Should I take my dog to the vet about an occasional limp?

[TheLastNotch]

I am concerned about my dog's back left leg and not sure what to do for the best.

She is playing, eating, drinking, moving, sleeping and living normally. She is showing no sign of pain or discomfort or anything.

However

1. Sometimes on a walk she will do the little hop thing, I can't explain it perfectly, but where they skip putting that leg down for one step, and it creates a little hop, if that makes sense? She done this since she was a pup, it isn't constant but rather once of twice on a walk. Maybe. It's not even every walk.
2. Today, I was scratching her little tush when I got through the front door. The next thing that left leg seemed to give way. Or maybe it was the laminate surface and her paw pad just slipped? I don't know, it was so quick I can't be sure. I was horrified.

It is playing on my mind. I don't know whether to take her to the vets for them to look.

The reason I hesitate is because could this bugger up insurance if it is nothing going on now, but years down the line she needs help for something that might possibly be deemed connected because of this one conversation I had with a vet years ago?

I remember when I moved to PetPlan Lifetime insurance, they asked me a question that said "have you ever taken [name redacted] to the vets for something, even if it turned out to be nothing at all?" They literally asked that question, with the caveat that even if the vet said something was in your imagination or not happening or not relevant, they deem it relevant.

Stats:
Age: 2 years old
Breed: Miniature poodle
Weight: Stable and perfect 7.9kgs
Sex: Female
Diet: Raw with added green tripe (but is allowed biscuity treats), loves yogurt and cheese obviously.
Vet: She's there all the time and they see her a lot, glands mostly. There was her spay, couple of ear infections, wormers, vaccine boosters. They see her often and seem to have a feel of her body inc legs every so often, they haven't mentioned anything.

Insurance:
PetPlan Lifetime £12k Policy that I don't intend to move away from until her premiums become unbearably expensive in her hopefully old-old age.

I'm not asking anyone to diagnose or rule out Luxating Patella in my dog, but rather talk me through taking my anxious dog mum vibes to the vet or not, considering her insurance it should be ok? Lifetime right? I don't know, I don't want to be kicking myself in ten years time....

If there is nothing wrong with her.. it won’t “bugger up” insurance

My dog does the hop as well - we took him and the vet did a really thorough check. He thought there was possibly some soreness when extending the legs, gave metacalm for a short time, but we still notice it sometimes - it really does come and go and we aren’t sure if sometimes it’s because he doesn’t like the walking surface? This summer we climbed Snowdon and spent ages acclimatising him to a backpack as we were worried about his legs - he climbed the whole way up without stopping or hopping!
He’s 12kg a poodle/lhasa Apso mix, 4 1/2 years old.

I have 2 border terriers who are 12. The girl has always done this, more so when she was young. The main time she would do this was if she was on her lead on a walk and she wanted to walk faster. If she was off lead or just mooching about at home she would never do it. She would also lift the leg up and sort of cycle it if we scratched by her bum. We used to say she looked like Angus Young from AC/DC when he does that weird hop/skip thing across the stage. I totally understand what you mean about insurance. So in her case it wasn’t a limp just an excited sort of mis-step. I’d keep an eye on it. If it turns into proper limp take her to vets

@Dontmentionitlove You'd think so and that would be logical right?

But... I'm so worried that I am going to casually mention 'sometimes she does a funny hop' in 2026 for them to find nothing, and then have Petplan in 2036 say EVERYTHING involving her left hind leg is pre-existing!

I am so so so skeptical of insurers and just have the lowest opinion of the whole industry 😔

Me again. Vet did say it could be a luxating patella, sort of a slipping knee cap but I don’t think it was that in my dog’s case.

yes she also gets the leg cycle if I hit a good spot behind her ears when scratching! I think that is reflex pleasure though and something different?

Yes she usually does it along a certain hedge where there is lots and lots of fresh cat scent!! There's always cats along there. Maybe it's excitement... feel a bit more relaxed now...

I would say luxating patella. Doodle types are renowned for it apparently. Our 3 year old cavapoo has one and it showed exactly as you described. A little irregular hop, inconsistent little limp after running fast etc.

Just gave her another tushie scratch and ear scratch (both ends lucky girl 😂) on the same flooring and watched her back leg like a hawk while i did it.

