Swollen legs in dogs

La swollen paws in dogs, It is a fairly common problem for these animals. And although this disease is not usually dangerous or lethal, depending on the causes, it can be quite uncomfortable and painful, since as we should imagine, the dog's hooves are a very sensitive place.

Generally, swollen legs are caused by some foreign body that gets caught between your pads or the animal's toes. In the same way, they can also be quite common causes, wounds, broken fingers or nails, constant licking and biting this area, or insect bites. It is very important that at the first sign of pain or lameness on the part of the animal, we try to check its hooves, to see what is happening to it. If we do not find anything with the naked eye, but we notice that the pain persists, we must take it as soon as possible to the vet so that it can perform the pertinent examinations.

To provide our animals with immediate attention We recommend that you follow the following steps: first of all, you must check that your feet do not have any type of object trapped between your toes or pads. Then, check that there are no puncture wounds or some type of insect bite that may be causing the discomfort.

If you can't see any kind of problem or item caught in your feetCheck the animal's leg to make sure they do not have any type of object that could be causing swelling and pain. Put the dog's hoof to soak in a solution of mineral salts, with warm water to clean the wound (if there is one) and also to reduce the swelling. If you notice that there is an injury or your animal continues to limp, you should call the vet to recommend what to do or to take it to him as soon as possible.

What is inflammation of the paws of dogs?

The legs of dogs and unlike our feet, they are very delicate parts of your body, which can be injured by many causes.

Symptom

• Limp
• Groans when you touch the area
• Inflammation
• Redness
• Loss of part of the skin
• Liquid
• Foreign masses on the legs or tumors
• Bleeding
• Flat areas

Here's what you need to know about swollen paws.

What are the causes of swollen paws?

Swollen legs they are not a diseaseRather, they are considered a temporary condition, as can a fever or cough. That's why there is no single cause of swelling in a dog's paws.

However, there are various factors that can cause your dog's paws to start to swell and are the following.

• Self injury: Generally, dogs tend to lick or bite their paws. However, in many cases it can happen that continuous rubbing or the application of a lot of force causes the legs to start to swell.
• Strange objects: Dogs, unlike us, have bare feet all the time and despite the fact that the pads of their paws protect the membrane between them, they are still vulnerable to different external factors.
• Things like pieces of glass, stones and even a very rustic floor It can cause a dog's paws to swell. The same happens with children's toys, sharp kitchen objects, jewelry, etc.
• Animals: Some animals can cause your dog's paws to swell, such as insects. Generally, insects tend to bite dogs, since they are always in contact with nature. So an insect bite can turn you from a small to a more serious inflammation.
  Other animals can cause your dog's hooves to swell, for example, if you have birds in the house and they are aggressive, they may peck your dog. Likewise, pets tend to hurt themselves when they play, so your dog's paws can become inflamed.
• Wounds: Wounds are a consequence of most of the above causes and basically encompasses almost all other causes of swollen paws. As in our body, a wound can cause our dog's leg to become inflamed, causing a lot of pain.
• Organism: There are breeds of dogs that are more prone than others to have inflammation in the hooves, since their organisms can present conditions that make this painful condition prone. Such can be: decrease in thyroid hormone, increase in the level of steroids, hormonal disorders, etc.
• Other causes: Bacteria, fungi, parasites, poor skin cleaning, cancer, bumps and irritants in the environment

How to prevent swollen paws in dogs?

Basically there are many factors that can cause swollen legs in dogs and they can really get out of our control. However, at home there are certain things that we can put into practice to make sure that our dogs' legs do not become inflamed and these are the following:

Check Your Dog Constantly: You don't need your dog to get sick for a checkup, so try to check it at least 3 times a week carefully and do a quick scan of your body every day. This is because although swollen paws are detected by the dog's pain, there are many diseases that show symptoms until it is very advanced, so you can avoid a tragedy with prevention.

Explore very well that there are no foreign objects between the pads and that it does not have any type of bite or injury. Your dog's legs generally have a lot of debris, so it is important that you shake them a little before going to sleep, as some of them can get into the membrane or the pads.

Related article:

How to take care of the dog's pads?

Do not leave sharp objects on the ground: Remember that sharp objects can injure on your dog's hooves, so try to avoid leaving objects that you know could hurt him on the ground. Likewise, when you walk with him, avoid areas where the floor is very rustic or where there is a lot of debris, as some can get into its legs.

Visit the vet: Remember that there are organic causes that can cause swollen paws in your dog, so it is recommended that you are taking him to the vet frequently, as you can prevent an even greater disease or condition.

Check his behavior: If your dog licks or chews his hooves a lot, it is probably that something is bothering him in the area. Do not take it as normal behavior and always be watch out for all symptoms that your dog present, as they may indicate that something is damaging its paws.

How to treat swollen paws?

Once you know what the symptoms, causes and prevention of swollen paws are, it is time for you to know how to treat this problem.

