One evening, our Rottweiler Lola came into the house limping. She was doing her best to keep all the weight off one of her front paws. Right away, I said aloud, “Your left front paw, huh?” The soothing tone of my voice was for her but I really said it out loud so I would remember whether it was left or right.

She went over to her bed on the living room floor, and my husband took a look, with a strong flashlight. He found a scratch on one of her pads. The dog barely moved for the rest of the evening, but it was better in the morning. She was still limping but at least she was putting weight on her foot. Within a couple more days, she was fine. It wasn’t anything that needed veterinary care.

What was most  interesting to me was how she conducted herself the morning after the mishap. She  didn’t want to move around much, and she kept coming to me for belly rubs and massages.  I stayed away from the tender area but worked that leg quite a bit, to help her relax. I had done that the night before too. I also did some Tellington ttouches.

Of course, in many situations you do need to take a dog to the veterinarian, and you may have meds to give him,  but still, do keep in mind that some simple massage can help a lot, by relaxing the dog, by feeling good, and by your giving the dog your loving attention in this way.