Common Causes of Dog Limb Limping: Identifying and Trea

Common conditions in limping cases include fractures, herniated discs, vitamin B deficiencies in the nutritional metabolism system, myositis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

1. Fractures: A fracture occurs when the external force exceeds the bone's limit of tolerance, causing the bone's integrity or continuity to be damaged at the point of force application. This damage is often accompanied by varying degrees of injury to surrounding soft tissues, such as muscle contusions and tears, vascular tears, nerve contusions and tears, and even skin lacerations. Fractures are categorized as open or closed; complete or incomplete; simple, comminuted, or segmental. Xray imaging can confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment: After a fracture, the dog should be kept calm. In the case of an open fracture with bleeding, emergency bandaging is required to prevent excessive blood loss and contamination. Current treatment methods for fractures often involve external fixation and internal fixation, with internal fixation being more common for fractures above the elbow joint. External fixation involves the use of fine straps, plaster bandages, or metal supports. Internal fixation may include the use of bone pins, bone plates with screws, wire fixation, or frame fixation techniques. Medications include pain relievers, and for open fractures, antibiotics and tetanus antitoxin injections to prevent infection.

2. Herniated Disc Syndrome: Herniated disc syndrome occurs when the intervertebral disc tissue is compressed or protrudes, causing compression of the spinal cord, spinal nerves, or nerve roots. It is categorized into two types: Type I and Type II disc herniation. Clinical presentation and Xray imaging serve as the initial basis for diagnosis, with 85% to 97% of cases confirmed through myelography.

Treatment: Conservative treatment includes enforced rest, activity restriction, pain relief, and the elimination of urinary retention. For cases with a short duration (within 1 to 1 month), acupuncture (white needle) combined with hydrotherapy can be effective. It is also recommended to massage the dog's lumbar and hind limb muscles for about 30 minutes daily to prevent muscle atrophy.

3. Nutritional Metabolic Disease: B vitamins play a crucial role in maintaining the function of the nervous system, particularly Vitamin B1, B6, and B12. The main cause of vitamin B deficiency in dogs is a longterm diet consisting primarily of meat, leading to nutritional imbalance. Low levels of vitamin B can cause damage to the nervous system, leading to motor nerve dysfunction and inflammation, resulting in limping in clinical settings. Xray imaging does not show any abnormalities in the intervertebral discs. Dogs of different breeds, ages, and genders can be affected by this condition. A preliminary diagnosis can be made based on a history of vitamin B deficiency in the diet and clinical symptoms. The use of multivitamins can significantly improve the diagnosis.

Treatment: The treatment principle for this condition is inflammation and pain relief, as well as nerve nourishment. For dogs with high body temperature, antiinflammatory drugs such as ampicillin or amoxicillin should be administered. Vitamin supplementation should focus on Vitamin B1, B6, and B12, with other trace elements and calcium added in appropriate amounts.

4. Myositis: Myositis is an inflammatory disease of muscle fibers, muscle bundles, and the connective tissue between them. It can be classified into traumatic, rheumatic, and infectious myositis, and according to the nature of inflammation, it can be further divided into suppurative, parenchymal, interstitial, fibrous, and ossifying myositis. A preliminary diagnosis can be made based on the medical history and clinical symptoms, with electromyography (ENG) showing no muscle activity in chronic myositis and incomplete fibrosis of muscle fibers.

Treatment: Symptomatic treatment methods are used. For acute cases, the dog should stop activity, and cold and hot compresses should be applied. The affected area should be treated with procaine and penicillin to prevent infection, and ointments such as honghua oil and ichthyol ointment can be applied. Intravenous injections of sodium bicarbonate, sodium salicylate, and corticosteroids can be given. Antibiotics and analgesics should be administered intramuscularly. For chronic cases, massage and the application of stimulating ointments such as honghua oil or huoluo oil, or the use of infrared light or specific electromagnetic wave (TDP) therapy can be effective. For suppurative cases, antibiotics should be administered intramuscularly, and the abscess should be incised and treated as a suppurative wound when it is mature.

5. Rheumatism: Canine rheumatism refers to recurrent acute or chronic nonsuppurative inflammation. From the perspective of traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, dogs suffering from winddampness can lead to blockages in meridians, stagnation of Qi and blood, causing muscle and joint pain, limited range of motion, and even joint swelling and deformation.

Xray imaging shows increased Xray permeability under the subchondral bone in the early stages of the disease. Diagnosis is primarily based on medical history and clinical symptoms, with a sensitivity to salicylate preparations being a diagnostic characteristic. Xray imaging can serve as a diagnostic basis.

Treatment: The treatment principle for rheumatism is to eliminate the cause, relieve fever and pain, eliminate inflammation, expel wind and dampness, and strengthen feeding management. For chronic and severe cases, surgical treatment can be considered for the joints of dogs (except for the hip joint in dogs), such as synovial scraping, local excision, and joint capsule incision.