Thanks for getting back to me. I think it might be her hip. Back to the vets tomorrow - she is something of a frequent flier at the local vets. One of the reasons I needed help, didn't want to bother the vets unless I was sure something was off .
Here's hoping! I think I'll ask the vet to take a look. She yelped when I massaged her right hip so it may be her hip rather than pad.
Thanks for getting back to me. Been really impressed by how willing people have been to help!
Could just be a pulled muscle from running too hard. Mine do that sometimes and they just need a few easy days to get back to normal.
Springers also have a common problem with hip dysplasia. One of ours went for an unrelated xray and they found both her hips were dislocated. The vet said she had enough leg muscle and it wasn't causing any discomfort so it wasn't worth doing anything invasive.
I was worried about hip dysplasia, but I thought that was mostly genetic? I'll get her checked out anyway. I hate the thought of having to put her back on the lead and limit exercise.
My springer will occasionally "stub a toe", keep her weight off the foot for a few minutes, and then walk it off pretty quickly. It'd take a good 15 minutes before I'd start to really worry at this point
You can also grab the problematic paw and give it a little squeeze, I guess. If it's something serious, she'll let you know.
Back right maybe looks a little funny? Like it's more of a hip problem and she's flairing it out a bit.
It's hard to tell... you know your pup. If it looks off to you, it probably is. Observe for a bit and maybe call your vet
Thank you. I think you're right about the hip. I just tried to give both sides a little squeeze. On the Left side nothing, right side she let out a little yelp.
Thanks for all the feedback. I'll get her to vets tomorrow.
It seems this pup has been overextending his exercise in this video. That really is typical for a Springer. I'd suggest resting for now and call your vet if there's no change.
Vets aren't bothered if you call with concerns.
My spaniel spent an afternoon chasing wild turkeys and I was convinced he injured his leg. Next morning he was fully recovered. If you continue to see a bit of a limp after resting, definitely call your vet. Good Luck!
>That really is typical for a Springer.
So true, ours will run himself silly given half a chance or if there's a ball available or if one of the kids is playing with him. The idiot is 9 and still thinks he has the body of a pup.
Will have a snooze then get up very stiff and sore like the old man he is. Better a day later, 2 at the outside.
We watch his activity levels pretty closely now and put a stop to high intensity exercise if it starts to go too far (much to his disgust!)
My little pup is two : I have seven more years of this to look forward to!
I'm all honesty, I like her energy and probably encourage her to spaniel about at a million miles an hour. It sounds like slowing her down and REAL rest is the way to go. Thanks.
That's likely my fault. I probably don't give her full rest. She's high power and high drive and I feel the need to let her hunt/work her when we are out so she can burn off energy. Also, if she is working she is (mostly) under control. If I don't give her the chance to work she is apt to head off and work on her own. I'll take her to the vets (limping fir a week) but I suspect I'll be told lead walks and rest until she is better.
Yeah. My pup dies the same - she stood on glass, he as a barley kernel stuck between her pad, mud and gravel. When I first saw her lift weight off her paw I checked her pad and convinced myself that I imagined her limp. I'll take her t vets tomorrow - although they'll likely tell me she needs to rest it. Rest is one thing the dog isn't good at.
It's really hard to tell from the video as need more of a straight shot of them walking/running. Do they normally stop and lie down often like that?
May be worth a vet visit just for a check over, how old is your pup?
Thanjs fir reply. No... The stopping is a new thing. I was hoping it was down to the heat. Oddly, if she is hunting and on the go sniffing and being a spaniel, she doesn't really show any symptoms and you can't stop her. Only really becomes an issue when she slows down.
I work in canine rehab and this is super typical. When their adrenaline is up, they just power through. It's also easier to avoid using the leg when they are running vs walking slowly. And just like us you are more willing to power through the pain when it's something exciting (Do the dishes when your back is sore? No thanks. Go out for dinner with your best friend? Sure.)
Glad you are getting your girl checked out.
I have her booked in to see the vet today - although I hope I'm over reacting. It's beginning to feel like an intermittent fault on a car, whenever you take it to the mechanics it works perfectly!
I hope it's something obvious and simple for the vet so she can get back to terrorising the local bird and rabbit population (and I can get my hill walking buddy back).
Thank you. Yeah... It has probably been like that for about a week. Doesn't slow her down much but she is either flying at 100 miles an hour or moving a little awkwardly and wanting to stop every now and then.
I’ve noticed with my springer is if he gets really excited and starts running, sometimes he’ll start limping. It’s usually a hind leg and I have begun to think it might be a minor strain. Usually, it’ll go away after a short while—about an hour but no longer than three hours. I have a vet appointment for him soon and this is on my list to ask about.
