In addition to a physical exam, your vet may need to run some medical tests to determine the cause and arrive at a diagnosis, such as X-rays (especially to determine any fractures or other injuries to the limbs), ultrasounds and MRI scans (if the problem isn’t bone-related, but muscle, tendons or ligament) and blood tests (to rule out potential illnesses or diseases causing the limp).

Surgery may be required if the situation doesn’t get better or if the injury returns, or if your dog has a torn tendon or ligament.