Ever have to carry your dog off a trail?

[COJoe]

I had a rough and scary situation today while on a hike with a friend and my dog. She's a yellow lab that weights between 90-95 pounds. We took a hike that we did a couple weeks ago that is only about 3.5 miles long but has about a 600' elevation gain and is very rocky for a good porton of it which makes yor step placement tricky sometimes.

About 1.8 miles into the hike and a little past the peak elevation, my lab started to act very strange in her steps with her left hip/leg almost pointing out at an angle. She acted like she was going to squat but was actually trying to walk that way until she finally just sat down then layed down. It was really unnerving to see her like that suddenly. She couldn't walk or get up at all. I decided I needed to carry her back to my vehicle. My friend had to take my Stone Glacier pack and carry it for me and carry his small pack infront of him. I was able to pick her up and put her over my shoulder, sorta of a fireman's carry, but I could only carry her for about 50 yards or so. The weird thing is, once I put her down she could walk ok for a little bit until it got really rocky again then I would pick her up again for a short while. Finally, she couldn't walk at all so I had to carry her for about a couple hundred yards which was pretty difficult because the trail was really rocky. So I had to put her down again and thankfully, she was able to walk the last 3/4 mile back out on her own. My friend had played with her in the park about two hours before our walk so maybe that had her sore.

I wonder if when I picker her up I reset her hip area inadvertently. She's ok now just really tired. She was able to even jump up into my 4 runner by herself. It was a strange situation for sure. I thought I might have to put her on my stone Glacier load shelf and try to carry her out that way which would have been difficult. Has anyone ever had to cary out your dog because of injuries before? You can see her walking strange in the one picture. Sorry for the long post but any thoughts or experiences?

 

[WRO]

My setter blew his pads and I had to carry him back to my truck in my final rise.


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[Hoghead]

I had to carry my 100-pound catch dog out one night. He dislocated his front wrist. Long night, it was only 2 miles, but it had recently raind, and the ground was soft and muddy. I also lost a dog one night. I carried her out of the canyon. The hike sucked but losing a good dog was worse.

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[HandgunHTR]

OP, it was most likely just a cramp. Dogs get them just like we do, unfortunately, they can't tell us that is what is going on.

 

[Gen273]

I had something similar happen to a rabbit beagle years ago. It was her left hip, and she would squat just like your photo. I carried her back to the truck and put her in the box. She was fine when I got the rest of the dogs up and then drove home. And it never happened again. She hunted again about two days later.

 

[manitou1]

How hot was it?
I have had multiple dogs go down with heat like that and it can kill them quickly. Get them in the shade and cool water... and let them cool down.
If you push them past this stage you could be burying a dog. Let them rest for a few days before taxing them again.
That pic you posted is textbook heat exhaustion (from what I can see from the picture).

Lots of guys who hunt with dogs, especially bird dogs will have a regimen to get them in shape prior to season, such as progressively longer walks/runs with a weighted lead.

If it wasn't warm out then I would guess hips were boogered up. It does not have to be 100 degrees. I have seen them go down in the 80s. They are wearing a fur coat.

With pad injuries I have had them just favor the foot or feet that are injured but not go down like the pic shows.

I hope your pup recovers well and is back at it 100% soon.

 

[COJoe]

My setter blew his pads and I had to carry him back to my truck in my final rise.

That must have been rough for you and your dog to recover.

 

[COJoe]

I had to carry my 100-pound catch dog out one night. He dislocated his front wrist. Long night, it was only 2 miles, but it had recently raind, and the ground was soft and muddy. I also lost a dog one night. I carried her out of the canyon. The hike sucked but losing a good dog was worse.

Sorry to hear you lost a your good dog, that would make the hike so difficult.

OP, it was most likely just a cramp. Dogs get them just like we do, unfortunately, they can't tell us that is what is going on.

I could be a cramp for sure, hard to say.

It was her left hip, and she would squat just like your photo. I carried her back to the truck and put her in the box.

