# why is my puppy clicking ???



## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

Hi, I have a 21 week old black lab puppy who we got of proper breeders and her parents had low hip scores etc.....during the last week....we take her for her long walk in the evening and when we get home she goes to sleep but when she gets up and walks about she "clicks" for a few seconds .....what is this ??? is it just because she has been sleeping and just warming up or something serious ???


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## GSDlover4ever (Feb 21, 2009)

JennieJet said:


> Hi, I have a 21 week old black lab puppy who we got of proper breeders and her parents had low hip scores etc.....during the last week....we take her for her long walk in the evening and when we get home she goes to sleep but when she gets up and walks about she "clicks" for a few seconds .....what is this ??? is it just because she has been sleeping and just warming up or something serious ???


how long did you walk her for?


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## TabbyRoad (Aug 9, 2009)

Are you sure it's from her joints?

I have a labrador X poodle (aka labradoodle). Both labs and poodles are well known for hip problems. Both Mabel's parents have fabulous hip and elbow scores.

Mabel was about 6 months old and I started hearing a clicking. I thought it was just fron getting up suddenly that one time but I heard it again and again and again. I cried my eyes out when I heard it constantly as she went upstairs. In my head I fast forwarded 24 hours to the vet appointment and was coming home with no dog after she had to be put to sleep. My mind just ran away with me.

Well we took her to the vet and he checked her over and said there was no need for x-rays. I assumed he meant there was no point because the manual exam had been enough to show she was a lost cause and we needed to put her to sleep ASAP.

So then he broke the news to us.....with a very solemn face......and he could barely look at us.....HER NAILS WERE TOO LONG!!!! 

Because she is only ever walked on grass her nails grew but weren't being worn down as I was used to with my other dog. She had also just been to the groomers who had trimmed the hair between her pads and because she has elongated nails where the nerve endings come a little futher down the nail than usual, they can never be cut as short as most dogs. With the missing fur the noise was much more obvious which is why I only started hearing it after her trim.

The noise we heard, that had me crying myself to sleep for 3 days was her nails clicking together.

The vet tried not to laugh but when I burst out crying from relief he knew it was ok to make fun of us. He picked up her paw, shook it a little and there it was, the clicking noise!!!


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

tabbyroad..so glad your dog was ok xxxx


Jet goes out over the fields with us once a day between 1 1/2 - 2 hours from leaving our house and getting back in......her clicking has happened about 3 times this week...only in the evening after she has had along sleep...she will get out of her box and click her way across the living room and then it will be gone


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## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

JennieJet said:


> Hi, I have a 21 week old black lab puppy who we got of proper breeders and her parents had low hip scores etc.....during the last week....we take her for her long walk in the evening and when we get home she goes to sleep but when she gets up and walks about she "clicks" for a few seconds .....what is this ??? is it just because she has been sleeping and just warming up or something serious ???


Hi,we breed labradors and i can remember the first labrador i ever bred doing this abt the same age as your pup.She was bred out of two very low hip scored parents but i was still convincing myself it was hip dysplacia.I never found out what the clicking was but when this bitch was scored she had excellent hips and she has worked 4 days a week for the last 8 years so obviously no joint problems anywhere.I wouldn't worry too much about the clicking but i would be very careful about how much excersise you give her.
A five month old pup we would give about half an hour walking split into two a day gradually increasing up to 12 months.


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

bucksmum said:


> Hi,we breed labradors and i can remember the first labrador i ever bred doing this abt the same age as your pup.She was bred out of two very low hip scored parents but i was still convincing myself it was hip dysplacia.I never found out what the clicking was but when this bitch was scored she had excellent hips and she has worked 4 days a week for the last 8 years so obviously no joint problems anywhere.I wouldn't worry too much about the clicking but i would be very careful about how much excersise you give her.
> A five month old pup we would give about half an hour walking split into two a day gradually increasing up to 12 months.


hi, thanks for that...we have been given mixed messages about walks.....i was firstly told to do the 5 mins per month of her life but she was so full of energy and it didnt even touch her...then I was told a good hour or so of a walk for her over the fields...letting her do what she wants ( as she is off the lead ) is better than 20 mins of pounding the streets which could then hurt her hips...........???? she totally loves her walks and is so full of energy.......am I damaging her then on these once a day walks ?????? she also loves swimming in the rivers as well


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## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

I know ,it does your head in doesn't it. We try to stick to the 5 minute rule for 'forced' excersise ie.lead walking to slowly build up muscle around the joints but if we were to take them out in the fields and not walk them they will stop when they are tiring and you can see they have had enough.

