quick query and obviously if this contines , iw ill take her to the vet but wondered if anyone had experience of this with their dogs,Jypsy is a really fit fast loving english springer spaniel and doesn't appear to to be bothered by anything or in pain..but
a couple of days ago, a friend took her for a walk and let her off lead in the woods and din't always have sight of her and said for a short while, she came back and was running using only 3 legs. he looked and she didn't cry out as though in pain or anything when he checked through everything. that was 2 days ago, lasted only a few minutes and she has been out and about and everything has been totally normal since then until just now, out and about walking and running in the fields when towards the end, on 2 occassions and only for about the time of 6 paces, she lifted her right back leg high tucked up in the air, while she kept running and then put it down again, didn't change her pace or anything and then carried on as normal and then about a minute or two later, did the same again for the same period but with the other leg!!
we were only 2 mins from home and she seems totally unphased by anything or bothered and isn't bothered in the least.
seems a bit odd though!! especcially with the alternate legs. any thoughts ?

I would have said cruciate ligament if she had suddenly lifted one leg but both alternately - could be she was unlucky enough to stand on something that hurt or she has pinched a nerve.  I would get it checked out as if it is cruciate damage you need to severely restrict her exercises for 6 weeks and some times this is not enough and the ligament has to be repaired surgically.  As it has happened before she really needs to be seen by the vet.

thanks for quick reply. i didn't go straight to vet the other day as it lasted just a short time when my friend took he rout in the woods and i assumed she had done somethign in the woods and that now allw as ok because as soon as she came back and ever since , there has been no sign of anythhing! when she did it just now, i assumed that maybe she had strined he rleg the leg the other day or something and had caught it off guard or something but then when she lifted the other leg 2 mins later, that confused me!!

with the alternate leg, to make myself clear - although i may have been clear before is that she did it once with one leg and then 2 mins later did it with the other and not done it since again. is that what you were thinking i was sayinfg or did you think, i menat hold one up then the other?

re the crucuate ligament, i had to look after someone's 6 mth spaniel who had to have an op because of it- he wasn't happy with the enforced rest but all is totally well again now and you would never know there was  a problem.
waiting for someone to arrive today for pup visit so can't go to the vet at the mo hence the email while i wait!!
she as suusal is still being her normal full of life self but will keep her in for today. any other experiences or thoughts? thanks

From what you describe she could have luxating patellas. From my experience these tend not to be too painful for the dog, and will pop back into place either by the dog itself or manipulation, but you do need to get her to the vets.

thanks alot- what are luxating patellas? not heard of it.

(by the way- will be reading through your stuff revaccines in amo. i have been told stuff by vets that vaccines are ok in pregnancy etc but i never do and i did find one vet who told me, a dog should never have a  booster before mating or during pregnancy andy et a recent vet, when i wouldn't do it then, found me difficult and said the only reason, it might not be advised is because of possible stress to the bitch. i have changed  vets now for other reasons too.)

I think most breeders would just organise themselves to not require a booster during gestation or even shortly before :)

exactly which is what i have done but as boosters although vets like you to do them every 12 months, although according to the info if you ask them... the vaccines are covered for longer than that. i have been told 15 or 18 mths and so for me, 'organising myself'  and waiting till 15 mths is better than doing it early. i had never gone longer than the 15 mths but a vet wanted it done at 12 mths. i mention the vaccine after reading the last person's  posts site re the terible consequences there can be , from vaccines that are not generally known about.

anythoughts on the leg situation? obviously will take her to the vet but won't be at the particualr moment as waiitng for a pup viistor to arrive.

Some boosters are due at 12 months some not.  I would not be too concerned about doing them a month or so early any closer to mating then I would leave it till after because the pups will generally be weaned and gone around 8 weeks so not likely to breach the 15 months window. 
I think the consequences of an adverse reaction are generally known it is the likelyhood and indeed the accuracy of that diagnosis that is a question of debate :) but that is a another issue and one that you will find plenty written about previously if you use the Search facility :)

Hi  Suffolk Maid

With regards to boosters, most boosters for parvo/distemper now last for 3 years. So if vets go by manu guidelines they should be boostering every 3 years and not before.

