Maci is limping

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Yogi and Maci were playing, actually very quietly on the floor. Maci starts crying and limping over to me. It's been about 10 minutes now. She won't put her foot down. Just walks on 3 legs, and wants to cuddle. Should I give it some time or take her to a vet ? Experiences, suggestions?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry poor Maci got hurt.

I'm one who runs to the vet for just about everything, lol, but I'm pretty sure cooler heads are going to say to watch & wait. 

I'm not sure the vet could tell much of anything anyway, because an X-ray won't show a soft tissue injury like a muscle pull. 

Can you try to gently feel or manipulate her foot & leg to see if you can tell what part hurts her? 

I hope it's just a temporary owie & goes away soon. 

[Kaitee and Orwell]

I second Karen's notion.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Thanks. DH and I are leaving for the evening and will be gone till after midnight. I think waiting is appropriate, I just worry because I won't be here to oversee. It's almost an hour later now and she still won't put weight on it, but at least she's not whimpering.
My grandson who is 14 will be here to keep an eye out. Yogi keeps bringing toys to her and laying them on the floor in front of Maci ;-)

[Gail and Bailey]

Can you separate the dogs so Maci can be still and rest so she does not hurt it further?   

[Stella]

Front or back leg ??

[Doris]

I have experience . . . well Bodi does!  I snuggled and cuddled and slept on the floor with Bodi the night he hurt his leg.  We went to the vet in the morning and the vet was not too concerned.  He gave an anti-inflammatory shot and some pain meds to use for a few days.  He had a wait and see attitude.  So  .. . . give lots of love tonight and see how Maci is in the morning.  Please keep us posted!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I'd give her a chance to rest it and decide in the morning. I'm sorry she got hurt.  Hopefully she's doing better in the am.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Leslie ~ a few months ago Charlie did something similar.  He was running through the house to the door and all of a sudden started crying and would not put any weight on his left back leg.  He did not want me to touch his leg and I thought somehow he had torn his cruciate ligament (that is the first thing that comes to my mind when they are not putting weight on the leg).  It was Sunday morning and I decided to wait until Monday to take him to the vet. I could not get him until 11 a.m. - by the time we went to the vet he was putting a little weight on the leg, but really limping.  The vet examined him and said he had either cracked or broken his outside toe.  I had no idea that was the part of the leg that was hurting.  She did not want to an xray unless necessary, so she gave me some pain med and said to keep him resting and no playing.  If he was still limping by the end of the week it would probably be because it was broken.  I was to bring him back in on Friday if he was still limping and she would xray and if broken he would be put in a cast..  He was very protective of it and fortunately by Thursday, he was using it and actually wanted to play!  The vet felt he had just sprained his outside toe.

I hope by the time you come home she is using it.  Hopefully, you will have a similar experience and it will not be anything major.  Good luck and keep us posted. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Home now, it's been about 10 hours. Maci is crying a good bit and still will not put weight on her back foot.
Thanks for your replies. I'll just stay close to her tonight and call her vet in the morning.

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

I'm sorry she is still not feeling better. Puppies are pretty resilient but after a few hours and no improvement I would take her in too. Good luck and keep us posted! You've got a good plan. Give her extra snuggles. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Poor Maci. I am so sorry for her (and you).  Please let us know what the vet says. Usually it doesn't turn out to be a big deal, but checking it out is probably a good idea. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Thanks again everyone. Maci goes to the vet in a couple of hours. Hoping it's just a strain. Seems weird she's not running
around playing with Yogi this morning. We are so used to our morning entertainment ;-)