That's interesting to hear of your same experience. She'll be resting the rest of the week.

How hot was it?
I have had multiple dogs go down with heat like that and it can kill them quickly. Get them in the shade and cool water... and let them cool down.

It was about 85 degrees so not terribly hot. I gave her a lot of water and rested in the shaded areas. We had just did the same hike a couple weeks ago with no issues nd she takes walks, 3-4 miles, almost everyday, she's really fit and muscular. I won't take her back up to that particular trail anymore though.

 

[MattB]

85 is actually approaching dangerously hot for dogs, especially thick ones like a lab. We have dogs die most every year on local trails here in the Bay Area due to heat, and it seems like labs unfortunately seem to lead the list.

 

[Wyo_hntr]

Yep. Luckily my female Britt is only 35lbs. She ran full steam into a barbed wire fence. Got tore up real bad and was bleeding a lot. Carried her back to the pickup. Luckily it was sharptail country.

Sounds like your lab was about to be full on heat stroke.

 

[Reburn]

85 is actually approaching dangerously hot for dogs, especially thick ones like a lab. We have dogs die most every year on local trails here in the Bay Area due to heat, and it seems like labs unfortunately seem to lead the list.

Its generally because they are obese.

Sorry OP labs are generally fat and your's doesnt appear to be on the thin side.

If you cant count the ribs on a canine they are over weight.

 

[Billy Goat]

Its generally because they are obese.

Sorry OP labs are generally fat and your's doesnt appear to be on the thin side.

If you cant count the ribs on a canine they are over weight.

They ain't horse's


He eats same as me, both have rocking dad bods.

I tend to give him a haircut.

 

[Reburn]

They ain't horse's


He eats same as me, both have rocking dad bods.

I tend to give him a haircut.

I've seen your dog.
He could wear a saddle if it didnt violate his labor contract of riding in the truck and eating cheeseburgers.

 

[Jason Snyder]

90-95 seems pretty heavy for a female lab. What were the ambient temps? Any history of hip dysplasia? Has there been any screening for HD in her lines?

 

[Billy Goat]

I've seen your dog.
He could wear a saddle if it didnt violate his labor contract of riding in the truck and eating cheeseburgers.

I keep meaning to get him some saddle bags so he can carry his own weight

 

[KurtR]

I have had to carry my one lab out not very far he was only 70 ish pounds.

I would say heat is a bigger factor than you are giving it. I would also say weight is a factor. Should be able to see the back ribs and when you pet them you should be able to feel them easily.

 

[Jethro]

Sounds like cramp to me. I’m going to assume OP is familiar enough with his dog to recognize if it was struggling with heat exhaustion.

 

[WRO]

That must have been rough for you and your dog to recover.

I was fine, dog was out of commission for a couple weeks.


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[COJoe]

Thanks for the responses everyone. It's great to hear honest advice and I consider it all. Her weight was last checked about five months ago and it was 95 so since then we cut her food back some and she walks almost everyday with my wife for about 3-4 miles in the mornings before the heat cranks up. She looks healthy with her ribs showing and all her muscles are visible and her mom was 95 pounds and her dad was 100 something. I do worry about hip diplaysia because it's very common in labs. I play with her in the park with a chuck it everyday and a couple times a day on weekends but I don't know really how healthy that may be and if that contributes to hip diplaysia. I won't be taking her back up to that trail until the weather cools down because If I remmebr last trip it was in the seventies and overcast. The sun is so much hotter when you go from 5000' elevation to 7300' elevation. She's doing well tonight and ate well so she seems to have recovered but there will be no playing this week.

 

[manitou1]

Yeah, 85 is hot if that dog is being a dog and putting in 10x-20x the steps that you are.
Imagine wearing your puffy while doing that hike. That pup is wearing a fur coat!

Seriously, my bird dogs were excercised regularly and very fit and trim, but they did overheat in less than 85 degrees.

Dogs with a drive are all heart and don't know when to slow down.

Or you can ignore the signs and buy a new pup when she dies.