Thistle is a 9 month old lab. I have just brought her in from a walk and she is limping quite badly on her front leg. Never had any probs before. I'm neurotic about OCD and hip dysplasia. Obviously I will keep an eye on Thistle and take her to the vet if she hasn't improved tomorrow. But in the meantime can anyone tell me how these diseases present themselves. Is it a gradual onset or could she suddenly go lame like this?
I won't be able to take her for the nice walk I had planned for thisafternoon:-( Isn't the weather fantastic:-)

Hi Thistle, I would rest her, limps are not always OCD or Dysplasia & she may just have knocked herself.If there is some improvement tomorrow continue to keep her rested.Near impossible I know but you must do it.
Christine.

shadow came in one day limping quite badly and slowly improved only to go worse again, this continued over the next week until I took him to the vet who at first couldn't find anything wrong with him until he started laughing and said he had knocked back his little toe and with him being a young pup and clumsy kept knocking it again and it had swelled up, a course of steroid tablets cured it quickly thank god.

TH's last "episode" turned out to be nothing more than a strained muscle, caused by falling into a snow drift. But that was after the x-rays and the specialist opinion! Touch wood her elbow troubles have cleared up now.