German Shepherd Dog Forums - View Single Post - Hip? Foot?

rustilldown · 03-10-2013, 07:50 PM

Hey all - so Emma is just over two years old and has never shown any sign of pain in her feet, legs, hips....

I live in NYC and each weekend we take a walk into Brooklyn to Prospect park. Total walking distance is about 12.5 miles including walking in the park, but she probably runs/walks equivalent of 7-8 miles in the park, so total for her is 20+ miles.

Last week (Sunday) she was fine there and back, but after laying down at home, she got up with a BAD limp (back left)... She wouldn't even put her foot down for a bit. She started to shake it off and was getting around well by Monday. I did not walk her Monday or Tuesday, a short walk (>30 min) Wednesday/Thursday/Friday. Then Saturday, yesterday, took her on about a 4 mile walk in the morning, then a park thats close at night to test out running. She did well and showed no limp during running or after a few hours of laying down last night. That said, I took her on the long trek today.

After laying down today, she is not walking around with a limp, but is walking stiffly. If we go outside to go to the bathroom and she gets a little trot going, she looks fine, but I am a little nervous/curios. I don't think this matters, but she did jump in the lake last week in very cold water, maybe 40 degrees, and the temp outside was high 30's.... She was fine and even hopped in again, but then I kept her out. Again, I don't think this is relevant, but thought I would mention it.

I have a hard time telling if the problem is foot related, ligament related, or hip related. I did thoroughly look for cuts, rocks, splinters, and nothing. Any advice on what to watch for or look for moving forward?

03-10-2013, 07:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
rustilldown Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 81	Hip? Foot? - Need advice Hey all - so Emma is just over two years old and has never shown any sign of pain in her feet, legs, hips.... I live in NYC and each weekend we take a walk into Brooklyn to Prospect park. Total walking distance is about 12.5 miles including walking in the park, but she probably runs/walks equivalent of 7-8 miles in the park, so total for her is 20+ miles. Last week (Sunday) she was fine there and back, but after laying down at home, she got up with a BAD limp (back left)... She wouldn't even put her foot down for a bit. She started to shake it off and was getting around well by Monday. I did not walk her Monday or Tuesday, a short walk (>30 min) Wednesday/Thursday/Friday. Then Saturday, yesterday, took her on about a 4 mile walk in the morning, then a park thats close at night to test out running. She did well and showed no limp during running or after a few hours of laying down last night. That said, I took her on the long trek today. After laying down today, she is not walking around with a limp, but is walking stiffly. If we go outside to go to the bathroom and she gets a little trot going, she looks fine, but I am a little nervous/curios. I don't think this matters, but she did jump in the lake last week in very cold water, maybe 40 degrees, and the temp outside was high 30's.... She was fine and even hopped in again, but then I kept her out. Again, I don't think this is relevant, but thought I would mention it. I have a hard time telling if the problem is foot related, ligament related, or hip related. I did thoroughly look for cuts, rocks, splinters, and nothing. Any advice on what to watch for or look for moving forward?