HI All,

Does any one know possible causes for "back leg hpopping". Solo has started doing this recently, and i do not know if it is habit or indicative of something more serious - maybe cruciate injury? Never when he walks or trots, only running, and normally only on rough terrain.. I have limited his exercise to see if this helps - but any ideas?

Look forward to any replies
Alex

Hi Alex

Not sure but it might be an idea to get Solo checked over. Don't JR's have a habit of doing this ??

How is work ? Gosh I am missing there !! :D

Lucy

Hi Lucy,

Thats exactly what its like!

Have spoken to "my" hydrotherapist (i take them swimming there) adn he has suggested a number of things. First is to stop any free running - but continue with lead walking (fairly obvious) but has suggested that it may be because the dogs keep banging into each otehr when they play. It may be cruciate injury, or arthritis or OCD or any number of things - but thinks that arthritus is the most likely as apparently he swims like a frog and that is indicative of it. I will try the low exefcise and see if this improves it otherwise off to teh vets for lots and lots of x-rays ! Hooray for insurance!

Work is as lovely as ever! And how unlucky are you not being here - i mean the weather is awful! :D

Alex

It is good weather but I am laid up on the sofa as I have got SPD which is a painful pelvis problem in pregnancy. Hence why I am posting alot as I have nothing better to do apart from surf and do some research work for a business me and Mike are trying to set up! Day time telly is driving me mad and the war coverage..................

Where do you take them swimming ? Do you go in with them when they swim? I have always wondered about this as the gilrs love swimming and would love to do it with them ! Not quite like swimming with dolphins ! :D

Hope it isn't patella problems by the way.

Lucy

Hi Lucy,

Your not the only one - that'd be great patella problems and possible arthritus in the front leg and he is onyl 11 months old, and not exactly like he has been running around since he was a baby - not like lazy cleo!

I take themn swimming because it is such good exercise adn i wanted to muscle solo up without putting undue pressure on his legs - should have started earlier byt he looks of things! They go for a half hour session where they are int eh water for about 15 mins each. I did go in first time, only to make them think it was ok - they dont like it much!" But they have a life jacket on, and sort of swin on the spot as they are held in place by leads. Apparently swimming for 1 min is the equivalent of running a mile! Good job i go though as now he can actually do some thereapy on solo's leg and its covered by insurance!

The place is just off J11 M4 - have a look here for the site...

Alex

PS. Sounds horrid, hope you feel better soon

Looks really good ! Shame it isn't nearer and then we could all go for some hydrotherapy !
We take the girls swimming at least once a week to a place just down the road called the secret gardens. It is a private wood and ponds where only village inhabitants are allowed go.

Min likes to go fo a dip as it does her good as she is 12 1/2 now and Moose is just like a duck. MB is still unsure and finally went for her first voluntary swim last weekend so hopefully she has got over the fear !

Let us know how you get on with Solo.

Lucy

I would still think slipping Patella (kneecap) as smal terriers are prone to having the groove in which the knee sits too shallow, and it comes out of the groove causing the hopping, it then often slips back in place and this will stop for a while, and then back again.

Some people say it's a symptom of a slipping patella. Ask the vet to check next time you go. :)

Oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

One of my Shelties was doing this for a couple of days. I think it was caused by all of my dogs playing together. It seemed to be cleared up. I sure hate not being able to know what it is until going thru a bunch of tests etc at the vets and find out its nothing. Darn if dogs could speak English! Hope his clears up for you.

Carissa

I think time will tell on this one - we are seeng the hydrotherapist on sunday and i shall see what he has to say.

I know that luxation can happen at any time - but if it is non-hereditary (not from birth) what is it caused by? Severe trauma? And where abou ts is the knee cap - i have tried looking for it with the aid of diagrams but can't locate it!

Alex

Every other Jack Russell I board has "Jack Russell hop" Its VERY common, usually luxating Patella and usually only in the short legged variety. Never known one cause a problem, never known one need to be operated on or messed about with, they just "hop" sometimes.
Dawn.

Thats what made me think it wasn't a problem as i saw so many JR's do it when i was a kid. Funny that Solo is actually fairly up on the leg for an Sbt, and doesn't carry any weight - but his ribs have yet to spring and he sometimes walkes like his back end is attached to the rest of his body by a trailer coupling - if that makes any sense! And the hop only happens when he is running!

I think it's a congenital fault (present from birth) but not necessarily hereditary.

Hi, could it be Legge Perthes - if its a terrier breed?
That is sometimes first noticed by the dog skipping the odd beat at the trot and gallop, gradually the dog holds its leg off the ground more and more until sometimes it ceases to use it at all at speed. Also sometimes when eating from the floor - flexing the leg up high and then holding it up?

Hi WL,

He is a SBT. It is only at speed and when slowing down, and definately not when eating. He was x-rayed for legge perthe when he was 5 months old as he had a funny gait, but they found nothg untoward on the x-ray adn it went away after a couple of weeks rest - then nothing until this. Checked then for luxatting patella and no sign of it. I hope that it isn't either of these!

Vet at the time thought that it might be a cruciate injury, and that could still be the case. He was "diagnosed" with growing pains before christmas in his front legs and was on restricted exercise for months adn all signs of limping went. When exercise was reintroduced he bagan this hopping thing - and now intermitantly limps on the front leg also. We do not know if this is realated, ie more pressure on the back leg to make up for weak front and so damaging the back... Pass!

He is back on restricted exercise and yesterday was not limping as badly (it is always at night never during the day). His joints are clicking also. And to top it all off he is going through his teenage period where he needs loads of exercise, is sulky and sleeps all the time!

Think i should send him back!!!! ;) :D

Hi Alex
If it is a luxating patella, you can actually feel (& sometimes see !) the knee popping in and out of the groove as the leg is extended. My young dog was born with the condition in both knees. So far it hasn't caused him any problems.

Joyce

Hi Joyce,

How do i locate the patella? I have had a feel and i cant even find it - let alone feel it slipping! Any hints?

Alex

If you hold the knee joint with your fingers lightly touching the bony part (sort of between the inner and outer part of the leg) and then flex the leg with your other hand, you should be able to feel the knee pop out - or in, according to the nature of the dislocation. It's better to bend/extend the leg slowly so that you get a chance to feel the movement, if there is any.

Sorry if I haven't described this very well. I only learnt how to do it when I was shown by the vet :)

Let me know how you get on.

Joyce

Hi I have tried this - though it as difficult as he kept locking his leg - but i didn't feel anything move. I did sort of hear a clciking noise, but not everytime. It was in his hip/knee and his stifle, adn in his ankle on the front left leg - similar to the sound that our bones make when we bend down too quickly or somthing... Is this what i was looking for?

Alex

The stifle is the knee - is this where you hear a noise? The hock is the "heel" (the joint that sticks out backwards!) :)

Its hard to tell where it is coming from, i hear it in the stifle and can feel the clcik in the heel, at the front...

Edit: Its mainly int he stifle and i can feel it - but it more of a clunk than a click, but nothing is moving - feel like when you crack your knuckles..