If your dog shows pain in the joints or muscles, limps or spares individual limbs, this is called lameness. To avoid permanent damage, you should have it checked by a vet at an early stage.
As soon as you notice that your pet is limping, you should first take a look at the affected leg, i.e. the one that is only used for a very short time. You may notice swollen, increasingly warm or painful areas, which can give you an indication of the location of the problem. Look for injuries in the sole area and remove any small foreign bodies such as spines, thorns or awns. You should then have the wound disinfected and dressed by a vet. Larger foreign bodies such as broken glass should only be removed by a vet, as severe bleeding can occur.
Not all lameness is caused by acute trauma. Similar to humans, the causes range from a variety of injury-related damage to developmental disorders such as hip joint dysplasia (HD) to signs of wear and tear and ageing, especially arthrosis. In addition, there are diseases of the nerves and spine, which can also cause lameness.
Joint injuries can lead to germs penetrating the joint capsule and destroying the cartilage. In these cases, you should consult your vet. Early treatment can alleviate many problems and prevent long-term damage.
You can support skeletal and cartilage development in dogs by feeding young animals in particular a balanced and high-quality diet, e.g. with animonda GranCarno Junior. Puppies of large breeds should not be fed a diet that is too rich in energy, as otherwise their growth will be too rapid and the growing skeleton will be overloaded or incorrectly loaded. You should therefore follow the feeding recommendations on the packaging and follow the weight development recommendations of the respective breeding association.
Young dogs in particular should not be overworked, for example by going on long walks or even running along on a bike. Don't let an untrained dog run around in the meadow with others for hours on end, but rather introduce it slowly to playing, for example through regular play sessions in puppy and dog schools. For older dogs, the motto is: it is better to take several shorter walks than a forced march every now and then. Over-exertion promotes arthrosis and joint inflammation, especially in old age.