Hi all, A few times over the last few months I have noticed a click or two when Maisie gets up from lying down. Should I be concerned? She is very fit and runs everywhere when we are out on a walk! I have felt round her hips and legs and she showed no pain. She had a longer walk then normal this morning (got lost!) and has just got up and I heard the click....could it be stiff joints from too much exercise today?
Re: Clicking sound from back legs I really don't know, but would be inclined to check with the vets. Sending tummy rubs to the lovely Maisie
Re: Clicking sound from back legs Next time you are in at the vets I would ask about it They can do a check of the range of movement/looseness in her joints.
Re: Clicking sound from back legs A clicking sound, without any other signs something is wrong, doesn't necessarily indicate a problem. But it might be a warning sign, as it is associated with joint problems. So if you want, you can get a vet to have a look (but unless your vet is an orthopedic vet, I'd recommend a longer appointment with a dog physio might be more helpful). Charlie has an audible clicking in his repaired knee joint when he walks upstairs at the end of the day. No other time. I think this is the very first sign that osteoarthritis is present in the joint - which sounds scary, but actually, it's to be expected and seems to cause him no discomfort at all, and restricts him not at all. I expect it will get worse, but that's life, and aging. My right knee joint has been clicking since I was 21 and it's still going strong....
Re: Clicking sound from back legs My left ankle clicks. 43years have gone by and it's never given me a problem
Re: Clicking sound from back legs My knees and hips click as well, and have for the last 20 odd years ;D!!! Having read so much about all the possible joint problems associated with labs I suppose I'm a bit twitchy about hearing a click! So, at the next vet visit I'll mention it, or I might just pop in this week and see what they think. Thank you for your replies.
Re: Clicking sound from back legs Well, Lilly clicks like mad these days. Our HD started with a limp though. I think ordinary vets aren't always best placed to rule out joint problems, no disrespect meant, they can be pretty subtle. Should you see an ortho vet? I dunno. If there is any limp or sign of discomfort, grumpiness, or anything odd I would say yes. Just for a click? Not sure. Joints can click from pressure changes in joint fluid, or indeed from ligaments slipping over bony prominences, so in itself it doesn't necessarily mean anything to worry about. jac
Re: Clicking sound from back legs Penny clicks a lot, it's particularly noticeable in the evenings. She does have hip dysplasia so I believe it is related to this. If she's not lame or showing any other symptoms that worry you I wouldn't be inclined to worry too much. But if it would set your mind at rest there's no harm getting her checked out.
Re: Clicking sound from back legs [quote author=Penny+Me link=topic=9942.msg144551#msg144551 date=1424350086] Penny clicks a lot, it's particularly noticeable in the evenings. She does have hip dysplasia so I believe it is related to this. If she's not lame or showing any other symptoms that worry you I wouldn't be inclined to worry too much. But if it would set your mind at rest there's no harm getting her checked out. [/quote] Thanks Lauren. She's not showing any other symptoms and is her usual happy self! I'll keep an eye on it and if the clicks start to become more regular then I will have her checked over.
I would be having the clicks checked out either for peace of mind that it's nothing or be prepared for the future
Snowie sometimes clicks when getting up after a long sleep. I've tried to isolate where the clicks are coming from by listening very closely! Sounds like it is coming from his feet! Of course I am not sure. My vet heard a click once when she was examining him after we took him in for ataxia (paralysis) and she was very concerned. Subsequently we had him x-rayed and MRIed and his joints are fine except the L7-S joint (vertebral joint) that shows arthritis and a bulging disc, and calcification across some thoracic joints (orthopaedic vet said the body's way of stabilising an area, nothing to worry about). I forgot to ask the orthopaedic vet about the clicks but he was not concerned about Snowie's joints except for the bulging disc. It is so difficult managing boisterous Labs -- Snowie was wild until he was two years old. However, I do wish I'd built proper steps in our pool for him; instead he had a very jolting entrance each time he jumped in onto the pool seat (the pool steps are inaccessible due to a really bad job of positioning the pool -- done by previous owners) and I wonder if the repetitive pounding of his spine at an angle 3-4 times day for years has contributed to his spinal problems. So difficult to know given his wild antics as a puppy, he might've injured his spine on a walk in the forest. Good luck and I hope Maisie's clicks are nothing more than normal clicks that so many of us hear in our joints all the time.
