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Question

A few weeks ago my 6 month old dog (rottweiler) jumped off the top of my couch. We have tile floor so when he fell he did a pretty bad split. He didn't complain really, however he appeared to be sore ever since. I am wondering what it could be and what do you recommend i do?

Submitted: 39 days and 4 hours ago.
Category: Dog
Value: $13
Status: CLOSED
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Optional Information

Pet's Sex: Male
Pet's Age: <1

Already Tried:
Massage's and warm baths

Posted by Walter 39 days and 4 hours ago.

Answer

Hello,

 

A few weeks has been long enough that if this was just a pulled muscle or strain he would not still be sore. It sounds like he may have done more damage and I suspect torn ligaments or even a fracture in the hips. When a dogs body is forced into a unnatural position such as a split it places a great deal of pressure on the hips which could have caused a small fracture or dislocation in the hips.

 

He will need to see his vet and get a xray done to see what kind of damages he has and begin treatment. I suspect that he has fractured the hip based on what you are describing and this will not likely heal on its own. Depending on what type of injury it is he may need the bone reset of he may need some steroids to help with swelling.

 

You can use ice packs (Ice wrapped in towels) to place on the leg to help with swelling. You can give aspirin as long as there are no bleeding conditions present and as long as the dog is not on any naisads from the vet. Also if any corticosteroids in a oral or injectable form have been given you can not give aspirin.The dosage for aspirin is 5mgs per pound of body weight every 12 hours for a maximum of two days. If the dog can not have aspirin you can use the ice compresses only.

Keeping the dog immobile is the biggest issue......the last thing you want is for the dog to further injure the leg. If you have a crate now is the time to use it to keep the dog from moving around until you can see the vet. Otherwise a small area closed off will work as well.

 

I would strongly suggest that you call his vet and set up a appointment for a xray.

 

Walter

39 days and 4 hours ago.

Reply

Should he be able to walk and run with a fractured hip? Because he still does. Don't get me wrong it has been getting better. However, you can still see a bit of stiffness on his hind legs.

Accepted Answer

Hello,

 

If the fracture was small yes, keep in mind that dogs do adapt pretty quickly and even a fracture will begin to heal allowing the dog to run and play. But over time this will cause a distinctive limp and sever artritis if not treated. Of course I do not have a xray of your dog, so I can only tell you what the injury sounds like based on your description......I wish I could give you a hundred percent recommendation of what it is, but without a xray my hands are tied.

 

The issue is, we don't know what is causing it, but I can tell you that a strain or a muscle pull would have healed up 100% by now. So I can safely say it isn't either of those things. It is possible that he has a torn ACL or some torn ligaments in the hip. Its also possible that when he hit the ground that the hip joint came out of socket and when it popped back it it caused deep bone bruising. Of course over a couple weeks this would not still be bothering him so it is more unlikely.

 

The only way to know for sure is a xray. If you want to try and treat this at home, then he will need complete bed rest for at least a week, using massage, and dog pain reliever from your pet store. You can try heat wraps on the hips as well. I would suggest using a hand examination up and down both legs, the hips and back to see if you can determine the injury location and you can use heat alternated with cold packs 3 times a day.

 

Walter

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Expert: Walter
Pos. Feedback: 99.7 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 10/15/2009

Breeder

Breeder and pet health consultant. Have spent a number of years with dog rescue, training and health

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