Lepto is the one that is advised to be given each year, but even this only remains effective for up to 7 months so for 3 month of the year at least our dogs are not protected agains lepto and not necessarily the strains of lepto around in the UK either.  So it's a bit of a lottery!

I'll be titre testing my golden when his booster is due, I was advised to do this by a specialist in the field and also Virbac the drug manufacturers, who said in a letter to me that in an ideal world all dogs would be titre tested to establish whether a booster was necessary!

There are so many different opinions out there about vaccines and no-one can tell you what is best for your dog, that is a decision you have to make for yourself, but it is wise to read all the facts and make an informed decision.

Maria :)

>and no-one can tell you what is best for your dog,

I would have thought the veterinary profession might be a good candidate for that role ;)

Luxation of the patella normally occurs because of congenital (present at birth) defects in the shape of the knee joint. but it can also occur because of trauma. The patella can luxate to the outside or inside of the joint - it is much more common to have it go to the inside.  It's not certain why this happens in some animals and not others, but it is problems with the shape of the hip and knee as they develop which result in the patella being pulled to one side so that it occasionally pops off the groove it is meant to slide on. It is seen mostly in small dogs, but can also occur in larger  dogs (as with my last golden) .

There are different grades of seriousness - some just have a shallower groove than normal and the patella will only occasionally slip off with difficulty.At the other end of the scale some dogs have no groove at all and the patella is out of place all the time.

Have a look at this link:
http://www.penstone-vets.co.uk/luxating_patella.htm

thanks again maria... just been on this site too <a class='url' href='http://www.vetinfo.com/dpatella.html'>http://www.vetinfo.com/dpatella.html</a> which was really good too and it seemd like you said, mentioned grade 2 going along and then lifting leg for a few seconds and then on again but obviously not diagnosing myself and will take her to the vet but i do like to be informed and think about things before going as it helps to take things in more.
wish i had been there when she did it 2 days ago for the first time.
re your golden, what happened , age, occurrence and result etc please, if thats not too nosey?

Hi Suffolk Maid, not it's not too nosey, I'll pm you!
Maria :)

My Staffie also had a luxating patella, hers occured after an over exhuberant run around the field and turning too quickly.  Unfortunately hers was more serious (she couldn't stand on her back leg for a couple days and then had painkillers to help) and after waiting to see if she could keep it in place, which she couldn't, the vet had to operate.  The op was last September and she's still not 100% but with restricted exercise hopefully we'll get there soon! 

Hi Staff
Sorry to hear about your girl - we found that swimming really helped our boy, I'm not sure if staffie's like water, but if not the hydrotherapy pools have all kinds of jackets and lines to help get them used to it!

We found it the only exercise that didn't cause our golden any pain :(
Maria

Luxating patellas? They can get those in both legs. Or a sore back causing muscle spasm down both legs? Or run through nettles? I've seen some new nettle growth coming up recently and I think that new nettles are the most 'prickly' ones aren't they?

Hi Maria, I really wanted to get my staffie swimming as this would've been the best way to get her fit again but unfortunately out of my 3 dogs she's the only one not insured....typical I know (!) In Jan she had another op on the same leg due to a lump appearing (nothing nasty luckily) so it has been an expensive few months.  I might have to have a look back into taking her swimming though as it really would help her.

Hi Staff
I'm not sure if the insurance would cover the hydrotherapy even if she was insured.  We were insured with Pet Plan and they wouldn't pay for it even with a letter from the Consultant advising he needed it to re-build his muscles, but that was October 2005 so things may have changed since then 

I know it isn't cheap, the pool we took Spangler to is now £17 for half an hour - but you do get the pool to yourself.  Is there any way you could share an appointment with someone so cutting the cost?  Otherwise it does mount up!  I'm not sure if all pools work the same way but it might be worth checking it out!

Really sorry to hear she had to have another op in January too, it's typical isn't it ?  Thank goodness it is nothing nasty !

Good luck - Maria :)