Yorkie puppy's hind leg pops when moving. Should I be worried?

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.

Hi there. From what you describe, it certainly sounds like she may have a luxating patella. This is a common problem in toy breed dogs. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam to determine if this is the problem. If so, it may be able to be managed with anti-inflammatory medication if it's only causing minor, occasional problems, or surgery may be recommended if the problem is more severe.

Small breed dogs like Shih Tzus are prone to having luxating patellas, and this may be what you are seeing. They can range from only coming out of place with manual pressure all the way up to slipping out of place and locking up the knee. Depending on the severity of this issue, the vet may recommend just monitoring at home or surgery. Of course, there could be something else going on with the leg, and I am sure your vet will get to the bottom of it! Here is some more information on luxating patellas: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2448

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?

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.

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.

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.