My girlfriend pointed out some "click" noises our pup's back paws make when she walks (lab pup) ...she said she noticed it a few days ago, i (obviously) never did until now..it seems to happen mostly when she's turning whilst walking, I thought it was her claws on the carpet as they are due a cut and quite long but I took her out in garden in grass and decking and you could hear it there too... its not every step just the odd one

what is this?
is it anything to be concerned about?

she doesnt appear to be in any pain and runs about just fine quite happily.


thanks

I'd get it checked out by a vet.

It might be something that will pass on its own, but it could also be something which needs care. I don't want to guess at diagnoses because I can't see your dog!

I'd certainly take her down to the vets - just to be on the safe side. It isn't normal for dogs joints to be clicking - especially youngsters, and when the clicking is audible and frequent. Were her parents hip scored?

__________________

''Dogs are like chocolates, you can never have just one!''

No... all we know that the Grandparents were tested and were clear

the clicking is not every step she takes just the odd ones... we'll have to get her to the vets

thanks

Kilo had something similar (I was very worried as you can see!!): Clicking stifle

It had resolved by the time I went back for a check a month later; I switched to adult food the day after the initial vet visit, then raw after the vet persuaded me that it was best and his growth rate really steadied. I also took Kilo to hydro for some impact - free exercise for a month or two.

The vet's notes said "grew very big, very fast" as the probable cause!

__________________

Oh dear, I think you've been misled, there's no such thing as *clear* for hip scores, they are expressed as numbers for each hip, the lower the better, but never expressed as *clear* in the way some genetic tests are.

I would get her checked out by the vets, clicking really isn't normal, hopefully it's nothing but better safe than sorry.

maybe they meant the number means they were clear?? i dunno I will have to ask my partner but she is on the phone...two ticks

my partner says the breeder said the grandparents were hip-scored and they were OK , she didnt mention what the numbers where

Im wondering if she getting too much excersize? she has about 1 hour in total per day (3 walks) but sometimes more and sometimes less

she is on Adult food but only for past 6 days, she is small in stature

I was thinking today of asking abuot supplements for dogs... we wanted to get that Vitalin Maintenance food as it has MSM, Glucosamine, Chondroitin in which helps joints and would be good for her as she is a Lab but can only get it online...

can you buy supplements for dogs that can be added to food?


thanks

You can, but I'd take her to the vets anyway. It could just be fast growing, like Kilo had, or it could be something more serious, but catching things early always helps.

If she gets put on any medication, then you'll need to ask about giving supplements with them, as they can affect how effective a medication is.

There's not really a nice way to put this, and I hope it doesn't come across in a nasty way, but if the grand parents were tested, it seems odd the parents weren't? The only reason would be that the breeder has, for whatever reason, decided not to pay for the minimum health tests, which are hip scores and the BVA eye cert. Now that might mean nothing, because in all honesty, someone who is willing to discard doing those tests to save a bit of cash, generally speaking, wouldn't know enough to research lines and discard the health test because they think there might be something sinister to hide, if that makes sense? However, that still leaves you with a gap in the history of your pup, on both sides from the sounds of it; that doesn't mean there will most definitely be a problem one way or the other, but it does mean the breeder didn't care enough to find out if either parent may have a problem they could potentially pass on. Apols if I've got any of that wrong, I'm just going on what you've posted above; if you've got the names of the grandparents it's easy enough to check on the KC database btw, to see if they're hip scored and what their hip scores are, you can also make a quick comparison to parents, progeny and siblings, that may help you to see what hip scores any relations have.

But, having said all that, don't dwell on anything until you've seen the vet, it might not be her hips at all, it could be just be nothing, a niggle she'll grow through.