Pet Meds Blog

A client came in today to the clinic and asked about her limping dog, and whether there was anything that she could do at home for her pet before bringing it in to the clinic. Limping can have many possible causes from soft tissue injury/trauma to more complicated issues such as tick born diseases such like Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, as well as ligament problems such as tears in the cruciate ligament (known as ACL tear) or patella tendon injury of the back legs.

Depending upon the age and medical history of the pet, these factors will determine whether I will recommend any at home remedies for an acutely limping dog. If a dog is not on any other steroid or non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, and there is no history of bleeding disorders or digestive sensitivities, I will sometimes recommend buffered aspirin at a dose of up to 5 mg per pound once to twice daily with food. As a more natural alternative, I will sometimes suggest all natural white willow bark from the health food store, which is in fact the herbal derivative of aspirin.

All natural Yucca Intensive as well as Bach flower rescue remedy can also help ease the emotional and physical discomfort in many limping dogs. I have also found the supplement DGP (Dog Gone Pain) often helpful as well.  Many acutely limping pets are often prescribed non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as Rimadyl, Deramaxx, or Previcox by a veterinarian, in addition to other pain medications such as Tramadol.  I will often try these measures first before expensive workups, when initially presented with a limping pet. However, if the limping is persistent or worsens, then a full workup including x-rays and possibly testing for tick born diseases is often indicated.

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