The Well Dog Place

Dr. Ken Tudor Holistic Veterinarian

X-rays are the best diagnostic tool for limping dogs

Holistic Dog Treatments 09 | 6 of the Most Common Causes of Dogs Limping

Your dog limps because of PAIN! Dogs are much braver than us. The seldom cry from pain. But if they limp they are experiencing pain or discomfort someplace in their leg. So, what causes pain in legs. With rare exception, limping is caused by pain in:

Joints (sprains, strains, arthritis)
Spine (slipped discs, arthritic spinal vertebrae)
Ligaments & Tendons (genetically misaligned, torn, ruptured, infected, cancer)
Bones (growing pains, breaks, infection, cancer)
Muscles (overexertion, tears, infections, cancer)
Foot pads (toenail, foxtail, glass, thorn or stinger penetration, infection, pavement or chemical burns, cancer)

Although foot pads problems are the first thing owners think of when their dog limps, these are not the most common causes of limping in dogs. Ingrown toenails, foxtail penetration, pavement/chemical burns are easily diagnosed and treated.

The most common causes of limping in dogs are sprains, spinal disease, arthritis, misaligned, torn or ruptured ligaments, bone fractures and bone cancer. These are much harder to confidently diagnose. X-rays are needed to determine the cause of limping in most dogs. Without x-rays it is difficult for your veterinarian to develop a treatment plan for your dog’s limp.

At The Well Dog Place we use a combination of eastern and western treatments for limping dogs.

Author

Ken Tudor DVM

Dr. Ken Tudor, Holistic Veterinarian

Dr. Ken Tudor is a recognized expert and leader in the field of pet nutrition and fitness. He has developed a pet weight management program and served on the American Animal Hospital Association task force to develop their Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. He is also a frequent guest on the Pet World Insider radio show and a popular guest on the televised Pet Ex Talks-Pet Experts Empowering Pet Parents show.

Holistic Dog Treatments 09 | 6 of the Most Common Causes of Dogs Limping

Holistic Dog Treatments

At THE WELL DOG PLACE Whenever you "Refer a Friend" you get $20 off AND they get $20 off their first exam. Call for an appointment:
(909) 929-0778

NEW - If you don't live close enough to visit our office...

If you are too far away to see Dr. Tudor in person, but still wish to make your own balanced dog food at home using Dr. Tudor's exclusive nutrient powder, omega 3 oil and recipes, we now offer two options for you:

Healthier Homemade for Dogs

When you need or want custom recipes that are personalized for your fur family, our sister site Healthier Homemade can help you out. Because this service is remote, we are unable to give medical advice or diagnosis, so we work with your veterinarian to make sure your fur family is well cared for.

At Healthier Homemade, we offer Medical Recipe Programs for 14 different conditions. See them in detail here.

There are an assortment of recipe formulations for dogs with diagnosed Food Allergies. They include, High Protein, Instant, and Economy options.

If you have all Normal Adult Dogs in your fur family and wish to have more control over the formulations of your recipes, we offer Economy, Instant, High Protein, and Ultra-High Protein (including a few all meat options).

With all of our custom recipes you may include up to 4 dogs (with the same health profile) and you may choose cooking frequency from every day to once a week. We do all the math, we even calculate serving size for each dog! We also have detailed tutorials for each step of cooking, mixing, and storing.

Hearthstone Homemade for Dogs

If you are an experienced cook, like flexibility, have a normal adult dog, and just need general guidelines, Hearthstone may be right for you. Before purchasing a Starter Kit, you can see a complete list of ingredient options that can be used.

Our EZ Meal Planner gives you a great starting point. You still get to pick out wholesome ingredients at the grocery store and you still get "The Well Dog Nutrient Powder" to make sure your dogs' meals are balanced.

The Getting Started page gives you a great road map for what you need to equip your kitchen, preparation, transitioning to a new food, and more.