Strains are something that occurs in people as well as dogs. When your dog is suffering from a strain he or she may need your help. Being able to identify your strains will allow you to help treat your dog early on, getting them the help that they need right away.
Symptoms
A strain is an injury to the muscle or tendon, which is the issue that connects to the bones. A strain is not always serious, but it can range from mildly uncomfortable to a partial or complete tear, which will result in the dog needing professional medical attention. The signs and symptoms that will occur when there is a strain is that the muscles will generally appear weak and your dog may limp. The dog may also experience localized swelling, cramping, inflammation, and even some loss of muscle function.
Prevention
Strains are difficult to prevent because they are generally accidental or happen for reasons that we could have not predicted. The idea when trying to prevent a strain is to make sure that you dont allow for your dog to partake in any activity in which they are too old or not well enough trained. This will often keep your dog from experiencing severe strain, but nothing is to say that excited jumping couldnt cause a strain for your dog. Strains really are difficult to prevent because they can happen any time.
Treatment
The first idea is to reduce the swelling and the pain and you can often do this by getting your dog off of their feet. To help reduce the swelling and the pain you should make sure that your dog gets plenty of rest, ice the area that has been affected, compress the area, and keep it elevated if possible. This can be difficult to do in a dog, but generally prescribing to these treatments for 24 to 48 hours will allow the dog sufficient time to recover.
If your dog seems to be in severe pain and will not put any weight on the injured area of their body you may want to call the veterinarian and arrange to bring your pet into the office to be treated. You will also want to call the vet if you see red streaking coming from the injury, it is swollen, or the dog cannot place any weight on it. Strains are often minor and just require rest and time, but there are instances where your pet may need to be seen by a professional.
