Limping boston terrier.

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Trap is having problems with his leg.

There are a few things that can cause a lameness in the back leg of a boston terrier.

It could be a luxating patella. This happens when the kneecap slips out of its groove and towards the inside of the leg. Usually when this happens it is not painful, but the dog physically cannot put any weight on the leg until the kneecap goes back into place.

Some dogs will be born with "loose kneecaps" that can occasionally pop out. But sometimes a luxating patella can be there because of an injury. If it is because of an injury, sometimes the problem gets better with a period of a few weeks of rest. But, sometimes surgery is needed for the kneecap to stay in the groove properly.

It's also possible that he has a problem with his hip joint. Being a little dog, it is possible that this is a condition called Legge-Perthes disease. This is diagnosed with an xray. What happens is that there is a problem with the blood supply to the hip and part of the bone in the hip is affected. This is a painful condition. The treatment for this is surgery to remove part of the bone in the hip joint.

There are a number of other possibilities. It certainly could be just a muscle strain, but it would be unusual for it to be getting worse rather than better.

Usually with a lameness I have the following criteria for when you should see the vet:

-If it is extremely uncomfortable to the point that the dog can't get settled.
-If it is not getting better after 48 hours.
-If your gut just says something is wrong.

So, because this has been present for a while a vet visit is probably a good idea!

Hope all is well!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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