Hey, this happens to dogs sometimes. They'll limp and a couple hours later it goes away like nothing happened. Probably best not to play catch though and aggravate it. Try to keep her somewhat still. Maybe a good chewie? Meanwhile, feel the leg again, gently rotating it. If it doesn't cause her to cry out or yelp or anything, it's probably fine. If she's still limping 24 hours later, time for a vet visit.

I live on a farm and we had a similar problem with our Kelpie ... It wasn't until a day that I took her to the vet, believing it was nothing ... It turned out after major leg surgery that she had stood on a grass seed in a field, ... it penertrated her paw then traveling through her blood stream to lodge itself in the uppr leg ... The vet said 4 or so more hours and she would have died ... If you are in doubt ... go immediately to the vet ... Goodluck!

I agree that you should wait and see if she heals naturally - especially since she is not demonstrating that she is in pain. Dogs have a funny way of doing that! Limping can also be a sign of the beginnings of hip dysplasia - it may not cause her pain yet becasue she is limping to correct it.

It could be a problem with a toe nail. It could be that she has sprained her foot, leg, shoulder. It could be neck or back related. Animals do not always react to discomfort as do people, they frequently "push through" pain, until it is so bad they can't. I would say feel about from the foot to the shoulder, also the neck and back...and see if you catch any reaction...it would be a possible jerking of the head, in response to the pain, or squinting of the eyes, laying the ears more flatly back to the head, or attempting to pull the leg or body away from the touch...moving away from your touch. If it doesn't appear to be going away or if you find a toe nail about to come off (could also be bruised) give your Vet a call...to at least consult by phone. If it's a bruised or strained muscle, you CAN ice it...be sure to place a bit of cloth or a paper towel between the ice bag and the dog. 15 minutes on...25 minutes off...repeat at least twice...then do it again later in the day.

In addition to all the other suggestions, It may be that she has a rock or splinter or something stuck in her paw. Check out her foot for anything out of the ordinary. Even if the object is no longer there, maybe she stepped on something earlier, and it hurt her foot enough to make her limp to try to avoid stepping on it wrong, but not enough to make it appear she is in any real pain. When in doubt, call the vet. That's what they're there for!

we had a lab that did that....we thought she pulled a muscle in her leg - she ended up needing ACL surgery on her hind leg. I would just watch her and see if it stops or gets worse.

Today the same thing happened to my dog. After examining her several times today, I have realized it is her toe nail but nothing seems to look out of the ordinary. I clipped her toenail, hoping that would fix the problem, as they were kinda long. She seemed to be fine for a while after that. Several hours later, she is limping again. I have felt all around her leg and foot and her pain is coming from her toenail. She yelps when I touch it. I have no clue what to do!! If anyone could help me out, I would very much appreciate it...I hate seeing her in pain.

My Zeus, a 95 lb lab/golden retriever mix, is limping bad on his left forepaw. I tried to cut his nails, but not only were they not long, but he wouldn't let me touch them. I think it is the first joint (knee?) that is bothering him. What is making me worried is that it is very floppy--it he is walking fast, it just kinda swings back and forth. Also, he has taken to urinating very frequently. One ear is reddish, but he will not let me near enough to clean it. He is still jumping, and also whining constantly... what do I do?? It has been a really bad pay week, and I can't afford a vet, but I'm really scared!!!!

Ok people...animals do not show pain the same way humans do. They won't tell you right away when something hurts. It is instinct for them to hide pain. In the wild, the weak animals don't make it very long. As a response, animals (yes, even the household dog or cat) do not show you how much they hurt. If you notice your dog limping, look at the leg, foot, knee, shoulder, etc. If you don't see anything and the limping is not horrible, wait a few days to see if it goes away. If it doesn't go away, go to the vet. If you do see something, go to the vet. Moral of the story - You are not a vet. You will not be able to figure out what's wrong with your pet unless it is something extremely obvious. If you wait to go to the vet, you are rolling the dice with your pet's health. The vet might say that all the dog needs is rest. The vest might also say that the dog needs surgery. You won't know until you go to the vet. I don't want to sound mean-hearted but...if you can't afford to take your animal to the vet when there is something clearly wrong with them, maybe you shouldn't have a pet that costs so much money (like a dog or cat). Try getting something cheaper and smaller (like a hamster or something). If you LOVE cats and dogs and can't live without them, you can volunteer at an animal shelter - take care of the dogs, walk them, be their friend. But don't put the extra burden on yourself to pay for their daily care as well as medical care...

maybe you should take her to the vet