The safest thing to do if you think your puppy has a paw sprain is to take your pet to the vet’s so that the injury can be properly diagnosed. Whether you decide to do this or not depends on how serious you think the injury is.
If your dog is only limping slightly, then you can probably help the healing process simply by helping reduce the amount of exertion your dog does. You can do this by not taking them on long walks, carrying them up and down stairs if necessary and not playing too hard with them. Don’t let them jump up and down as this might aggravate the problem.
If your dog is visibly in pain and growling or whining every time they put pressure on the injured foot, then the injury is probably sufficiently serious that you should visit the vet’s. If you do not take this step, then there is a risk that the paw will not heal properly and that your puppy will worsen the problem further by continuing to walk and run, putting pressure on the injured paw.
Compare your puppy’s injured paw with one of its other paws. From this you should be able to tell whether there is any significant swelling, bruising or cuts. Based on this, you should be able to work out how serious the problem is and whether it is necessary to take your puppy to the vets or not.
Aside from this, you can speed up the healing process by ensuring that your dog gets a good amount of glucosamine in its diet. Certain brands of dog food have added glucosamine, which is important for a dog’s joint health. Glucosamine dog chews are also available in some pet stores.
If your dog is only limping slightly, then you can probably help the healing process simply by helping reduce the amount of exertion your dog does. You can do this by not taking them on long walks, carrying them up and down stairs if necessary and not playing too hard with them. Don’t let them jump up and down as this might aggravate the problem.
If your dog is visibly in pain and growling or whining every time they put pressure on the injured foot, then the injury is probably sufficiently serious that you should visit the vet’s. If you do not take this step, then there is a risk that the paw will not heal properly and that your puppy will worsen the problem further by continuing to walk and run, putting pressure on the injured paw.
Compare your puppy’s injured paw with one of its other paws. From this you should be able to tell whether there is any significant swelling, bruising or cuts. Based on this, you should be able to work out how serious the problem is and whether it is necessary to take your puppy to the vets or not.
Aside from this, you can speed up the healing process by ensuring that your dog gets a good amount of glucosamine in its diet. Certain brands of dog food have added glucosamine, which is important for a dog’s joint health. Glucosamine dog chews are also available in some pet stores.