The paw pad was sliding slowly (i.e. not gripping floor), very possible before it could have just slipped too far; she does really lean her weight into her scratches.

When she is next at the vets (for her booster shots in a couple of weeks) I will ask them to have a feel....

i have pet plan

if there’s nothing wrong then it won’t be a pre existing condition or impact anything

I can’t understand the logic. You have insurance. You dog has a limp. Albeit on and off. He needs to be seen. And by delay delay delay you could be making it worse

I personally wouldn’t wait for an upcoming vet visit.

Too many people don’t take their dogs to the vet when they should, because they’re (wrongly) worried about insurance. But ultimately, delays can cause irreparable damage to your dogs health and physically wellbeing. Insurance is there for a reason.

And pet plan won’t exclude a condition if they were your insurers when it came in. It’ll still be covered. It’s when you change insurers that they exclude things. I think you’ve misunderstood how Pet Plan work 😊

But then why would they ask that question?

"have you ever taken your pet to the vets, even if it turned out to be nothing at all?"

I hate it, makes one hesitate.

The booster shots will be just that… with a nurse and the administering the shots

you need to book an appointment with the vet

Is that the exact question they ask? Word for word?

Yes.

I remember it so clearly, because my answer was almost "mate I am a first time dog owner with a vet practice next door to my house [with unlimited consultations in my plan]. I'm there every five minutes asking "is this normal?!"

i Have let plan and I can categorically say I wasn’t asked that question

is there a follow up question? Or is it just left like that?

It was just left like that. They just wanted to know anything you had mentioned to the vet...! "Even if it turned out the be nothing at all"

So there will be (on record) the time I rushed her to an urgent appt panicking at 15 weeks old because she ate something on a walk and I didnt know what it was, the time I thought her nipple was a tick (i dont think the vet actually noted that one down though 🤣) , the time at Christmas when I thought her eyes looked a little weird, (mi imagination), the first runny poo she did at 20 weeks old - cue vet visit all panicky, (too big a helping of yogurt) the time she was shaking in the morning for no reason (she was cold) ....

I get what you mean about the insurance, we took the dog to the vet as he was rubbing his eye, vet thought it was a scratch and gave us some drops. We didn't think about insurance because it cost less than the deductible. Turns out it wasn't a scratch, it was an auto immune condition that will need medicating for life. Insurance won't cover it because we didn't tell them about that first visit.

That being said, I don't think it's a reason not to take your dog, just tell the insurer that you have. Then it'll be on record (and hopefully won't massively raise your premium!)

But Op - what if there is something wrong?

I couldn’t have my dog limping on and off for two years and trying to avoid seeing the vet for fear of impact in case all ok

Yes I moved her to PetPlan Lifetime as a pup at 25 weeks old. A friend had just had an AWFUL experience with the provider we were both with at the time and said she wishes she had done hers with Petplan. I asked about and it seemed the most popular

My cocker had an intermittent limp exactly the way you describe and it turns out he has luxating patella in his back left leg. He was only around 10 months old at the time. The vet tried to fob me off saying she couldnt see an issue but I took him to a physio in the end for a second opinion. He now has monthly laser and hydrotherapy to keep on top of things and is doing great! I do try to give him rest days if he’s been particularly active but otherwise it’s not caused him much issue so far.

I wouldn't mention it to your vet unless she is stiff or clearly sore.

I thought I was just having an undocumented conversation with the vet about the hop. I wanted to up my insurance and checked at his next appointment... It had been written down. So now any involved treatment will be excluded from insurance! Very frustrating.

In the interim, see if you can build thigh and buttock muscle (by running etc); his limp has reduced significantly since he has gained more muscle mass. Good luck!

OMG are we supposed to informing insurers of every visit?!

She had an yeasty paw last year - the meds were only about 20 quid, nothing to bother insurance with, should I have informed them?! 😨

It could just be our insurer, I know petplan are much better than most so you might well be fine but yes that was our experience. And his medication is really expensive 😅

My dog started limping occasionally (a few times a week) he was 4. An mri, X-rays later and he has hip displaysia . Physio, water treatment, anti inflammatories, supplements.