Dogs are very active animals that enjoy their fair share of play; there is always the danger that they will injure themselves to a certain extent. Activities that involve jumping and running are some of the most common avenues of dog leg sprain while even the simple action of walking hard or on rough surfaces can cause a sprain if the animal experiences some kind of muscular or ligament degenerative disease. Some factors contribute to making a dog more susceptible to a leg sprain that others.
A lack of adequate nutrition, especially a nutrient known as ‘glucosamine’, will experience the ventral surface of the paw muscles prone to sprains during very normal physical activity. Because of the fact that the occurrence is a very common one, a dog leg sprain is not considered to be a medical emergency, but the amount of aid immediately administered to the injury will go along way into ensuring faster and more accurate repair of the injured muscle or ligament. Some of the more obvious symptoms of the condition include limping, welling, pain and even severe stress.
An accurate diagnosis of the condition is made by a thorough inspection of the animal’s joints around the paw. However, depending on the intensity of the pain, some dogs may not allow the veterinarian to inspect the injury. In situations like this, local anesthesia can be very useful. However, it will tend to immobilize the animal until the effects of the substance wear off. Some other medical tests that help correctly diagnose the condition include the medical history of the pooch and an x-ray.
The duration of recuperation of a dog leg sprain will depend significantly on the extent of the injury. The milder injuries will usually heal themselves without any special medical treatment while the more serious ligament injuries may require the administration of pain killers to help the animal deal with the considerable pain they are likely to experience. It is important that you make sure the dog gets as much rest as possible while it is recuperating from the sprain. Keep any overactive children or people that excite the animal away from it as much as possible in between the veterinarian visits. Walk the dog only for the duration it takes for them to go to the bathroom while you constantly check with the vet in regular intervals to gauge the healing of the injury.
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