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My puppy limped after I stepped on his paw. Why is he hovering it?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Akita | Male | unneutered | 1 month and 23 days old | 2.7 lbs

I accidentally stepped on my 7 week out puppies paw, he was running under my feet, he yelled and then limped for a little while, now he is walking fine however when sat, hovers the paw in the air? Should I be concerned?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sarah Box, BVSc

Veterinarian

Published on June 7th, 2017

Poor Maximus! I have done this to my own dog too, it's stressful! It sounds like Maximus has it sustained any serious injury given that he is happy to put weight on the paw when he walks around. I would recommend restricting his activity for 24-48 hours and see how he does. If he starts limping again, it is not continuing to improve, then a visit to your veterinarian is in order. They can do a full physical exam, and may recommend X-rays if they are concerned about a broken bone. Do not be tempted to give Maximus any type of over the counter pain medications-human medications can often be harmful to our pets.

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    Answered By Emily, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It would be unusual to cause a true fracture through just stepping on a paw but possible. At his age all his growth plates are still open and the bones may not be fully formed so it can be hard to see a fracture on an X-ray as well. You can try just monitoring him for a few hours and if it doesn't improve, there's any swelling to the paw then have your veterinarian take a look. Do not give any human pain medication as it can be very toxic.

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