# skipping



## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Do any of your dogs skip? I've noticed Gryff doing this before, but it was really obvious today. We were out on a hike and he was having a glorious time. While running, every couple of strides, he would skip up on one leg. It almost looked like he was favoring his right rear leg, but he wasn't. He was running and jumping and having a great time. It was as though he was going "la la la la la" and skipping along! I've seen him do this also while running down the stairs.

I had my video camera with me, but didn't even think to take it out. I promise I will next time.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Ivy, does his veterinarian check his patellas when you take him in? Skipping if often a sign of a patella problem.


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## Hav a lot of pets (Apr 4, 2008)

We had a skipping dog. After both knees were regrooved so the patellas would track properly and both ACLs repaired (one blew, the other had a small tear), we never saw skipping again. Not at all to frighten you, but just my experience with skipping in a dog. 

Karen


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## MopTop Havanese (Sep 25, 2006)

Not to scare you, but skipping can also be a hip issue. I remember at the Nationals last year, I was watching the Parade of Rescues. One of the dogs out there had a very noticable skip. I was talking with it's owner after the parade (she had a dog that had gone thru the same surgery that my Mouse was going to have)- and we were talking too about the skip. She told me the dog had very bad hips- and in this particular dog it showed up as the skip-


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

The hav I know with the skip has LCP. Not trying to scare you just saying my experience.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

He checked out fine at his last appointment, but I will mention it again when he goes this summer. He doesn't appear to have any problem running around like a maniac.

** edit **

but it looks like that doesn't matter. 

Patients with patellar luxation can be broadly classified into 3 categories:
Puppies and young adult dogs with an intermittent “skipping” gait. The owners describe the dog as pulling up the leg for several steps before returning it to the ground and then resuming normal ambulation with no sign of lameness. The nonweight-bearing phase corresponds with luxation or subluxation of the patella and the gait returns to normal when the luxation spontaneously reduces. As such, this represents a mechanical lameness, in that the patellar luxation impedes normal function of the stifle rather than producing significant pain. The skipping gait may be widely intermittent or may be almost continuous, depending on the severity of the luxation. Severely bilaterally affected dogs may have major impairment of their ability to extend the stifle, thus presenting in a crouching, “pigeon-toed” stance with limited locomotory capacity (1,4–6).
Middle-aged or older dogs with a more constant hind limb lameness. Careful questioning of the owner is essential with these patients to determine the course of the lameness. If the luxating patella is responsible for the lameness, there will be a long-term history of intermittent lameness, including the characteristic “skipping gait.” The owner may comment that the dog has had a problem with the leg from time to time for as long as they can remember, but the symptoms seem to be getting worse. This is often due to eburnation of cartilage on the medial trochlear ridge and the underside of the patella (1,2,4). Osteoarthritic changes in the joint may also contribute to lameness in these patients, but this may be of somewhat lesser importance, since the degenerative changes seem to be slower in developing, are of a more minor nature, and are less clinically debilitating than the changes seen in rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament, for example (3,7). If questioning of the owner reveals an acute lameness or an acute worsening of an intermittent lameness, the patellar luxation is frequently a “red herring.” More often, rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament or other causes of acute lameness will be present as a more significant clinical entity (1,2,5,8).
Medial patellar luxation and rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament are intertwined in several ways. It is estimated that at least 15% to 20% of dogs with patellar luxation will eventually rupture their cranial cruciate ligament (1). This may be due to a combination of 3 factors: First, dogs with significant patellar luxation usually have internal rotation of the tibia, which puts stress on the cranial cruciate ligament. Second, the quadriceps musculature-patella-patellar tendon mechanism normally provides cranial stability to the stifle joint. In the dog with patellar luxation, a good portion of this mechanism is deviated medially, thus offering less resistance to forces that would tend to subluxate the proximal tibia cranially. Third, cartilage erosion and degenerative joint disease may create an environment in the stifle that promotes degeneration of the cranial cruciate ligament (1,5).
Asymptomatic dogs. A significant number of dogs with patellar luxation may show few or no clinical signs (1). Fewer large breed dogs with patellar luxation would fall into this category. Our practice data show a mean age at surgery in large dogs of 1.6 y (range 8 mo to 3.5 y), while the corresponding mean age in small dogs is 3.4 y (range 7 mo to 9 y). The younger age and narrower age range in large breeds suggest that larger dogs are less likely to be asymptomatic than smaller dogs.
A grading system based on the findings at physical examination has been developed for the categorization of patellar luxation. A Grade 0 patella luxation is normal and the patella will not luxate during the physical examination. A Grade 1 patellar luxation is one in which the patella will luxate when digital pressure is applied, usually with the stifle in extension, but will immediately return to its normal position when the pressure is removed. A Grade 2 patellar luxation is one in which the patella will readily luxate with digital pressure and tends to remain luxated. However, it can be returned to the trochlear groove and will remain in place most of the time. A Grade 3 patellar luxation is one where the patella is in the luxated position most of the time, although it can be returned temporarily to the trochlear groove with digital pressure. A Grade 4 patellar luxation is one where the patella is in the luxated position at all times and cannot be returned to the trochlear groove (1,4–6). While the grading system is useful in communicating the degree of patellar luxation, the anatomical abnormalities that might be present to produce the degree of luxation, which patients may require surgery at some point, and in suggesting the prognosis for surgical patients, there is a danger in reading too much into the classification system. For example, one cannot base recommendations for surgical repair solely on the grade of luxation present, because the correlation between the grade of luxation and the clinical signs is not strong. Many Grade 1 small dogs will never encounter lameness problems; however, others, especially many large breed dogs, will be clinically affected. On the other hand, nearly all Grade 3 and 4 dogs will show signs of lameness and disability. However, these signs are not always severe and, perhaps more importantly, some owners may not view the problem as significant in the context of the limited physical demands placed on their dogs, especially in the case of the small breeds (5).


