Is your canine friend limping or unable to walk? If so, then you will need to see a veterinarian and get some treatment and some canine mobility aids to improve their movement and stability. Examples of useful mobility aids for such problems include an ankle brace sock, wrist wraps, cruciate knee braces, dog leg wraps, dog leggings, hip hound braces, and dog hock ankle holders.

Dogs are adventurous animals, and sometimes their fearless nature puts them at great risk of getting hurt. Here are some of the common causes of mobility problems that may prompt you to buy some ankle brace sock, canine leg wraps, or a dog hock.

1. Sprains and Strains

Sprains are dog limb injuries that harm the ligaments, which connect your dog’s bones. Sprains cause joint damage, and they make walking painful for your dog. Sprains may occur when your hunting or racing dog takes a hard landing. One of the severest sprains happens when your canine friend gets a torn cranial cruciate ligament, which connects the knee bones.

Unlike sprains that hurt bone-connecting ligaments, the strains harm the tendons that connect your dog’s leg muscles to its bones. Strains often occur when your dog stretches too far or for too long. These injuries are common in the thigh, hip, and ankle areas. You can buy your dog a hip hound brace or ankle brace sock to ease pain and assist in movement.

2. Hip Dysplasia

Hip dysplasia occurs when your dog’s hip bone doesn’t fit well into the socket. The condition is genetic, and it gets passed down generation lines. The disease is common among old dogs. Insufficient exercise and obesity trigger an early onset of hip dysplasia. The improper socket joint formation may lead to joint damage and arthritis because of the poor fit.

Such problems cause joint irritation and inflammation. Dogs with such problems will often limp or whimper. Hip dysplasia can occur in all dogs, but it’s more common among German shepherds, Newfoundland, and Golden and Labrador retrievers.

3. Panosteitis

Panosteitis is a condition that results from inflammation that occurs on a dog’s long bones. The disease is often associated with rapid growth among young dogs.

4. Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative condition that affects old dogs, and 25% of pets in the U.S get diagnosed with some form of arthritis. The joint disease results from the tear and wear of joint tissues. The condition affects joints, which include knees, shoulders, hips, and elbows, and you may need to buy your dog some arthritic knee brace, shoulder guard, or hip brace.

5. Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)

Rapid growth in young dogs can cause hypertrophic osteodystrophy. The condition causes inflammation on the growth plates on the long bones of the dog’s limbs. It’s a problem that limits mobility, but it can resolve itself with time. In some cases, it could cause permanent deformation and damage.

6. Legg-Calve-Perthes Condition

This disease causes hip disintegration that is accompanied by joint and bone inflammation. You can ease the inflammation by buying your dog some ankle brace sock. The condition starts when the head of the femur bone degenerates.

7. Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)

OCD is a condition that often affects the shoulder and hip joints. The disease occurs when there is the abnormal development of the smooth cartilage on the surface of the shoulder and hip joints. The abnormal growth creates a separation from the bones beneath the cartilage, and this causes pain.

If your dog is limping, whimpering, or showing some signs of fatigue and inactivity, then it’s time to see a veterinarian and get some mobility aids such as braces, dog wraps, and an ankle brace sock. The cited problems are the common causes of reduced mobility in dogs. You’ll need to get a proper diagnosis for the veterinarian to decide the kind of treatment to give and the type of mobility aids to buy for your dog’s supported movement and stability.