Lameness in dogs

Content by Dr Nicole Olewinski – BVSc MRCVS

Lameness is when a dog isn’t using one or more legs normally. This can be as obvious as holding one leg up in the air, or a vague stiffness that’s more noticeable at some times rather than others. The problem can come and go in the space of a day or two or be a permanent change to the way a dog walks.

Lameness is normally caused by a problem with the musculoskeletal system – meaning bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Some causes of lameness can lead to lasting weakness or arthritis, but a lot of the time dogs make a full recovery.

• Lameness is often a sign of pain or inflammation
• Some vets grade lameness from 1-5 or 1-10
• Lameness can be permanent or temporary
• Other legs have to work harder to compensate

When thinking about the causes of lameness, it’s easier and quicker to think in terms of categories. These categories help owners and vets narrow down the list of possibilities and move forward in the most appropriate way:

• Soft tissue injuries: bruised muscles, sprains, strains and overuse injuries
• Breaks and dislocations: often, though not always, owners will witness an accident
• Foot problems: ingrowing nails, foreign bodies (grass seeds/glass), pododermatitis, ulcerated pads from overuse or hot pavements, corns
• Developmental issues: elbow dysplasia and hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)
• Arthritis: age-related or, much more rarely, infection or immune-mediated arthritis
• Spinal: deformities, disc disease, spinal strokes or arthritis
• Cruciate disease and meniscal injury
• Degenerative muscle or neurological conditions

Although not a direct cause, being overweight can make lameness more likely, while carrying extra weight or having an unbalanced diet can also affect recovery.

Lameness affects dogs of any breed and any age. There are some specific conditions causing lameness, like hip or elbow dysplasia or luxating patellas, where some breeds are more prone to problems… But the list of breed predispositions is too long to be useful in the context of general lameness.  

The obvious sign of lameness is when a dog holds up their leg or walks in an abnormal way, and often pain will lead them to lick or guard the area.

When vets score lameness, often out of 5 or 10, the higher the number, the more noticeable and significant the lameness is. A high-grade lameness isn’t necessarily more serious or painful, though – it’s just a helpful way to track improvement over time. 

When it comes to subtle or low-grade lameness, it can be more noticeable when a dog does the following things: 

• Eating or drinking: some dogs may even start lying down
• Toileting: some dogs will stop cocking their leg to urinate or struggle to position to pass faeces
• Jumping: difficulty getting on and off the sofa or in and out of the car
• Slopes: going up or down very steep slopes can put more strain on back or front legs respectively
• Turning: dogs will often struggle to pivot or turn on a sore or weak leg  

In rare cases, some nerve issues can cause strange sensations that will lead a dog to bite or even chew on their leg more intensively – sometimes even causing damage. 

Diagnosing lameness can be as simple as watching a dog walk, and in some cases, pinpointing the exact nature of the problem just isn’t needed. For example, for a dog with a mild lameness that slipped on a tiled floor running for its dinner, the cause is obvious. And if the symptoms disappear in two days, identifying exactly which muscle or tendon was sprained isn’t important.   

When lameness looks as though it may have longer-lasting implications or accurate diagnosis will affect the treatment choice, vets may use a combination of the following to work out where the problem is and how serious it might be:

• A clinical history
• General physical examination
• Orthopaedic or neurological examination
• X-rays
• Blood tests
• Ultrasound
• Advanced imaging techniques like CT or MRI
• Joint or spinal fluid testing
• Force plate or gait analysis
• Nerve conduction studies

For many dogs, the most effective treatment combination is rest, controlled exercise and – when appropriate – NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce pain and inflammation. This gives the injury time to heal without putting the area under more strain or forcing other areas to compensate.

Additional treatments depend on the severity, cause and whether there is a need for a long-term management plan. Treatment may include:

• Hydrotherapy
• Physiotherapy and massage
• Temporary support dressings
• Laser therapy
• Surgery
• Targeted treatment for specific underlying causes

Prognosis can range from complete recovery to ongoing issues and pain management. Many episodes of lameness are caused by relatively minor soft tissue injuries and resolve quickly, sometimes without the dog ever needing to see a vet.

While the chances of lameness being the symptom of a life-threatening condition are extremely small, sudden or severe lameness should always be taken seriously.

“All my dogs have limped at one time or another, sometimes weekly after zoomie-related accidents. Some have had underlying problems such as luxating patellas or lumbosacral disease, while one young dog with vision problems insisted on racing around and bumping into things.

“They also vary enormously in how they express pain. My sweet elderly sofa companion does not hesitate to bite me when she’s hurting; my stoical crossbreed limps without showing much pain and often chooses to rest himself. He will, however, 100% find a way to remove and eat any bandage or dressing I put on him. My goofy Pointer cross will injure himself, only realise later and then act like it’s the end of the world. No two dogs – or episodes of lameness – are the same.

“I do recommend learning to grade your dog’s lameness and pain. It can help you describe problems to your vet and track changes over time. However, when it comes to resting your dog, I know it’s easier said than done. The key is rest without boredom, because that’s when problems happen. My elderly dog is perfectly happy to rest, but my youngest quickly becomes destructive and can get himself into more trouble by chewing and swallowing things he shouldn’t. When he needs to rest, I take him outside on a lead several times a day just to sniff. It breaks up the monotony and engages his brain, while lick mats and appropriate things to chew keep him occupied indoors.”

Dr Nicole Olewinski – BVSc MRCVS

Be sure to tell us about your dog’s lameness when you get a quote for Lifetime Plus insurance and we’ll see if we can cover them*.

Always declare every condition they’ve had in the last two years – including those which need ongoing treatment, monitoring or check-ups. This way we can offer the exact level of cover for your dog’s individual needs.

Find out more about our dog insurance for pre-existing medical conditions.