limping and crying :( pulled muscle?

[newlifecowgirl]

So my 17 month old female GSD, came in the house today from being outside and playing for a few hours. She seemed just fine, normal crazy self. But when she went to get up from laying down, she cried for just a second as she was getting up, then had the mopey dog look, then went to chase the cat ( obviously she's not in THAT much pain).
I felt her underbelly thinking it may be a gut related issue ( ate something she shoudn't have or something) Nope, I palpated her tummy and NO signs of pain, so I palpated her hips, down her hocks into her feet, I felt no swelling, no heat and she showed no visible signs of pain.
I watched her walk away and she seems to be favoring her left back leg a bit, so I palpated her muscles around the hip and found a partcularly tight spot, what I call a guitar string muscle ( super tight and twangs the body when rubbed) I *think she has pulled a muscle.

FYI Gracie is kinda a baby when it comes to pain, my fault, but whenever she gets hurt even if someone barely stepped on her foot she cries and comes running for me.
So I am 99.99999% sure it is not a break.

So besides keeping her calm, no running around etc...anything else I can do for her? I feel so bad for my baby!

[doggiedad]

go to the Vet.

Originally Posted by newlifecowgirl

So besides keeping her calm, no running around etc...anything else I can do for her? I feel so bad for my baby!

[Gwenhwyfair]

I can tell you're a horse person (looking for heat in an injured leg....)

Keep doing what you are doing now - rest her for a few days and watch to see if the limping gets better.

Generally (like with the ponies) if it's a minor soft tissue problem you should see improvment with rest.

If she gets better but then starts limping again with a bit of exercise, you do not see improvement or the limping gets worse it's best to take her to the vet.

Originally Posted by newlifecowgirl

So my 17 month old female GSD, came in the house today from being outside and playing for a few hours. She seemed just fine, normal crazy self. But when she went to get up from laying down, she cried for just a second as she was getting up, then had the mopey dog look, then went to chase the cat ( obviously she's not in THAT much pain).
I felt her underbelly thinking it may be a gut related issue ( ate something she shoudn't have or something) Nope, I palpated her tummy and NO signs of pain, so I palpated her hips, down her hocks into her feet, I felt no swelling, no heat and she showed no visible signs of pain.
I watched her walk away and she seems to be favoring her left back leg a bit, so I palpated her muscles around the hip and found a partcularly tight spot, what I call a guitar string muscle ( super tight and twangs the body when rubbed) I *think she has pulled a muscle.

FYI Gracie is kinda a baby when it comes to pain, my fault, but whenever she gets hurt even if someone barely stepped on her foot she cries and comes running for me.
So I am 99.99999% sure it is not a break.

So besides keeping her calm, no running around etc...anything else I can do for her? I feel so bad for my baby!

[newlifecowgirl]

LOL Gwen, yup! obvious clue huh?
well with a night of rest, she is getting up without the crying, still little bit slower than normal, but she's feeling better this morning. Just flopped down on the couch with me without pain.
Called my vet this morning about it ( thank goodness they open EARLY), he said to just give her rest, maybe ice it if I can pin point the point of pain, and to call him if it doesn't improve.

[Misunderstood]

I also have horse and when they limp it's for a reason. Not so much with GSD as I discovered with my first. I cut a nail too short and omg the crying. I felt horrible. I doted on her beyond belief. For months after she would occasional limp and cry and I would baby her. When I asked my vet about it he told me to ignore it because she was using me, I did and she stopped.

Now there are some real problems that have nothing to do with age, hip displasia a main one. Only an X-ray will tell you, what you do from there is up to you. Surgery, supplements for comfort, etc. I have one male now that sadly has hip displasia and I give him a scoop a day supplement for it and it doesn't slow him down at all. Between the two of us I think I'm the only one conscious of it. I would post the link for what I give him but I'm new here and I don't know if it's allowed.