limping

Is your dog suddenly hopping on one rear leg? Is your dog overweight? Was your pet neutered or spayed before 6 months of age? Then your pet may be suffering from anterior or cranial cruciate rupture. The AVMA estimates that pet owners spend over $1.32 billion yearly for the repair of rupture anterior cruciate ligaments on their pets.

Do you have a toy breed of dog that is running on three legs? Is the leg that is being held up a rear one? Then you are possibly dealing with Medial Patellar Luxation (MPL), the most common congenital abnormality seen in dogs. In one study >7% of puppies were affected. MPL is most frequently seen in small breeds of dogs, however the frequency in larger breeds is increasing. Small breeds commonly affected include miniature poodles, Yorkshire terriers, Cairn terriers, toy poodles, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Pekingese, Boston terriers, and the Maltese.

Is your dog limping? Does that limp appear to shift from one leg to another? Is your dog under two years of age and a large or giant-sized breed? Then your dog may be suffering from canine panosteitis or eosinophilic panosteitis.

Is your pet having more difficulty getting up in the morning? Does he or she walk around still legged for the first 10 to 15 minutes in the morning to get warmed up? Is your pet limping especially on those cold, wet, rainy mornings? Does your pet limp around following that Frisbee session? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then your pet is probably suffering from osteoarthritis.

Feline Calicivirus (FCV) is an important and common cause of Upper Respiratory Infection (URD) and oral disease in cats. This virus occurs worldwide with various strains that vary greatly in virulence (the ability to produce disease). Clinical disease may vary from subclinical (not clinically apparent) to combinations of oral, respiratory disease, and lameness. There are more than 40 strains of FCV, one of which may have high mortality rates and is referred to as the virulent systemic (VS), or the hemorrhagic form of FCV.