I had a spinal injury a few years ago and the surgeon warned me of permanent nerve damage causing incontinence being a potential consequence if it got worse. It's called "cauda equina syndrome", I did a quick search and it looks like it occurs in dogs too. Essentially you lose all nerve feeling on your bowel, hence not knowing when you need to go. I'm not sure what the solution is (if any) but it could be a clue.
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On Sunday, EL D was in another room when I heard a yelp and turned to see him come over with one front leg raised. I checked it and didn't feel anything broken and he didn't howl or anything when I touched it. He started walking on it okay so I thought he just landed on it wrong and he was fine after that. But later in the day he yelped a couple more times and same thing as before. The last two days he was mostly fine, running around, using the stairs, jumping off the couch, etc. but occasionally I would see him limping a bit on that same foot, he'd stop and "rest", then it would be fine. Last night when we went for our walk after work he started out fine, then began to limp slightly, then on three legs. I stopped and checked his paw - again nothing seems broken, no swelling, no cuts that I can see. I suppose it's possible he picked up a prickle (we have sandburs around here and I do have roses in the yard) and it went in far enough that I can't see it but it may irritate him when he steps on it. It doesn't seem serious enough or lasts long enough to take him to the vet (I will if necessary) so I was wondering if anyone could suggest anything to help speed recovery. Would soaking his paw in epsom salts help?
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Unless you know for sure there was something in his paw, soaking will not help… of course it will not hurt either....
I would wonder if he didn't maybe hurt something in his shoulder... I would just keep an eye on it and if it gets worse then take him to the Vet
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Is EL D licking his paw or paying any extra attention to it when you aren't on walks?
I too was wondering if he didn't injure his shoulder. Only reason I say that is the Jack Russell I used to pet sit for started to limp and his owner thought it was a paw even though he could see no sign of anything. With Apatche we couldn't tell if he was licking more than usual only because he had a nervous habit of always licking his paws. After he was limping a couple of days, his owner took him to the vet and it was in fact an issue with Apatche's shoulder (in his case, he was old and had developed arthritis).
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No EL D isn't paying any extra attention or licking it. I was pretty sure it was the paw though because he acted like it was tender when I wiped the dirt and grass off. Today it didn't seem to bother him at all (at least so far). Maybe it was just a little sprain/strain. I'll keep an eye on him for sure.
