If your dog is limping, you may be wondering what is wrong—and how much it will cost to find out.
At Sandringham Veterinary Hospital, the first step is usually a $105 consultation.
In many cases, a good orthopaedic examination is all we need to identify where the pain is coming from and give you a likely diagnosis.
First, We Watch Your Dog Walk
Before even touching the painful leg, I will often take your dog outside and watch them walk along the street.
Sometimes a limp is very obvious. Other times it can be extremely subtle and only becomes noticeable after the dog has walked for a few minutes.
Watching your dog move naturally helps me identify which leg is affected and how they are using it.
Then We Examine the Whole Body
Next, we look at your dog standing naturally.
We look for asymmetry between the two sides of the body. Is one leg carrying less weight? Is there less muscle on one side? Is the dog standing differently or shifting its weight away from a painful area?
These small clues help us start building a picture of where the problem may be.
We Examine the Normal Legs First
Before examining the painful leg, I will usually examine the normal legs first.
This gives us something to compare against and also allows your dog to become comfortable with the examination before we approach the painful area.
We feel the muscles, bones and joints and check how each joint moves.
Finally, We Examine the Problem Leg
Once we have watched your dog walk, looked for asymmetry and examined the normal legs, we examine the affected leg.
By this stage, we have already started building a case for where the pain is likely to be coming from.
We then work systematically through the problem leg, looking for pain, swelling, instability or abnormal movement.
For many common problems, such as a cruciate ligament injury or luxating patella, this examination can give us a very good idea of what is wrong.
Sometimes, however, we need X-rays to get the complete answer.
When Do We Need X-Rays?
Dogs and cats can’t tell us exactly where or why something hurts, so sometimes we need imaging to confirm what we suspect from the examination.
If we suspect a broken bone, we may only need to X-ray the affected leg.
For other conditions, we may need X-rays of both legs. This is particularly useful when we suspect an alignment or developmental problem, as the opposite leg gives us an important comparison.
We may also X-ray both sides when we suspect a condition that can affect both legs, such as hip or elbow dysplasia.
Why Does My Pet Need Sedation for X-Rays?
Getting a useful X-ray isn’t simply about taking a picture.
The bones and joints need to be positioned accurately. This can involve extending, rotating or holding a painful leg in positions that an awake animal may find uncomfortable.
Sedation keeps your pet comfortable and allows us to obtain accurate, good-quality X-rays without unnecessary pain or stress.
So, How Much Will It Cost?
For many pets, finding the cause starts with the $105 consultation.
If the examination gives us the answer, we can then discuss treatment and what to do next.
If X-rays are needed, we will explain what needs to be X-rayed and why before proceeding, along with the additional cost.
Our aim isn’t to perform every test available. It is to build the case step by step and only perform the tests we need to get an answer.
Is Your Dog Limping?
At Sandringham Veterinary Hospital in Bayside Melbourne, we regularly investigate lameness in dogs and cats from Sandringham, Hampton, Brighton, Black Rock and surrounding Bayside suburbs.
Sometimes the answer is obvious. Sometimes the signs are very subtle.
Either way, our approach is the same: watch them move, look at the whole body, compare the normal legs and then carefully examine the painful leg.
📞 Book a consultation at Sandringham Veterinary Hospital to find out why your pet is limping.