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My dog is limping, has bloody paw, won't walk, or let me check it.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | unneutered

My dog got a sudden limp when i checked to see the problem I noticed a small amount of dry blood between his toes but he won’t let me look at the area and he won’t use his paw to walk with what can I do to help him

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 25th, 2019

Limping can be an indication of pain, so please make an appointment to have Bear seen by a veterinarian. Causes of the limping could be trauma, a muscular or nerve injury, a fractured bone, an injured or overgrown toenail, a tumour/mass, or a foreign body embedded in the paw or leg. Some infectious diseases such as Lyme disease and joint diseases such as arthritis or joint infection can cause limping as well. The blood makes me think that there may be something stuck in the paw or that a toenail may be injured. Take him out only for short walks on a leash just to pee and poo. In the meantime, don't let him run around or jump. If Bear is crate trained, keep him crated to prevent him from jumping or running. If he's not crate trained, keep him in a small area where he can't run or jump onto/ off of furniture. If he will let you, you can try soaking the paw in a small container with warm water and hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean away any debris, followed by rinsing in warm water. If he struggles when you try this then stop, as you don't want him to hurt himself more.

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