Popping Joint and a Week of Limping in a 10-Year-Old Dog

Surgery isn't always the only option, but the right answer depends on what's popping, so your vet needs to examine the leg and take X-rays. "Popping" can mean a few different things:

• A kneecap that slips out of place (patellar luxation). Dogs often skip for a few steps. Mild cases can be managed with weight control, controlled exercise and pain relief, while more severe or worsening cases usually need surgery.
• A torn ligament in the knee (cruciate ligament), sometimes with a clicking or popping sound from torn cartilage. Surgery helps most dogs, especially larger ones. Small dogs often improve with strict rest, pain control, rehab and weight loss.
• A dislocated hip. Vets usually try to put it back without surgery first, under anesthesia, though it can slip out again.
• Arthritis, which can cause grinding or cracking sounds.

At 10 years old, your vet will also want to rule out less common causes of new limping, such as bone tumors in larger dogs. Please don't give human pain relievers; they can cause serious stomach and kidney damage in dogs. Keep him rested and on a leash until he's seen.

See bone, joint and muscle problems in dogs, why dogs limp and knee surgery in dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.