosis was a ripped ligament...Next morning he was fine. Took him in and after an X-ray it was found that his hip had dislocated and trapped a nerve.

[Tyre Tread]

A couple of months ago our developed a front leg limp and was in pain and licking her paw. she didn't want me to toch it but when I managed to get my fingers behind her main pad there was a thorn sticking out backwards. I pulled it out, she yelped and then was back to normal. Just camm me Androcles although she's no lion, just a GSD.

Our old GSD has what SWMBO thought was a syringe and needle sticking out of the paw of our old GSD (Petra RIP) while out on a walk. Petra kept trying to lick it. Since she was close to the vets SWMBO took her in and the vets nurse discovered it was...












A lollipop stick sticking out and the head of the lollipop was lodged between her pads and stuck in there.

Needleless to say SWMBO got some stick for that one.

[bakerstreet]

FlyingFin said:

If you do not know the answer to the question already, you should really ask yourself if you are the right person to have a pet.

This.

People baffle me!

[Martin_M]

Listen to yourselves. I'm not about to justify my credentials to the likes of you two. Thanks to those of you who posted constructive comments. She's back to her usual self and the vet advised maybe just a strain. Go figure.