What causes my puppy's hips to click when he wakes up in the morning?

I would definitely recommend taking him to your veterinarian for an exam. An abnormal gait and 'popping' could be a sign of hip dysplasia causing subluxation of the hip joint. Luxating patellas, or kneecaps that pop in and out of the joint would be another possibility. You have a few more options for treatment if these joint problems are caught early, so I'd recommend making an appointment soon.

Hello. It can actually be rather difficult to diagnose hip dysplasia in a puppy this young with x-rays. Often we need to be able to diagnose laxity in the joint under anesthesia or see pain when the hips are manipulated, Lameness when walking or bunny hopping when running are classic signs, too. I am not sure I would be doing the Osnate - d ( Vitamin D ) or the Xobix ( anti-inflammatory medication ) as the Vit. D can cause imbalances & if there is no pain or lameness, the anti-inflammatory is not going to do any good. I think you need another opinion, perhaps with a veterinary neurologist, to make sure there are no spinal cord lesions affecting his gait. If this is hip dysplasia, unnecessary supplementation with the Vit. D may make things worse as most dogs seem to get much better on their own by the time they are 12-18 months of age. If you can have Ghost reevaluated, that would be the best thing to do. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach..

That is definitely concerning. Young dogs can have problems such as hip dysplasia, a disorder called Legg Calf Perthes disease that causes damage to the hip, problems with the spine that can cause weakness, Among others. An evaluation by your veterinarian and possible X-rays may help identify the cause and develop a plan for treatment. I hope this gives you someplace to start! I hope he improves quickly!

It is likely a good idea to have the hip examined and X-rayed by your veterinarian to check for dysplasia or other potential deformities in the joint. Depending on the severity of the issue, your vet may also recommend starting Twinkle on a joint supplement early to help keep the joint healthy and slow down or prevent damage to it or other measures to help keep the joint stabilized and healthy.

Legally, I am not allowed to give you a diagnosis, but based on the x-rays you posted, I suspect that your vet told you that Sly has significant hip dysplasia and arthritis in both hips. I'm sure that came as a surprise to you since Sly is only showing some limping after resting. Dogs are very stoic and do not show us pain as we would expect. Since you have just started Sly on a glucosamine and chondoitin sulfate supplement, you certainly could wait and see how he does on that, but I suspect you will need to add some additional supplements or medications to resolve his limping, so don't be afraid to talk to your vet about those. We frequently use fish oil, MSM, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and many other drug combinations for arthritis. I also highly recommend physical rehabilitation and acupuncture. Although we expect our dogs to cry in pain, most dogs with arthritis pain act exactly like Sly and only limp after getting up. Our goal with treatment is to get them to the point that their pain is so well controlled that we don't notice them limp at all. I hope that helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Roscoe. These could be signs of hip dysplasia. The first thing to do is have him seen by a vet for x-rays. This will confirm if he has hip dysplasia. If he does, the vet can discuss treatment options for him such as pain medication and joint supplements. I'd take him into the vet this weekend or Monday. I hope this helps!

I wonder if Pom Pom might have luxating patellas, which is an inherited problem that causes the kneecap to pop in and out of place. Sometimes a click could come from the hips as well. Even though she doesn’t seem painful it would be best to have your vet examine her - sometimes there are therapies that would be helpful to prevent problems like arthritis later.