[ManyRoses]

My 10 week old pup over-extended herself the other day, and has been limping a little on her back leg. It is improving rapidly (it happened yesterday afternoon, and the limping is already pretty much gone, except when she gets up from sleeping or after a pee, when she is either stiff, or tensing the sore muscle) so I am not worried about it, but wanted a little advice on keeping her happy while she is sore.

She has been very, very bored and over excited today - she isn't going up and down stairs, because it is sore, and she hasn't been able to go for long walks as usual, for the same reason - she gets sore. Because of that, she is not getting the usual amount of exercise, so she isn't the sleepy, relaxed pup I am used to! Any ideas on how to tire her out and get her exercise without lots of walking?

I'm sure she'll be fine in a day or so, but I don't want her to be going mad barking with boredom in the meantime, and I can't walk her like I usually do...

 

[Wicket]

It can't be helped when a puppy has an injury, they just want to keep moving around. But the more rest she gets, the faster she'll get better, and unfortunately you can't really tire her out without being active (or at least I'm not sure how, lol). You can try very gently massaging the leg to help her alleviate some of the stiffness and soreness. Try a kong or another toy stuff with really tasty food and treats, or maybe a really nice thing to chew on. Also maybe you can try to do some training? Mental stimulation can tire out a dog pretty well.

 

[CockerSpanielMom]

not sure how she's doing by now, but you could try keeping her in a playpan or put a baby gate in a room so she only stays in that room. Giving her a Kong, stuffed toys or a chew stick might temporarily help the boredom. You might also want to try to ice it 3 times a day for about 10-15 min and the next day make a warm compress 3 times a day. If it doesn't improve, your vet might prescribe a muscle relaxant. This not only will assist with the pain, but will help her to feel sleepy and rest a little. Puppies are so full of energy that it is hard to contain them when they are sick. Also, since she is a puppy, you might want to give her ice cubes for the gums or cold carrots It helped my puppy a lot when he was teething. GOod luck and I hope that as I post this she's already back to normal!!!