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Why is my dog limping, and his front paw floppy and painful?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Staffordshire Terrier | Male | unneutered | 1 year old | 55 lbs

My dog is limping on his front paw and his front paw is also floppy when I hold it up to take a look at it. Feeling around his paw and leg he does seem to feel pain or look in discomfort

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 16th, 2018

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Without examining Brutus it is difficult to say but he may have developed soft tissue trauma from an injury or injured his bone / carpal joint. If the limping persists for the next 3 days, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at him and take x-rays of the leg to help rule out some causes of the lameness. For the next 3 days I would recommend exercise restriction and keeping him on a leash whenever he is outdoors and discouraging him from jumping up or down on any furniture to allow this injury to heal. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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    Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 12th, 2018

    Poor Alvin. Lameness in a front leg can be caused by many things, and order of concern varies with different ages of dog, but on my list is sprang/strain, arthritis, malformation in the shoulder, neck pain (usually a slipped disc), an issue with a toe/nail, damage to the paw pad, or even cancer or broken bones. If it's been going on for more than 24 hours, it's time for Alvin to go in to the vet for an exam and likely x-rays of his leg to determine what is going on and next steps for treatment. Wishing you and your pup the best of luck and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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