# hopping when running at 5 months



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Not to be an alarmist, but I would have his hips checked. Hopping when running is not normal.


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## bigargs (Feb 10, 2014)

It's not really hopping but he kind of lifts both of his front and back legs together when running really fast sometimes. It's not an everytime thing. I'm going to to take some footage with my phone and post it on here


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## tine434 (Nov 24, 2013)

That kind of run is normal in puppies, especially if they are smaller. Rem was doing it at 2 and 3 months but he was pretty huge at 5 months and just has an awkward run now

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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Ah, that doesn't sound like what I was thinking of, which is a "bunny hop". The bunny hop is a key sign of hip problems.


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## bigargs (Feb 10, 2014)

Hi all, thanks for the replies. Just got off the phone with the vet. I explained about my dog lifting his back legs to run sometimes. He told me that is the bunny hop and could mean something is wrong with his hips. X ray is $160. I'm not sure if I should get it done. I don't want to pay all that money and nothing is wrong. I asked him if there are any other symptoms for hip problems that I could check for and he told me there is not much else he could advise without an X-ray. I'm going to post the video of him running soon, I'm having trouble uploading it to youtube for some reason. What are you're thoughts here? Anybody with similar concerns?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

unfortunately, I think you have to do what your vet has suggested.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Also don't want to be an alarmist, but I had a border collie who bunny hopped. Everyone said it wasn't a big deal but it didn't seem right to me. It did turn out to be hip dysplasia, bi lateral. 

Get your puppy checked, that way you can plan ahead regarding surgery and recovery if it does turn out to be hip dysplasia. It's a major surgery with a long recovery.

Crossing my fingers that it's just awkward puppy stuff.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Sounds more like a gallop. I know there are better illustrations of this but I cannot find them today:

Oricom Technologies Running Dogs

Rotatory Gallop

And yeah, a five month old puppy is going to be awkward 

A bunny hop is not a fast gait-it is awkward and slower than a gallop. A true bunny hop is often indicative of hip problems.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I read this description of a bunny hop online, and it seems to be pretty accurate:

"A healthy dog that is galloping pushes off strongly with the hind legs, almost leaping over the ground. A dog with HD that is bunny hopping carries its weight shifted forward, with the front legs doing all the work as the hindlegs are swung forward by momentum. There is no active propulsion from the rear quarters because of the pain in the hips."


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## bigargs (Feb 10, 2014)

here is the video. took me a while how figure out how to post videos


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

After watching your video, I would spring for the x-ray if I were you. While that can look like simple awkward puppy gait, I'd rather know for sure since there is a fix for hip dysplasia if diagnosed early. At the very least, you'll put your mind at ease rather than worrying "what if?" Cute pup!


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Hard to tell from the video (side view would be more telling) but it looks more like puppy gait to me. I have seen my own puppies do that when excitedly retrieving something. What are hips like in his pedigree?

If you do go for the X-ray, bear in mind that subluxation at this age is normal. Shallow acetabulum and bony changes, remodeling of the femoral head, etc. are not normal at any age.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Linda, take a look at the right rear leg. Hard to tell if it's awkward puppy growth or if that side's movement is a bit off. The snow might be causing some awkwardness too, so it could be nothing.

I'd check with a good ortho.

Adorable baby.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

very, very hard to tell from the video but looks more like normal puppy gait to me, too. But if you can afford the xrays, I would do them, just to put your mind at ease.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

bigargs said:


> Hi all, thanks for the replies. Just got off the phone with the vet. I explained about my dog lifting his back legs to run sometimes. He told me that is the bunny hop and could mean something is wrong with his hips. X ray is $160. I'm not sure if I should get it done. I don't want to pay all that money and nothing is wrong. I asked him if there are any other symptoms for hip problems that I could check for and he told me there is not much else he could advise without an X-ray. I'm going to post the video of him running soon, I'm having trouble uploading it to youtube for some reason. What are you're thoughts here? Anybody with similar concerns?



To me it's well worth the money to know one way or the other. If it is HD, then you will know and be able to put a plan in place on how to treat it. If it's not, then you can put that concern to rest.


