My dog is limping and lifting her paw. Should I take her to the vet?

Question

About a week 1/2 ago she was running down her ramp that allows her to run up and down my bed. She ran down and at the bottom of the ramp she whimpered and started limping and lifting her back right paw. We noticed her nails had grown long fast and I think maybe she either caught her nail on something or jammed it into the floor. That or she'd stepped on a small sharp stick that was on the floor near the ramp. Should I see her vet for this? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 7 months and 17 days old | 6 lbs

Shaneez Wallani, DVM · Accepted Answer

Poor Layla! If she is still limping I would make an appointment to have her seen by your vet. She may have injured her nail(s) as you described, or she may even have some soft tissue swelling/ irritation or a fracture. If there is a stick/ splinter/ other foreign object in her paw the vet can help remove it and treat it to help prevent infection. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to Layla without consulting with your vet. I recommend keeping her in a crate or in a room where she can't run/ jump on anything and only taking her out for very short bathroom breaks until she is no longer limping. Make sure she's on a leash so she can't run and make things worse.

My dog is limping and lifting her paw. Should I take her to the vet?

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