It's possibly a problem with his knee cap which isn't sitting right, it's called patella luxation.

 

oh no hes been like it 11 years, the vet couldnt find anything wrong but I didnt have it xrayed, it does seem to be a trait in may jack russells is it due to their breeding

 

One thing if observed is that he will run at the speed of light! At young age I suppose could sprain or twist his leg somewhere, it does stop after a lot of rest, he falls over himself sometimes trying to keep p with faster dogs

 

I have seen one of my Borders do this but it has only been twice when she has been running.I assumed maybe she had jarred her leg while running and rubbed her thigh muscle and she was fine.

 

It's possibly a problem with his knee cap which isn't sitting right, it's called patella luxation.

Yep my daughters mini dachshund did the same, she had him xrayed and the vet confirmed, but he's ok now - that was last year.

 

Yep my daughters mini dachshund did the same, she had him xrayed and the vet confirmed, but he's ok now - that was last year.

did he need any treatment, mine jack russ has had it all his life it hasnt stopped him doing anything

 

I do know exactly what you mean. I see lots of JRs doing this. My vet maintains that there is always some physical reason for it and it is not normal.
But all the ones I have known have never shown any lameness or pain.

 

Its probably patella luxation as this is very common with alot of small breeds. However unless its serious and requires surgery most dogs manage fine with it.

 

Thanks for the info, it hasnt stopped him doing anything and hes always had it,will keep my eye on it to make sure it doeant get worse s he get older, Hes a fast little chap whose happy to jump up and over styles at 100mph

 

Domino my jackapoo did that when he was xrayed it turned out he had Legge Calve Perthes disease and ended with a total hip replacement.

I have had three proper jack russells and all of them hopped but used to vary which leg they held up, they all had xrays and nothing was found to be wrong.

Val xx

 

I think there are different grades of luxation, if it's severe, what they do is open up the joint, and actually file the groove in the bone where the knee cap slides up and down, so that it's deep enough and the knee cap doesn't keep popping out. If it's only mild, they generally just leave it well alone.

It's not just small breeds it affects, larger breeds can suffer from this as well, and the thinking is (when I was chatting with someone who knows a lot more than me about these things) as with many of the other *defects*, that it is genetic.

 

I know a JRTx who does that. She has been to the vets though, and they told her owner not to worry. I have noticed quite a few JRT types we have met out and about doing the same...

 

Ooh now I am worried, I had also put it down as just a JRT thing! Almost all I have ever known have done this, my nan had them for years, the one that impregnated our old family dog did it (though he had huge testicles ) my friends mums little one does, I cant think of any that don't.

 

My Staffie had a luxating patella (thats why she was given to a rescue centre) she had to have a big op on it by a specialist vet. Shes all better.

 

My mums yorkie often hopped on three legs / limped after a lot of exercise but the vets never diagnosed anything and said she probably strained a muscle. However she is four now and went in recently for her annual jabs and they have now discovered her knee keeps dislocating and she may have to have an operation in the future to fix it despite it not bothering her for long lengths of time.

 

It's more commonly referred to as "the terrier hop", very common, most JRT's have this hop to their gait. I can't ever remember seeing a terrier without one, that's not to say there haven't been any, I just can't remember one.

My Floyd does it too when he's on the lead, but never when he's running full pelt after his ball, he needs all his feet then!

 

thanks for all the replies Im not so worried now especially after reading the terrier hop, he is 11yrs and never had a problem he doesnt limp whilst walking and only does it while he is trotting, I will keep an eye on him as hes getting older.

 

Please excuse the late reply to this question ..

.. but as I have made a video previously of the jack russell hop, and when I searched it this forum thread came up in the search results, I thought it was useful to show people who didn't know about it, and actual example.

CHOPS the funny jack russell dog HOP & Skip on his rear legs - Australia. - YouTube

I am a pro dog walker, and many of the jack russells (crosses) I have walked have had such a characteristic, though none as pronounced as this dog.

This dog is quite an anxious dog, and I am not sure if that feeds into its walking style. But I agree, their is no obvious pain or lameness in this dog either.

Cute or a medical condition, it seems the jury is still out. Cheers B

 

Please excuse the late reply to this question ..

.. but as I have made a video previously of the jack russell hop, and when I searched it this forum thread came up in the search results, I thought it was useful to show people who didn't know about it, and actual example.

CHOPS the funny jack russell dog HOP & Skip on his rear legs - Australia. - YouTube

I am a pro dog walker, and many of the jack russells (crosses) I have walked have had such a characteristic, though none as pronounced as this dog.

This dog is quite an anxious dog, and I am not sure if that feeds into its walking style. But I agree, their is no obvious pain or lameness in this dog either.

Cute or a medical condition, it seems the jury is still out. Cheers B

Mine hops. He has a deep tissue massage every 4-6 months to loosen everything up and it stops the hopping completely. In fact it's the hopping that's the first sign I need to get him booked in (usually a 4-6 week wait).

 

My old mongrel was deff part Jack Russell and he did this too, again leg checked at vet and nothing wrong, he did it on and off the whole 11 years we shared together.

 

I have 3 jack Russells. And my female Holly does it, and there's nothing wrong with her knee caps or joints just something she does. Like the ever so famous 'jack Russell shakes'

 

Thinking about it about it the JR we had when I was still at school did that, and I've seen lots of JRs doing the odd little skip just thought it was a JR thing.

 

Patella luxation. Usually not painful, the dogs are fine.

Occasionally can cause pain or problems if it's high grade, in which case surgery is recommended. It usually doesn't come to that.

It is a congenital deformity, common in small breeds.

 

Toby has serious terrier shakes, but the hoppy thing, only if he has something stuck in or between his pads...

 

Tess does this she has a grade 1 luxating patella, the vet said it wont bother her and he said it in no way warrants an op, she does agility and runs round like a loom, she hops more when she is sort of trotting rather than running.

 

My Mums Bichon has it in both back legs, but thankfully very mild. The vets have said he's fine, and could go all his life without the need for surgery.