My dog's limp moved to another leg. What causes shifting lameness?

This depends on the age of your dog. In older dogs, this is a classic sign of hip dysplasia. In young patients with hip dysplasia, the hip joint is often "lax" or loose. The ball of the hip does not fit well into the socket. The actual formation of the ball of the hip joint may be improperly formed at the neck or head. Young patients often have the appearance of "bunny hopping" when running as this more evenly distributes weight across both back legs. They can also be intermittently lame, like your dog. They may have trouble rising or you may hear a click when he does or walks. We also see the weight being held more on the front limbs than the rear (leaning forward) when standing. In an older dog, shifting leg lameness is a sign of arthritis. Without further information, I cannot tell you what is causing this in your dog. Depending on the cause, medication can be useful to help the signs improve but a veterinary exam would be needed.

I would recommend seeing a veterinarian. At 8 months of age this may be something like a luxating patella (where the knee cap pops in and out). They can limp or not put weight on the hind limb if the knee cap is out of place. Which could explain why one day she seemed hurt in one leg and now hurt in another. It could also be that she just hurt her leg like a soft tissue injury. This can be either a sprain or a ligament injury. If Hazel is dragging her leg (which is does not look like she is) it may be her back. Your veterinarian will perform a physical examination and see if the knee caps are in place and if Hazel has any discomfort or swelling in any joints or parts of her leg. They may recommend X-rays depending on the physical examination if your veterinarian thinks there is a bone injury. Dogs can also get tick diseases that cause shifting leg lameness (where they are lame on one leg and then the next day lame on another). Although these diseases are not common in your part of the country it is not something to completely rule out since we do see them sometimes. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I recommend to have Zeus examined today. Shifting leg lameness can indicate a few conditions like Lyme disease, panosteitis or an autoimmune condition. These conditions are all very painful and need to be addressed. I hope he starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would be looking into the possibility of this being something affecting the joints per se such as immune mediated polyarthritis or perhaps something like hypertrophic osteodystrophy given his young age. These are possible things your veterinarian can look into. Treatment of course would depend on findings. At the very least they can try pain control medications and anti-inflammatory drugs. Best of luck!

I am sorry to hear about Oscar. Some tick-borne diseases can result in shifting lameness between legs and lethargy. Another possiblity if he is a larger breed dog is panosteitis, which is like a growing pain in dogs. It can become quite severe and cause lethargy and decreased appetite. You can read more about this at https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4953019. I would recommend bringing Oscar in to the vet's office for examination to determine why he is so uncomfortable, which will help determine his treatment. Best of luck to you and Oscar.

Some causes of hindlimb lameness in growing dogs that are less than 12 months of age include: Hip dysplasia, Avascular necrosis of the femoral head - Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, where the ball of the thighbone in the hip doesn't get enough blood, causing the bone to die Osteochondritis of stifle - fragments of cartilage or bone have become loose within the knee joint Patella luxation - medial or lateral disorder, in which the kneecap dislocates or moves out of its normal location Osteochondritis of the hock - fragments of cartilage or bone have become loose within the hock, the joint of the hind leg Panosteitis – inflammation of the bones Hypertrophic osteodystrophy - a disease characterized by decreased blood flow to the part of the bone adjacent to the joint Trauma to the soft tissue, bone, or joint Infection – may be local, or generalized (systemic) Nutritional imbalances Congenital abnormalities (present at birth) If the lameness persists, even if she seems better afterward, I recommend getting her seen by your vet as soon as possible to check for one of these conditions and get her started on treatment if need be.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Causes of a front leg lameness could be: arthritis, a strain or sprain that needs more time, Lyme disease, neck injury and pinched nerve, peripheral nerve sheath tumor, bone tumor, bursitis/tendinitis. I think having Mya examined is a good idea since it’s been waxing and waning for a few months. Your Vet may want to check her for Lyme or take X-rays. She may just need a few weeks of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and rest. I hope this helps and I wish Mya a speedy recovery!