bad hips or normal for a pup????

by ed
(va.)

My rott just turned 5 months old and when he walks his back legs look very unstable and seem to wobble.

He was shipped in from Germany and both of his parents hips are certified. Any ideas?



Hi Ed
If both your puppys' parents had a 'good' or 'excellent' rating on their hips, then the chances of him having a hereditary hip problem is slight.

However, it is possible, and there's also the possibility of hip problems (and other joint problems) developing due to dietary issues, injury and so on.

At 5 months old, your pup is still very young, and unless it's a very severe problem, a vet will be hard-pressed to make a diagnosis. At this age the bones/joints still have a lot of growing and developing to do, and even X-rays are not really able to provide a definitive answer. However, having said that, if you're concerned I would most definitely have your vet take a look at him and do a manual exam. If there is anything major, or there's an injury etc. he will be able to determine that.

Rotties grow slowly, especially the large males, and they can be very clumsy and awkward when they're in that 'gangly teenager' stage. This could be what you're noticing.

The most common signs of a hip problem are difficulty (and general slowness or stiffness, sometimes accompanied by signs of pain or discomfort) when getting up from a sitting position or from lying down. A sort of skipping or 'rabbit hopping' gait (best seen when running or moving quickly) is also fairly common, and sometimes a clicking noise can be heard from the hip joint when the dog is walking.

Unfortunately I'm not a vet and really can't give you much more info. than this, but with pups it's always a good idea to err on the side of caution, so I'd recommend having your vet check him out. Hopefully it will be nothing to worry about.

I wish you the best of luck.