Canine Leg Cramps

Overexercise or aging cause occasional leg cramps in canines. Neurological disorders or viruses cause ongoing, often severe, leg cramping or spasms. Leg cramping usually only occurs in one leg at a time. One limb may suffer from spasms more often than the dog's other legs. Watch the afflicted dog closely; if the cramping does not subside within an hour, take the dog to a veterinarian for diagnosis.

  1. Cramp Symptoms

    • A dog suffering from a leg cramp may appear to limp or favor one limb over the others. The dog may have a hard time rising to a standing position or lying down. It may cry or groan in pain. Touch the afflicted leg and apply gentle pressure to see if the dog flinches or reacts in pain. Older dogs often exhibit slow movements when suffering from muscle cramps. A dog suffering from severe cramping may not move.

    Injury and Overexertion

    • An injury to a dog's joint can cause a muscle cramp to occur as the muscle tightens up to protect the injured joint. The tightening of the muscle is the body's way of bracing the joint, according to Vet Info. Take a dog that suffers an injury to a leg joint promptly to the veterinarian for treatment. If a dog suffers from a sudden leg cramp brought on from overexertion, consider taking the dog for a slow walk to loosen up the muscle and relieve the cramp.

    Neurological

    • Degenerative myelopathy usually causes leg cramps in the dog's rear legs. The disease causes loss of nerve function in the dog's spinal cord. Canine stress syndrome, a genetic neurological disorder, cause muscle tremors and spasms to occur. Epilepsy in dogs can also cause leg spasms and cramps before or during a seizure. Canine epileptoid cramping syndrome causes ongoing leg cramping over the course of weeks or months. The dog usually begins to exhibit symptoms at 2 years old.

    Other Causes

    • Distemper can cause severe leg cramps to occur in the afflicted dog. A dog afflicted with distemper may also exhibits a cough, fever, seizures and sneezing. A dog can contract encephalitis from a mosquito bite. A dog suffering from encephalitis will often have severe leg cramps as its brain swells up and neurological symptoms manifest. A dog that begins to have sudden leg cramps may also have a brain tumor. Take the dog to the veterinarian to determine the exact cause of the leg cramping.