Our dogs are full of life and energy, jumping from one place to another while running all the way back. But there will come a time when they’ll slowly lose this ability to play, run wild, and spread their happiness. 

It typically comes with age, and it’s a normal part of life. Older dogs will lose their once energetic selves, and their bodies will start to fail. Yes, it is sad, but it’s something we have to prepare for. Because of that, we’re here to talk about lameness in dogs and how you can help your best friend. 

What Is Lameness in Dogs?

Lameness in dogs, also known as limping, is a change in the way the dog moves or uses its legs. 

Instead of using all four of the legs for smooth and balanced movements, a lame dog might take shorter steps or focus on one specific side. Some may also lightly rest the affected leg or carry the limb entirely. 

At its core, lameness in dogs points to pain, weakness, or structural changes. It can come from areas such as the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, or cartilage. Limping is a common symptom of many orthopedic diseases, neurological conditions, and physical injuries. 

Because there are so many possible causes, a limping dog should never be ignored. Once we see it, we have to find a way to help. 

Causes of Lameness in Dogs

There are a lot of possible reasons why dogs limp, which is why determining the exact cause can be relatively challenging. Here are some of the common ones: 

Trauma and Injury

These are usually caused by physical factors that a dog gets from the environment. Physical injuries often result in immediate limping and lameness in dogs.  

• Fractures. A break in the bone, which can come from sudden blows, falls, or car accidents. This prevents weight-bearing and is often accompanied by swelling or deformity.

• Sprains and Strains. These affect muscles, tendons, and soft tissues. They cause pain, swelling, and temporary limping after activity.

• Dislocations. A dislocation happens when the joint is forced out of place because of heavy trauma. This can cause sharp pain and reduced movement. 

• Cuts and Wounds. Any torn nails, cuts, burns, or open wounds can make it hard for dogs to walk, making them limp and not use the affected legs. 

Orthopedic Conditions

• Hip Dysplasia. This inherited condition prevents the hip joint from fitting together properly, leading to looseness and pain. Over time, hip dysplasia causes arthritis and chronic canine lameness, especially in large-breed dogs.

• Elbow Dysplasia. Much like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia happens when the elbow joint doesn’t grow properly. Affected dogs may show stiffness, uneven gait, and worsening arthritis.

• Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis in dogs causes wear and tear on the cartilage, which then results in stiffness and pain for older and overweight dogs. It’s a common cause of lameness in dogs.  

• Luxating Patella. A luxating patella is a condition in which the kneecap slips out of place, leading to instability and lameness in dogs. It’s common in small and toy dog breeds. 

• Cranial Cruciate Ligament Tear. One of the most common degenerative ligament conditions in dogs that results in knee instability and limb lameness.

• Osteosarcoma. This is a common type of bone cancer in dogs that is highly aggressive, especially in large breeds. Osteosarcoma can affect the long bones, which then leads to extreme pain and lameness in dogs. 

• Panosteitis. This condition is the painful inflammation of the long bones of young dogs. It’s often called growing pains because it's pain associated with rapid growth. 

• Osteochondritis Dissecans. OCD is a developmental joint disease common in young dogs, especially large breeds that grow rapidly. Here, the cartilage fails to harden and separates into the joint surface, resulting in pain and lameness. 

Neurological and Spinal Issues

• Intervertebral Disc Disease. IVDD is a condition in which the dog’s spinal discs bulge or rupture, putting a lot of pressure on the spinal cord. This will essentially damage the nerves and affect movement, resulting in canine lameness, incoordination, and paralysis. 

• Wobbler Syndrome. Cervical Spondylomyelopathy is a compression of the spinal cord in the neck, which results in the characteristic wobbly gait. This mostly affects large breeds and causes lameness in dogs. 

• Degenerative Myelopathy. DM is a progressive spinal cord disease in larger and older dogs. Eventually, this can lead to hind limb weakness, lameness, and paralysis in dogs. 

Other Causes

• Lyme Disease. A bacterial infection that’s caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by ticks. Lyme disease attacks and inflames the joints, causing swelling and lameness in dogs. 

• Ehrlichiosis. Ehrlichiosis is caused by Ehrlichia bacteria that are transmitted by ticks. The bacteria also attack and inflame the body, including the dog’s joints. 

• Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis. IMPA is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the dog’s joints, resulting in pain, inflammation, and lameness. 

What Does Dog Lameness Look Like?

Essentially, a limping dog will look exactly how it’s described, limping. Many dogs with lameness take uneven steps, favor one side, or skip strides. They’ll have noticeable changes in their gait and movement. 

Some dogs may only touch their toes to the ground or carry the painful limbs completely. In more severe cases, the leg will be severely weakened. Other times, the legs can appear swollen, bruised, injured, or damaged. 

This can make dogs not want to move, get up from resting positions, or play. Most orthopedic conditions develop gradually, so you’ll notice your dog losing interest in its normal activities and having less energy for exercise. 

Chronic canine lameness leads to muscle wasting in the affected limb. Over time, the leg may look thinner compared to the opposite side.