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My dog yelped and limped after play, but is walking now. Is he okay?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dog was playing with another dog when the other dog jumped on him. He yelped and was not using his back left leg for a little bit. He has started walking on it again it has been about 20 minutes in total. Male Shiba Inu 2.5 years old. No other history if injuries or hip problems.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 28th, 2020

Hello. If your pet seems to be recovering, then I doubt any permanent damage was done. Rough play can lead to injuries in pets, just like in kids. You might want to just let him take it easy for a day or so, but there is probably no need to rush off to the vet. If, however, he continues to favor the back leg, then we may need to be concerned about a ligament injury in the knee. A small strain or tear will often heal with rest & anti-inflammatory medications, total tears require surgery ( which it does not sound like happened to your pet ). So, just let him take it easy for awhile. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 22nd, 2017

    Dog's will sprain, strain, or pull things in their leg sometimes when they are playing. Usually this is the case. With these injuries, they act painful at first, then will feel better within the next 24 hours. Signs of a more severe injury like a fracture, or torn ligament are: 1) Not bearing any weight on the leg 2) Swelling 3) Deformity in the leg - can compare the hurt leg to the other one to tell if something is normal or not. Hurt legs are normally not an emergency, but if Piper seems to be in severe pain an hour after the injury, then it would be best to take her to the emergency vet to at-least get her some pain medication. Otherwise, this can wait until the next day for a vet to examine the hurt leg. For now, you can apply ice to the hurt leg for 15 minutes twice a day, to help decrease inflammation and help relieve the pain. It's also good to let her rest until she's back to normal. I don't recommend giving any human medication for pain, because they are often toxic at low doses. Only give medication as directed by a veterinarian. I hope that helps and Piper gets better soon.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on June 9th, 2019

    Poor Kona! If she's acting okay otherwise, you could try restricting her exercise for the next 2-3 days (short leash walks to potty only, no running or jumping) to see if the limping resolves. Usually, if it's just a minor soft tissue injury, things will be back to normal in a few days. If there is no improvement after 2-3 days, or if she won't bear any weight at all on the leg or seems excessively painful, then I would recommend taking her in sooner for an exam and x-rays.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on December 23rd, 2016

    Poor Whiskey! It sounds like he may have sprained or twisted something in his front leg. If he's walking on the leg and bearing weight without any problems, you could try restricting his exercise as much as possible over the weekend to give the injury a chance to rest - short leash walks to potty only, no running or jumping. Most mild soft tissue injuries like this resolve in 2-3 days with rest. If he's still limping on Monday, or if he starts holding the leg up completely or seems excessively painful, it would be best to have him examined by a vet since he may need x-rays to help determine what's wrong.

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