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My dog is limping. Is an X-ray worth it, or should I just rest him?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 7 months old

I'm undecided if it's worth just doing an X-ray to my dog. He already limps to 1 month of a back leg, the veterinarian said it could be a sprain, a muscle injury or hip dysplasia. An X-ray is very expensive, and I do not believe it will deplasia. He limps one minute and the next he does not, and sometimes he limps more than others. ah, and he can put the paw in the floor. he already took antiinflammatory. Is it worth it just to make an X-ray or to let it eventually heal with very rest?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Paula Simons

Veterinarian

Published on May 5th, 2017

I personally believe it is always necessary to do an x-ray. Unfortunately, they are expensive but they are the best way to determine what is causing the pain in his leg. X-rays can help to rule out fractures, dysplasia, or soft tissue injury. A cruciate ligament injury is also a possibility, so your veterinarian may want to perform an orthopedic test to see if there is any laxity in the knee. There is no guarantee the problem will heal with rest and prolonging an accurate diagnosis may just make the problem worse.

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    Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Since Benji has been limping on and off for the past month, I am assuming that the anti-inflammatory did not make much of a difference in his limping. As your vet mentioned, common causes of limping include muscle strains, ligament strains, cruciate ligament ruptures (equivalent of the ACL in humans) or hip dysplasia. If a dog is comfortable, it can be reasonable to restrict his activity for several weeks to a small room or large crate to prevent any running, jumping or playing to allow a possible injury to heal. However, if the limping persists or worsens, x-rays and further diagnostics are likely needed to try to get to the bottom of the issue. X-rays have limited benefit in diagnosing soft tissue (muscle, ligament) injuries, but are extremely beneficial in diagnosing changes with bony structures. If you have been resting Benji for the past few weeks and he has not improved, it sounds as though it is time for an x-ray. I hope that all goes well!

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