help - not sure if my dog is hopping or limping?

for the past 4-6 weeks, my dog (a mutt - i think he's a "schnoodle" or a havanese mix) has been walking a little funny - every 20 steps or so (on average) he hops on his right leg. he lets me move around all his joints and doesn't appear to be in any pain. we went for a 2 hour hike the other day, and he continues to run around like a lunatic, and doesn't seem to be hurting. so i can't figure out if this is just his gait, or if he is really limping?

one of my friends has a bichon frise who needed surgery because its leg didn't track well at the knee joint. she said he used to limp around like owen, but that he was in distress. owen doesn't seem to be in distress at all.

does anyone else's dog do this? any advice?

Re: help - not sure if my dog is hopping or limping?

I would take the dog to the vet.

Re: help - not sure if my dog is hopping or limping?

It is very common for small dogs to have patella problems. I would def take your cutie to the vet. Please keep us posted

Re: help - not sure if my dog is hopping or limping?

Definitely make an appointment with your vet.

Re: help - not sure if my dog is hopping or limping?

My dog is MUCH larger than yours and limps sometimes...especially after sitting for a while. He just had xrays done last week and it seems he has arthritis in his hips. He's not that old - but he's a mutt and we don't know what he's mixed with. Then to top it off, this morning when DH took him out he said he thinks he tripped on a tree root in the yard and has been hopping around on 3 legs ever since. I called the vet when I got home today to ask if there was something I could give him, but I still haven't heard back.

So to make my long story short - take the dog to the vet. It could be nothing.

Re: help - not sure if my dog is hopping or limping?

thanks, everyone. i think i will take him to the vet after the holiday - he is due for a checkup in a month anyway, so i will just take him a little early. it will give me some peace of mind.

Re: help - not sure if my dog is hopping or limping?

I have an American Eskimo who is 18 lbs and he was limping here and there. I took him to the vet and it ended up that he had a tumor between his toes and arthritis in the area. The tumor was sooooo tiny and benign but I guess enough to bother him combined witht he arthritis. The vet gave him anti-inflammatory pills and he was fine after that.