Intermittant limping : XRAY's needed?

[Simba]

Hi all.
Simba seems to have pulled something in one of his shoulders about a month ago. He was limping at night for a couple of days then he seemed fine. However now whenever he has a day where he is running around a lot on rough ground he seems to reinjure his shoulder (usually on Saturday's up at the cottage) . He will seem fine until the night when it seems to stiffen up on him. By the next day he is fine again.
I mentioned this problem to the vet a couple of weeks ago and he agreed that it is probably a soft tissue pull. However yesterday he calls and says that I should bring him in for XRays. I think I should wait a couple of weeks and make sure Simba takes it easy and see if it gets better.
What does everyone else think? I assume that you cannot diagnose a tissue problem with Xrays? Do they do MRI's on dogs?

Thanks

[Rott-Wiley]

I wouldn't wait. The sooner you can start treating the problem the better. He may need to be put on an anti-inflamitory before this problem will repair itself. Do you have him on Glucosamine? I would consider that.

[Dianae]

My Rotti used to limp on and off on his rear leg for years, they always said it was inflammatory and to keep his weight on a level keel and he had anti-inflammatories they did take x-rays when he was 2 but found nothing. Then it latter years he was limping again (he was 8) but I am not sure that it was the same leg, I can't really remember, and he was then x-rayed again and he had bone cancer. So my advice is just get them to x-ray him and at least that can put your mind at ease. I find my Vet never suggests anything unless he thinks it's necessary.