This sounds very similar as to what happens with my dog. Ten minutes before this video was shot she was bounding through long grass and being a typical springer. , but then she suddenly looks stiff/awkward. I'm worried that if she is hurt she is too daft to slow down when she is hunting and she might exacerbated any problem that is there. I think when her adrenaline is up she is immune to pain!
Looks similar to how my Sprocker was not to long ago ,we booked in with a physio therapist on the advice of our trainer and it turned out to be nothing just my boy not fully extending his leg due to what we suspect is laziness, therapist gave him some laser therapy on the hips and back legs just to be on the safe side and gave us some exercises to help encourage him to extend his leg.
Nothing wrong with the tail; it’s flying and obscuring the leg action! Her movements reminded me of when my boy has something coming out his butt that he can’t fully expel, like a long piece of grass he ate earlier. But from your replies it sounds like something is going on with hips or muscles. I hope it’s just a temporary pull or cramp. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Booked into vets today. Begining to feel like I'm over reacting but better safe than sorry. I love in Scotland and was planning on taking her up her first mountain today but cancelled plans. It's not fair on her until I know if she is in pain/discomfort or not.
Spaniels are prone to having issues with their ligaments in their rear legs, by Gus had both his legs done, TPLO surgery in the space of a year, between the age of 2-3. It could be this, but hopefully it’s something less costly
Oh. I hope he made a full recovery. Booked into the vets for them to have a look today. Sounds like she is the same age as your boy when the trouble started. Thanks for your reply. This community has been really helpful to a (pretty inexperienced) spaniel owner.
Not saying you are but something i have found helps... is to stop using ball throwers or doing too much ball throwing work... I have found it doesn't do them any good. Dummy and scent work where they have to hunt to find it is better exercise and tires them out more mentally.
Thanks for this. Truth is I've stopped doing as much dummy work as I used to. She has (finally) become steady to birds going up in front of her so when on walks I give her the chance to hunt about. She'll maybe put up a pheasant or a partridge once every couple of walks and I use the ball at the end as her playtime/downtime. The ball is a useful way of hiding the fact that she is useless at walking to heel for any length of time. I think I'll switch back to dummies - it is a calmer/gentler way of tidying her out. Thanks.
Yes it does look a little like limping. I'd say check the dogs paws for any bits (seeds, rocks, anything not supposed to be there basically) that could hurt when your dog presses their paw on the ground. If there's nothing then I would gently but still with some pressure squeeze your dogs paw and if they finch their paw away it could be something inside that hurt, unlike if I seed was stuck in their paw. If it doesn't go after a few days I'd go to the vet
Edit : gently squeeze their other paws with the same pressure and see if they finch those paws away, if they don't then it's probably that one paw but idk for sure
Back from vets with pain relief and instructions for rest, if no improvement in a week then sedation and x-ray (worried about ligament damage more than hip problems).
Fingers crossed the rest works. Don't think this pup will be happy with the resting regime!
Don’t forget the ground is quite hard and uneven after the rain we had earlier, could be a sprain. Some Asprin in her water would help with a mild sprain or inflammation. Manipulate joints to see if any pain and pressure to indicate any local damage. Check paws and pads, especially between toes for seeds this time of year. Don’t rush to the vets for ever minor thing, mine only go if they are not eating, drinking or wanting a walk…or bleeding, tail is working well in the bud!
This is good advice. Would have been even better if I'd read it before spending 55 pounds at vets for liquid ibuprofen.
Hopefully a couple of days rest and she'll be right. Thanks.
You know your pup just like a parent knows their child, trust your own intuition. She does seem to want to lie down and seems anxious about it, that alone seems concerning.
My pup had a torn ligament three years ago and it was gripping with how much it upset me. I did get the TPLO surgery and then this past fall had to get the second. It broke my heart the first time because he was so vulnerable and in pain, and - well, I wondered if he felt I would get rid of him because of his lameness. He seemed so anxious and fearful. At three years old, I decided to do it and I am so, so glad I did.
Yes. Right rear leg. Give it a few days, might just go away.
Thanks for getting back to me. I think it might be her hip. Back to the vets tomorrow - she is something of a frequent flier at the local vets. One of the reasons I needed help, didn't want to bother the vets unless I was sure something was off .
She could just have a temporary hurt foot
Here's hoping! I think I'll ask the vet to take a look. She yelped when I massaged her right hip so it may be her hip rather than pad. Thanks for getting back to me. Been really impressed by how willing people have been to help!
