Turns out I was pretty on the nose with that. When I went to take her to the vet, she limped all the way to the car.

(after walking fine an hour prior.)
Still can’t say for sure if there was a connection, but they gave her anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea meds, and she is much better all around. If she hadn’t responded to those, we’d have to go to x-rays of the paw that acts up a couple of times a year.
He had her walk around, and felt and bent the paw/leg. For years we thought the issue was related to a joint. But she didn’t react until he got between her two middle toes.
He said that could be anything from a fracture that didn’t heal right to cancer, but if the latter, it would likely be swollen; and given it’s been going on for years, that would have made itself an issue by now.