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*What do you mean by skipping?*

I'm a little concerned now...Daisy sort of hops with one back leg from time to time...

What does a skip look like? I always thought she did it to keep up with Riki...but her legs are straight.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

That is the skip I'm talking about. He is running just fine, then his back leg lifts up and he takes a sort of hop. He doesn't yelp or have any pain at all, then he puts it back down and is fine for several more strides, then does it again. Now, he doesn't always do this. In fact, I only just noticed it. However, he does go down the stairs really fast on three legs. 

Since he is in no pain at all, I'm not going to rush out to the vet. I will wait until his annual in August unless I notice things getting worse.

Gryff's legs are straight too.


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

I have noticed Gracie doing this when she is trying to run fast...almost like she is trying to keep going...get a little push.


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## PepperToast (Oct 27, 2008)

Walter does it too. It is usually when he is running down the path looking this way and that. It is really cute. 

Meeka


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*Wow...*

Daisy is the fastest havanese I have ever seen. She runs way faster than Riki, and he is super fast. Riki has never skipped...Daisy only does it once in a while. Should I be concerned?

And Ivy, what do you think about all these stupid stinky rumours? And not about havanese...


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

All rumors are stupid. I hope the Drew Barrymore one turns out to be true. I really want her at the helm of Eclipse.

Gryff is the fastest dog I've ever seen. He is like a bullet.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

For those that have seen a skip with dogs that have hip trouble, including LCP, was it a constant skip or an occasional skip that was added to the gait? I haven't seen this at all, so I'm trying to learn.

From what I've seen with patella problems, the skip was just something thrown in on occasion, but I don't know the grade of the luxation either.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

django does it but we call it his little hop.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

It's intermittent with Gryff. Yesterday he would run for say 10 paces, then throw in a hop or skip, always on the same leg. He also holds that leg up when he flies down the stairs. Again, he shows no discomfort so if it is a luxating patella, I'm fairly certain it's minor.

Next time we go on a hike, I'll remember to video tape it if he is doing it.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Kimberly- For the hav I know with LCP, she had surgery so not sure how bad it was before. But we had her out walking for the day. You didn't see her do it till she was tired than it became constant so we would carry her.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Often it's just a conformational issue. With conformation of the front and back ends that don't exactly work together with 100% efficiency there will be a "hop/skip" movement. In other words the front end wants to cover a bit more ground than the back end and every so often the back end has to catch up. We've had farm dogs that could do it for miles. I've seen dogs win Breed with Hop/Skip movement but they never get used in Group. If there is no pain or consequences, I wouldn't worry about it.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Tom, thank you so much. I will bring it up with my vet, but I like your answer.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

I'll be watching to see what you all find out eventually, and have the vet check Tucker for it, too.

He'll only do it when we just start out on a walk and he's so excited to go faster, that it's like his front end is trying to outrun his back end! He only does it for about 3 houses, then seems to adjust to the idea that I'm not letting him off leash, and he gets his rhythm.


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

Our foster havanese did this. I noticed it right away and asked the vet when we took him in. She couldn't find anything wrong. His patellas were tight and she pulled, prodded, couldn't find a thing otherwise. This dog did have a not-so-straight conformation and I think that's all it was. He was incredibly fast and athletic. He could clear a two-foot ex-pen with no trouble. He never seemed to be in any pain the entire time he was here. The vet's only concern after examining him was that he may have a tendency toward arthritis as he aged because of his conformation.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

For those of you with dogs that skip on occasion with no other problems, I wonder - does your dog pace? Pacing is when the dog runs with both the right legs moving the same direction at the same time (and same with the left legs), instead of having the legs move in opposite (front right moves with back left) as in a trot.

I watched a Vizsla move recently and she paced a person standing next to me kept thinking she was skipping, but the movement isn't as fluid as a trot.

Here is a link to show the difference between a trot and a pace: http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Gait.html


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

Both my guys skip on occassion. I was just laughing about it yesterday actually. Both guys were walking ahead of me and there were some birds on the ground further up. They just walked casually walking towards them pretending not to be interested, then as they got closer, they made their move, but at the same moment, the birds flew away. Both boys did this little skip to a jog and back to a walk...they do this frequently when it comes to birds. It's quite funny. It's like they know they won't be able to catch the birds but think it's fun to chase and make them fly away. They actually seem quite pleased right after they do it.


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## MopTop Havanese (Sep 25, 2006)

The skip I saw on the dog with hip issues did not constantly skip, but it was very frequent-


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

No, Tucker doesn't pace. That would look pretty strange in a dog, I'd think....Weimeriners (sp?) pace?


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Sheri, if I recall correctly, no breed _should_ pace, but they may do it for a variety of reasons including structural causes (back leg & front leg might touch when in movement if they didn't).

And I think it happens more than people realize. Since I've started focusing on structure and movement, I've noticed it a lot more, even in the show ring.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

It made me dizzy just to look at that picture! No, Gryff doesn't pace.


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