My dog is limping on her hind leg and her hock is swollen. What to do?

Question

Our 195# English Mastiff, Hope, became very excited when we came home from an overnight trip and was jumping, lunging and circling around us. We noticed shortly after that she was limping on her hind right leg. She can put weight on it but favors it quite a bit and has a little trouble with the three steps off the deck to the yard. It's a little swollen in the joint (hock area). Kinda mimics a sprained ankle.... should we keep her off it as much as possible and ice it? Pet's info: Dog | English Mastiff | Female | spayed | 4 years and 5 months old | 195 lbs

Laura Bailey, DVM · Accepted Answer

Try and keep her exercise restricted today (no running/jumping). Also, check her toe nails on that paw to make sure she didn’t break or tear a nail. If she is still painful tomorrow or you notice a broken toe nail, take her to see a veterinarian for an exam and some pain meds/anti inflammatory drugs. If her toe nail is broken, she may need antibiotics as well. If you think she would benefit from pain meds today, go ahead and take her to see a veterinarian. No need to ice it.

My dog is limping on her hind leg and her hock is swollen. What to do?

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