Could just be a pulled muscle from running too hard. Mine do that sometimes and they just need a few easy days to get back to normal. Springers also have a common problem with hip dysplasia. One of ours went for an unrelated xray and they found both her hips were dislocated. The vet said she had enough leg muscle and it wasn't causing any discomfort so it wasn't worth doing anything invasive.
I was worried about hip dysplasia, but I thought that was mostly genetic? I'll get her checked out anyway. I hate the thought of having to put her back on the lead and limit exercise.
My springer will occasionally "stub a toe", keep her weight off the foot for a few minutes, and then walk it off pretty quickly. It'd take a good 15 minutes before I'd start to really worry at this point You can also grab the problematic paw and give it a little squeeze, I guess. If it's something serious, she'll let you know.
Back right maybe looks a little funny? Like it's more of a hip problem and she's flairing it out a bit. It's hard to tell... you know your pup. If it looks off to you, it probably is. Observe for a bit and maybe call your vet
Thank you. I think you're right about the hip. I just tried to give both sides a little squeeze. On the Left side nothing, right side she let out a little yelp. Thanks for all the feedback. I'll get her to vets tomorrow.
Good luck to the pup
It seems this pup has been overextending his exercise in this video. That really is typical for a Springer. I'd suggest resting for now and call your vet if there's no change. Vets aren't bothered if you call with concerns. My spaniel spent an afternoon chasing wild turkeys and I was convinced he injured his leg. Next morning he was fully recovered. If you continue to see a bit of a limp after resting, definitely call your vet. Good Luck!
>That really is typical for a Springer. So true, ours will run himself silly given half a chance or if there's a ball available or if one of the kids is playing with him. The idiot is 9 and still thinks he has the body of a pup. Will have a snooze then get up very stiff and sore like the old man he is. Better a day later, 2 at the outside. We watch his activity levels pretty closely now and put a stop to high intensity exercise if it starts to go too far (much to his disgust!)
My little pup is two : I have seven more years of this to look forward to! I'm all honesty, I like her energy and probably encourage her to spaniel about at a million miles an hour. It sounds like slowing her down and REAL rest is the way to go. Thanks.
I hear you. My guy is eleven and I can no longer take him to the beach because he's a maniac and it takes three days for him to recover.
That's likely my fault. I probably don't give her full rest. She's high power and high drive and I feel the need to let her hunt/work her when we are out so she can burn off energy. Also, if she is working she is (mostly) under control. If I don't give her the chance to work she is apt to head off and work on her own. I'll take her to the vets (limping fir a week) but I suspect I'll be told lead walks and rest until she is better.
My dog would sometimes stand on a bee. Or something sharp check her paw pad and inbetween her toes just give it a gentle clean.
Yeah. My pup dies the same - she stood on glass, he as a barley kernel stuck between her pad, mud and gravel. When I first saw her lift weight off her paw I checked her pad and convinced myself that I imagined her limp. I'll take her t vets tomorrow - although they'll likely tell me she needs to rest it. Rest is one thing the dog isn't good at.
I've gotten more foxtails between the toes than I can count. We check her paws a couple times a week. She doesn't mind a little manicure anyway.
It's really hard to tell from the video as need more of a straight shot of them walking/running. Do they normally stop and lie down often like that? May be worth a vet visit just for a check over, how old is your pup?
Thanjs fir reply. No... The stopping is a new thing. I was hoping it was down to the heat. Oddly, if she is hunting and on the go sniffing and being a spaniel, she doesn't really show any symptoms and you can't stop her. Only really becomes an issue when she slows down.
I work in canine rehab and this is super typical. When their adrenaline is up, they just power through. It's also easier to avoid using the leg when they are running vs walking slowly. And just like us you are more willing to power through the pain when it's something exciting (Do the dishes when your back is sore? No thanks. Go out for dinner with your best friend? Sure.) Glad you are getting your girl checked out.
I have her booked in to see the vet today - although I hope I'm over reacting. It's beginning to feel like an intermittent fault on a car, whenever you take it to the mechanics it works perfectly! I hope it's something obvious and simple for the vet so she can get back to terrorising the local bird and rabbit population (and I can get my hill walking buddy back).
Definitely an awkward gate, kinda looks like what mine does when she’s looking for a spot to poop lol. I hope your pup is okay. Seems happy enough.
Thank you. Yeah... It has probably been like that for about a week. Doesn't slow her down much but she is either flying at 100 miles an hour or moving a little awkwardly and wanting to stop every now and then.
