shoulder dislocated

[louie629]

I had my pup on a 75 foot dog run at a friends house. when i woke up the next mourning he was limping around.over the next few days he started using his leg more and limping less.then one day he was playing and yelped,then started limping and not putting any weight on that leg again. i gave it a couple of days and the cycle started over again,each time they lasted a little longer.i thought he just needed some time to let it heal but it has been almost a week and he still wont use it but he is in no pain,i can move the leg around for him. but today i noticed what looks like the back of his shoulder bone sticking out all the way down the back of his shoulder. is this just a dislocation or something more serious?

[Jennifer Mathis, D.V.M.]

Which leg is lame? -- no matter, a recurring lameness of any legs needs attention.  While a dislocation is a possibility, cartilage chips, growth/growth plate abnormalities/trauma, muscle tears, nerve damage are also concerns.  Most of these require prompt attention to provide the best therapy for recovery.  If it's a dislocation, seeing your veterinarian ASAP will provide the best chance of the joint staying in place with treatment.  The same can be said of most of the other problems.  There are lots of disorders that can happen in a puppy.  Only a few of them they out grow, while others require treatment.  Your veterinarian will likely want to take xrays as well to be sure to provide your little boxer with the most appropriate care.  There's a long life ahead of your little (getting bigger day by day) guy - so let us know how it goes.