My dog skips when walking. Is it a knee injury? Should I see a vet?

It could be that Chispa is suffering from a luxating patella, which is when the kneecap comes out of it's correct anatomical position. When this happens, you notice the dog skipping and not using the leg. Because it happens sometimes, that means the kneecap is going back into place. This can be felt with palpation of the knee, so you can take her into another vet for a second opinion. Depending in the severity of the luxation, surgery may be needed to keep her kneecap in place if she does have a luxating patella. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Yes, this is a common sign seen with luxating patellas (dislocating knee cap). Small breeds like Bailey tend to be affected by it and it can have various ranges of severity. If Bailey is skipping, then it is likely a high-grade luxating patella and may need surgery to correct it. In order to get his condition diagnosed and treated, you'll need to start by scheduling an exam with your veterinarian. For more information about this condition, I recommend you read the article at the link below. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/luxating-patella-or-kneecap-in-dogs I hope that helps and Bailey gets better soon.

Hi. Unfortunately without an exam and seeing the xrays that is hard to say. It could be from the femoral head issue you mentioned, or soemthing else. A common cause of "skipping" is patella (knee cap) location. I would recommend you ask for a referral to an orthopedic specialist

Based on your description, I would be concerned that your pug has a luxating patella. This would cause him to not use the leg properly because the knee cap is sliding out of it's correct anatomical position. This is a common condition in small breed dogs. I would have your dog seen by a vet first thing tomorrow. The vet can do a lameness exam and possibly x-rays to diagnose what is causing his lameness, and can discuss treatment with you. With a patella luxation, surgery may be required to fix it.

Hello, sorry to hear about Diesel. It sounds like he could have a condition known as luxating patellas in where the knee caps dislocate from their normal groove. Certain breeds are predisposed to this such as Yorkies and Chihuahuas. I would recommend having Diesel evaluated in the near future for this condition. There are other potential causes, but typically are accompanied by more pain an discomfort. In the interim, if Diesel is otherwise doing well, restrict his activity and do not allow any jumping, running, or rough playing as this can exacerbate any underlying orthopedic conditions. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It may be. She may have a soft tissue injury or some slight swelling at the knee which is causing the patella to luxate even though it has not been a problem in the past. Your veterinarian can most likely determine if that is the case by a physical exam. If her patella is loose and moving around, it is usually pretty easy to detect.

I am assuming Sonny is a small dog. In small dogs skipping on one back leg is often a sign of a luxating patella (knee cap). This can be surgically corrected, but does not necessarily need to be fixed as long as your dog is not in pain from this condition