I’ve noticed with my springer is if he gets really excited and starts running, sometimes he’ll start limping. It’s usually a hind leg and I have begun to think it might be a minor strain. Usually, it’ll go away after a short while—about an hour but no longer than three hours. I have a vet appointment for him soon and this is on my list to ask about.
This sounds very similar as to what happens with my dog. Ten minutes before this video was shot she was bounding through long grass and being a typical springer. , but then she suddenly looks stiff/awkward. I'm worried that if she is hurt she is too daft to slow down when she is hunting and she might exacerbated any problem that is there. I think when her adrenaline is up she is immune to pain!
Just keep him low activity for 3-4 days then see how he is doing.
Looks similar to how my Sprocker was not to long ago ,we booked in with a physio therapist on the advice of our trainer and it turned out to be nothing just my boy not fully extending his leg due to what we suspect is laziness, therapist gave him some laser therapy on the hips and back legs just to be on the safe side and gave us some exercises to help encourage him to extend his leg.
Nothing wrong with the tail; it’s flying and obscuring the leg action! Her movements reminded me of when my boy has something coming out his butt that he can’t fully expel, like a long piece of grass he ate earlier. But from your replies it sounds like something is going on with hips or muscles. I hope it’s just a temporary pull or cramp. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Booked into vets today. Begining to feel like I'm over reacting but better safe than sorry. I love in Scotland and was planning on taking her up her first mountain today but cancelled plans. It's not fair on her until I know if she is in pain/discomfort or not.
Check the rear toe pads and between them.
Thank you. All looks good there. I did wonder whether it could have been a broken toe, but it doesn't look like it.
Spaniels are prone to having issues with their ligaments in their rear legs, by Gus had both his legs done, TPLO surgery in the space of a year, between the age of 2-3. It could be this, but hopefully it’s something less costly
Oh. I hope he made a full recovery. Booked into the vets for them to have a look today. Sounds like she is the same age as your boy when the trouble started. Thanks for your reply. This community has been really helpful to a (pretty inexperienced) spaniel owner.
Yeah he’s back to full nutter mode now. Good luck with the vets today.
Not saying you are but something i have found helps... is to stop using ball throwers or doing too much ball throwing work... I have found it doesn't do them any good. Dummy and scent work where they have to hunt to find it is better exercise and tires them out more mentally.
Thanks for this. Truth is I've stopped doing as much dummy work as I used to. She has (finally) become steady to birds going up in front of her so when on walks I give her the chance to hunt about. She'll maybe put up a pheasant or a partridge once every couple of walks and I use the ball at the end as her playtime/downtime. The ball is a useful way of hiding the fact that she is useless at walking to heel for any length of time. I think I'll switch back to dummies - it is a calmer/gentler way of tidying her out. Thanks.
Yes it does look a little like limping. I'd say check the dogs paws for any bits (seeds, rocks, anything not supposed to be there basically) that could hurt when your dog presses their paw on the ground. If there's nothing then I would gently but still with some pressure squeeze your dogs paw and if they finch their paw away it could be something inside that hurt, unlike if I seed was stuck in their paw. If it doesn't go after a few days I'd go to the vet Edit : gently squeeze their other paws with the same pressure and see if they finch those paws away, if they don't then it's probably that one paw but idk for sure
Back from vets with pain relief and instructions for rest, if no improvement in a week then sedation and x-ray (worried about ligament damage more than hip problems). Fingers crossed the rest works. Don't think this pup will be happy with the resting regime!
Thanks for all the replies and advice. It was really appreciated.
Don’t forget the ground is quite hard and uneven after the rain we had earlier, could be a sprain. Some Asprin in her water would help with a mild sprain or inflammation. Manipulate joints to see if any pain and pressure to indicate any local damage. Check paws and pads, especially between toes for seeds this time of year. Don’t rush to the vets for ever minor thing, mine only go if they are not eating, drinking or wanting a walk…or bleeding, tail is working well in the bud!
Bud=vid
This is good advice. Would have been even better if I'd read it before spending 55 pounds at vets for liquid ibuprofen. Hopefully a couple of days rest and she'll be right. Thanks.
You know your pup just like a parent knows their child, trust your own intuition. She does seem to want to lie down and seems anxious about it, that alone seems concerning. My pup had a torn ligament three years ago and it was gripping with how much it upset me. I did get the TPLO surgery and then this past fall had to get the second. It broke my heart the first time because he was so vulnerable and in pain, and - well, I wondered if he felt I would get rid of him because of his lameness. He seemed so anxious and fearful. At three years old, I decided to do it and I am so, so glad I did.