First, how urgent is this?
Go now
- Dragging a back leg, or unable to walk.
- Completely unwilling to put the foot down, with crying or obvious swelling.
- Sudden collapse, or unable to stand.
- Lameness after a car accident, a fall or a crush injury.
Contact your vet today
- Getting worse over a day or two, or refusing to move at all.
- A cut pad, a foreign object, or swelling.
- Weak back legs, crossing over, or knuckling onto the top of the paw.
- Lameness with weight down 5% or more within two weeks.
Record and observe
- Brief lameness after a walk that settles with rest, with normal activity otherwise.
- Mild lameness after jumping, running or a nail trim, improving within a day or two.
- Already under vet care: record how lame and when, and bring video to the next visit.
Before you set off
- Which leg, when it started, and whether sudden or gradual.
- Video of the dog walking and on stairs.
- Any cut, swelling or heat on the pads, nails or joints.
- Any recent jumping, hard exercise, slip or fight.
- A list of medicines and the time of the last dose.
- Do not give painkillers yourself: human painkillers are toxic to dogs, and they hide the problem.
What your vet may ask and do
- Ask: when it started, and whether the leg takes weight.
- Ask: any injury, hard exercise or fall.
- Do: gait observation and a neurological examination.
- Do: palpation of the joints, bones and muscles.
- Do: X-rays, with sedation if needed.
- Do: CT or MRI where needed, especially for the spine.
- Do: pain relief, rest and weight management, with referral to surgery or rehab for severe cases.
Where to go in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong 24-hour vet list
- 24-hour emergency, Hong Kong Island
- 24-hour emergency, Kowloon
- 24-hour emergency, New Territories
- Clinics with MRI
- Clinics with CT
- Clinics with rehabilitation
- What emergency and test fees look like
Call the clinic before you drive over, to confirm tonight's arrangements and the location.