• The first thing you should do, when you notice that your dog has swollen paws, is check very well what is the cause that causes it.
• If it is inside your house and it is a preventable cause, eliminate all those factors that cause inflammation, so that it does not continue to last.
• If your dog's hooves have any foreign bodies, such as chips, crystals or stones, remove them from the area and then disinfect it. If you notice that the area is black or purple or that over the days it changes color, go immediately to the vet as this indicates infection.
• If you notice lumps or small tumors on the legs, do not try to remove them yourself, as this must be done surgically by the vet.
• If you notice that you have a shallow wound, disinfect the area and clean it well. If the wounds are very deep or very exposed, see the vet immediately.
• The best way to clean an infected paw is with saline solution. Saline solution is an excellent cleanser that does not cause side effects and is very easy to find at any pharmacy.
• Do not apply pills or other pain relievers to your dogs' paws, as you don't know how their body can react. If you have already eliminated the cause of the inflammation, the pain will pass over the days.
• If you notice that your dog's paw is still swollen or that you can't figure out the cause of the swelling, see your doctor for a thorough checkup.
• Also check your dog's entire leg, as the cause may be a little higher and make sure there is no type of injury.
• If the cause is a wound, do not disinfect the area and cover it or try to close it yourself, if it is very large.
• Remember that the main treatment for swollen paws is the prevention. The membranes between your dogs' toes are very delicate and although they are protected by the pads, they can be prone to injury.
• If you cannot remove the object that is causing the inflammation of your dog's hoof, take it to the vet, since wounds and organic causes must be cared for by specialists. Avoid using ointments, anesthesia or creams for pain, since your dog's body is not the same as ours, so you can cause an adverse reaction.

Swollen legs from a sprain

As we have seen, there are many reasons why a dog can suffer, throughout its life, from this leg problem. However, some have a better solution than others, and you will often have to deal with such situations.

For this reason, we want to give you the way to act in the face of the most common related to inflamed legs in dogs. And the first thing may be due to a sprain.

Like humans, dogs can also damaging their legs with a bad step. A twist, a sudden movement ... can cause the ligaments of the joints, as well as the muscle fibers, to be stressed to the point of breaking partially or completely. And that would cause, in addition to pain, the fact that the legs would swell. Your own dog will warn you, first with the swelling, but it will also limp, it will have a lot of sensitivity in the area (preventing you from touching it) and it will even be more stressed due to the pain it feels.

What to do if your dog has leg swelling from a sprain? In this case, the best solution is to take him to the vet so that he can examine the ailment and know the degree of sprain you have (In some cases it requires surgery if it is very serious). This can be determined by palpation and x-ray of the paw. After this, the most normal thing is for the vet to prescribe a series of drugs that will calm the pain and reduce the inflammation. In addition, it must be in complete rest for a few days and, after that, take it to review to see if it heals.

Inflamed legs due to pododermatitis

Another ailment that explains the inflammation of the legs in dogs is the so-called pododermatitis. It is a swelling that occurs in the interdigital spaces in the legs, that is, near where the pads and your fingers are. Normally, this is because he has touched something, a foreign body has been nailed to him or he has an injury in that area. It is very common in dogs that tend to run a lot, jump or hunt, especially if they go through fields or where the ground is dirty and stones, thorns, crystals, etc. can be stuck in.

Among the symptoms that will make you act, is the fact that there is redness throughout the area of ​​the leg, as well as inflammation, small lumps, wounds, lameness ... All of this can also be a problem of poor circulation, trauma (from a blow), from a fall ... Therefore, the best thing to do is go to the vet to examine the injury. What this will do is observe the leg well, sometimes even with a zoom device in case it had an object stuck, or for another reason.

In general, if pododermatitis occurs in several limbs, it is easier to determine that you are facing this problem, but it does not have to. Thus, it is best to examine the skin and fur in the area for parasites as well as a blood test and even a biopsy.

Regarding its treatment, this consists of antibiotics, if it is of bacterial origin; antifungals, if there are fungi, or antiparasitics if there are parasites. When it is produced by a foreign body, the area is removed and cleaned, administering a few days of antibiotic medication so that it does not become infected.

Cold compresses, serum and even mild soap They may be other options to relieve the dog of the pain it may suffer.

Inflamed legs due to arthritis and / or osteoarthritis

Unfortunately, dogs can also suffer from arthritis and / or osteoarthritis throughout their lives. It almost always appears in advanced age, but it does not mean that young people cannot suffer from it. And one of the symptoms is that its legs will swell in several periods. Pain, little desire to go out, lack of appetite, etc. they may be signs that there is a problem.

Again, the best option you have is to go to the vet so that, through a blood test determine the degree of arthritis and / or osteoarthritis that the dog has and gives you a treatment to alleviate it in some way, or even to try to stop or slow down its progress.

There is no cure for this disease, but palliatives that help to cope better. Hyaluronic acid pills as well as specific anti-inflammatories can help relieve you at the most critical moments when your dog is in pain and swollen legs. Hyaluronic acid can be taken for a long time since it is a support to reduce the consequences of the disease.

However, with regard to the anti-inflammatory, it is not advisable to abuse it because, in the long run, it would stop working and it would be worse for the poor animal.

Legs swollen from allergy

Finally, we are going to talk to you about how to treat inflamed paws of the dog when they are due to an allergy. Normally, the allergy that causes the legs to swell is because it has passed through an area where the rubbing has generated a reaction in its body. As for the pain, it does not usually have as much, and although it may bother him, he does not shy away from being able to touch the area, although it will be sore.

It can also be due to an insect bite or even food you have eaten and are allergic to, so swollen paws can be a symptom of problems.

In any case, the first thing to do is wash with water, and if it can be with soap, the entire area with the aim of eliminating the substance that may be causing the problem. In many cases, once this is done, and after a few hours, the inflammation disappears. But, if this is not the case, or your pet has difficulty breathing, is doing it badly or you notice that his throat swells, again you will have to go to the vet and urgently.

This will examine the leg to see if a foreign body may have lodged that is causing the inflammation. He may prescribe some treatment, either with creams or pills such as antihistamines or glucocorticoids, to see how the animal reacts and if the inflammation begins to disappear.

Of course, it goes without saying that it is important to know what your dog is allergic to in order to avoid exposing him to the same situation again. Sometimes allergies can be mild, but these are more serious depending on how your pet behaves.