Dog suddenly hesitates to put one foot on the ground

Dog suddenly hesitates to put one foot on the ground may be caused by injuries to the foot, long-term calcium deficiency, fractures, arthritis, or other reasons. In this case, the owner is advised to first check the dog's foot to see if there are any external injuries. If there are injuries, clean and disinfect them before applying antibiotics. If there are no injuries and the dog screams when touching its foot, it indicates that the dog is in pain, and there is a high probability of fractures or arthritis, requiring timely medical attention.

1. Foot injury

If a dog's foot is injured, it may hesitate to put one foot on the ground due to pain. In this case, the owner should carefully examine the dog's leg and foot pads to see if there are any wounds. If there is bleeding from the foot injury, use clean gauze to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, then wash the wound with physiological saline to remove foreign objects, and apply antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent secondary infection.

1. Long-term calcium deficiency

If a dog only eats a single type of food or dog food for a long time, it can lead to imbalanced nutrition in the body and easily develop calcium deficiency, causing the dog to hesitate to put one foot on the ground. In this case, the owner can take the dog to the pet hospital for biochemical tests to check if the calcium level in the body is normal. When calcium deficiency is detected, the owner can feed the dog calcium supplements and food rich in calcium, such as bone broth, while avoiding excessive exercise to prevent burden on the legs.

1. Fracture

If a dog hesitates to put one foot on the ground after intense exercise or injury, it may be a fracture. In this case, it is recommended to take the dog to the pet hospital for an X-ray to determine the location and severity of the fracture, and choose external fixation or surgical internal fixation according to the specific situation. During the recovery period, provide the dog with balanced nutrition, supplement calcium intake, and avoid intense exercise.

1. Arthritis

If the dog has a painful reaction to gentle touching of the joint area, such as avoiding or making noise, it is likely to have arthritis. It is advised to take the dog to the pet hospital for treatment in a timely manner, and also feed the dog some joint-protecting foods to enhance nutrition.