My 8-year-old Yorkie is limping, but I see no injury. What's wrong?

Without examining Rolo, it is difficult to determine the exact causing of his limping. However, since you report that this limping has occurred in the past and resolved without intervention after a few hours, my main suspicion is that he may have a luxating patella. This condition is essentially a "loose" kneecap that can pop in and out of position. In most pets, the patella moves back into position without intervention, but in more severe cases, surgical intervention can be required to keep the patella in position. Other possible causes of Rolo's limping include acute soft tissue injury or fractures. Since Rolo has been experiencing a worsening lameness for several days, he should be examined by his vet and may need to have x-rays taken.

There is a very common problem in Yorkies called a luxating patella that often causes these symptoms. Basically, the knee cap pops out of place and causes her to hold the leg up intermittently. This is the first thing your vet will probably check for - it can usually be diagnosed during the exam. If this isn't the problem, then she may have some other type of injury to her leg, such as a torn knee ligament, or something more minor such as a sprain or pulled muscle. I would recommend keeping her calm and quiet for the rest of the night. If she is still holding her leg up in the morning, then she should see a vet to find out what's wrong.

Poor Max! Max could have a soft tissue injury such as a sprain or muscle strain, or it's also possible he could have fractured something. Max should be seen by a vet to determine the source of the injury. For now, keep Max as quiet and calm as possible. Don't let him jump on/off furniture, and keep his walking to a minimum. If he's not using that leg normally within the next day or two, he needs to be seen by the vet. Do *NOT* give him anything for pain. There are no human pain meds that are safe and effective for dogs, and anything you give him could conflict with a more effective medication that the vet prescribes. Hope this helps and he feels better soon!

Two things come to my mind when I hear about rear legs giving way suddenly. I will address both separately. 1) Luxating patellas. This is a fancy name for loose knee caps. The groove the knee cap sits in is often shallow with smaller breed dogs, especially with the Yorkie or Maltese. The knee cap can slip in and out of place on its own quite readily in some dogs. It typically is not painful but can develop arthritis with time and this causes more irritation. What typically happens is the dog goes to step on the leg, the knee cap is not in place and they cannot place weight normally. Sometimes they do not place any weight on it, almost like a little skip, or they hold the leg up. The knee cap typically goes back into place on it's own or the dog kicks backwards and this puts it back into place. The arthritis can be managed with joint supplements or anti-inflammatories but typically the knee cap problem can only be fixed surgically and is only warranted in pets with severe trouble. 2) Bone injury -- without a known trauma, such as a fall or being hit by a car, a fracture is less likely. This causes the area to weaken and can suddenly become painful. It may not break but can be difficult to walk on. If this was the case, I would expect your dog to be painful if that area of his leg is touched. If you feel up and down his leg with pressure, does he seem painful? Do you feel any areas that are swollen?

Some dogs are stoic and do not show obvious signs of pain even when they do hurt. If he is not putting weight on his foot it is probably because his leg hurts. There are a few exceptions: one being a luxating patella where the kneecap becomes displaced and rotates the leg so that it impossible to fully extend it. This is something your veterinarian probably would have found during an examination of the leg. I don't think the flea medication or spider would be related. If he is continuing to limp occasionally I'd recommend rechecking with your veterinarian: sometimes a tendon or ligament injury is more obvious on a sedated exam, and x-rays might be helpful as well.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Limping can be due to many reasons that go from relatively uncomplicated such as soft tissue injuries and osteoarthritis to more complicated and serious injuries such as fractures and even bone tumors. I highly recommend that you have Roxy evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to localize her pain and decide what the next diagnostic step which will likely be radiographs. At the very least, they can start her on pain control medications. Good luck and have a good day!

It is not likely that a bedbug infestation causes this. This is more likely related to some neurological issue or a luxating patella, a common problem in miniature breeds, such as yorkies. There is also another condition that could cause this, called Legg-Perthe-Calves Syndrome, which spontaneous degeneration of the head on the femur (thigh bone). You should make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam and radiograph which will likely show up whether there is bone involvement and a neurological exam will indicate whether there is a neurological problem. Most of these conditions can be treated with NSAIDs for pain and inflammation and sometimes surgery, if they are severe.