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## tine434 (Nov 24, 2013)

Do they really x ray for HD that young?

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## cris (Jan 24, 2014)

I would do the xrays just to keep my mind at ease. My parents have a lab with severe HD and he does carry his weight on his front legs and carries both of his hind legs together. Our experience with him hasn't actually been that bad. He developed a lot of muscle in his front legs and does all of his weight bearing exercises on them. One thing he has kept from his puppy years is laying down flat on his chest with his back legs pulled back. I'm sure once he gets older it'll be more of an issue but as an adult he's as happy as a clam 

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## bigargs (Feb 10, 2014)

Tahnee GR said:


> Hard to tell from the video (side view would be more telling) but it looks more like puppy gait to me. I have seen my own puppies do that when excitedly retrieving something. What are hips like in his pedigree?
> 
> If you do go for the X-ray, bear in mind that subluxation at this age is normal. Shallow acetabulum and bony changes, remodeling of the femoral head, etc. are not normal at any age.


Sire has excellent hips clearance. Dam has good hips.

The Sire's sire has excellent hips clearance. His dam has good hips

The Dam's sire has a hip clearance on k9data.com but no clearance for hips confirmation on offa.org
Her dam has a hips clearance on k9data.com but she is not listed on offa.org.

Thanks for the replies everyone. 
Comments were much appreciated, it could be puppy gait like stated, maybe the icy conditions effecting his running...I should probably just get the x-ray though like most people are saying. I'm going to wait 1 month for him to grow a bit more though, and see if he improves his running. If it's still the same then I'll get it done


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

Normal, Normal, Normal....each one learns to smooth out in their own time. I have a puppy now who swims with both front coming out of the water. Usually only pups to this dog paddle.....she is 15 mo and is in some pretty active field training, going out she splashes like a puppy after she gets her dummy/bird she swims back like a fine athlete...go figure. I consider all my Golden's puppies until they pass 2 years old....


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## DanaRuns (Sep 29, 2012)

Well, I hope all these folks who are saying it is nothing are right, but as the owner of a dysplastic dog that video looks awfully familiar. I'd get the x-ray, personally.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

bigargs said:


> Sire has excellent hips clearance. Dam has good hips.
> 
> The Sire's sire has excellent hips clearance. His dam has good hips
> 
> ...


Clearances do help stack the deck in your favor. Final, passing clearances for hips and elbows, sent to OFA will always be listed on the offa website.

If you go for the X-rays, I would not use your regular vet. I would go to an orthopedic vet who does OFA X-rays.

Have you talked to your breeder about this? He or she may be able to give you some insight into this, and may be able to recommend a good vet for the X-rays.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I think I would have his hips checked ANYWAY - but not right now. Wait maybe until he's all done growing and that way you don't have any "gray areas". 

And fwiw....  My golden with bilateral hip dysplasia doesn't bunny hop and I don't think he ever did any bunny hopping even as a puppy. Which tells you - nobody can diagnose hip dysplasia without actually doing the xrays.

Other thing - he's running on what's probably a layer of ice on that snow. So that's not going to tell you anything about gait - especially if he's slipping around.


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## gldnboys (Mar 15, 2012)

Megora said:


> And fwiw....  My golden with bilateral hip dysplasia doesn't bunny hop and I don't think he ever did any bunny hopping even as a puppy. Which tells you - nobody can diagnose hip dysplasia without actually doing the xrays.


I had the same experience with one of mine. He moved like a dream and never showed a sign of any hip problems. I even remember a longtime Golden breeder telling me that a dog that moved like that couldn't have hip dysplasia. Yet when the time came to do clearances, it turned out he had moderate bilateral hip dysplasia - not just mild, but moderate. 

FWIW, he lived his whole life without ever having any issues with his hips (arthritis, etc.).... But it's just another example of a case where the only way to know for sure is by doing x-rays.

I also agree with the comment about going to a vet who specifically does OFA x-rays. Proper positioning can make all the difference when it comes to getting a proper diagnosis.


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