Ideally i think i'd go for a safe medium and stick to roughly half an hour but split that into a mix of lead walking and free running,limit jumping as much as you can and avoid 'spurts' such as frisbie games etc.Sounds really boring but it's only for the first few months and then hopefully a lifetime of long walks.


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

bucksmum said:


> I know ,it does your head in doesn't it. We try to stick to the 5 minute rule for 'forced' excersise ie.lead walking to slowly build up muscle around the joints but if we were to take them out in the fields and not walk them they will stop when they are tiring and you can see they have had enough.
> 
> Ideally i think i'd go for a safe medium and stick to roughly half an hour but split that into a mix of lead walking and free running,limit jumping as much as you can and avoid 'spurts' such as frisbie games etc.Sounds really boring but it's only for the first few months and then hopefully a lifetime of long walks.


ah thanks so much.....it only takes 5 mins from my house on the lead and then she spends the rest of the time walking / trotting around the fields..she doesnt jump at all......and we dont throw a ball etc .........I am worried I have damaged her now ???? is a good hour walk as I have just described ok ??


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## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

JennieJet said:


> ah thanks so much.....it only takes 5 mins from my house on the lead and then she spends the rest of the time walking / trotting around the fields..she doesnt jump at all......and we dont throw a ball etc .........I am worried I have damaged her now ???? is a good hour walk as I have just described ok ??


Sounds fine if she can just trot about in the field and stop when she's tired,especially as it's such a short walk home.I'm sure you haven't damaged her and i understand what you mean about energy,she'll probably do herself less harm pottering round a field than zoomying round the house.

It may be peace of mind to remember that to develop hd the dog has to inherit the recessive faulty gene that causes it.If it hasn't it won't develop it which explains why greyhounds etc can zoomie around and don't develop it.
Problem being that til they are x rayed at roughly a year you don't know the condition of your dogs hips so it pays to play it safe.You've already reduced the odds by buying from two health tested parents,you've done all you can,i'm sure she'll be perfect x


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

bucksmum said:


> Sounds fine if she can just trot about in the field and stop when she's tired,especially as it's such a short walk home.I'm sure you haven't damaged her and i understand what you mean about energy,she'll probably do herself less harm pottering round a field than zoomying round the house.
> 
> It may be peace of mind to remember that to develop hd the dog has to inherit the recessive faulty gene that causes it.If it hasn't it won't develop it which explains why greyhounds etc can zoomie around and don't develop it.
> Problem being that til they are x rayed at roughly a year you don't know the condition of your dogs hips so it pays to play it safe.You've already reduced the odds by buying from two health tested parents,you've done all you can,i'm sure she'll be perfect x


thanks so much for all your advice...you have put my mind at rest now...i was worrying all night


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2009)

Excellent advice so far, but just to pick up on a point. Swimming is a safe exercise for the joints, also 15minutes of swimming is equal to 1 hour running around, and as you say she loves it, you could use this to get rid of any excess energy


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

rona said:


> Excellent advice so far, but just to pick up on a point. Swimming is a safe exercise for the joints, also 15minutes of swimming is equal to 1 hour running around, and as you say she loves it, you could use this to get rid of any excess energy


ah thanks..she totally loves swimming...so its safe to let her wear herself out by swimming across the river a few times then ?????? She has so much energy and if she doesnt burn it off she doesnt settle at night.....we always leave her walk til the evening so she can get rid of her energy and then settles for the night........


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

Jet has just woken up a sleep and she is clicking again...not sure if its coming from her hips..it does sound lower..could be her ankle joints but I couldnt be sure......I am really starting to worry now and get upset.......dont know what to do


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## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

JennieJet said:


> ah thanks..she totally loves swimming...so its safe to let her wear herself out by swimming across the river a few times then ?????? She has so much energy and if she doesnt burn it off she doesnt settle at night.....we always leave her walk til the evening so she can get rid of her energy and then settles for the night........


Hope Rona doesn't mind me butting in on her suggestion.I think swimming is fine and perfect for developing muscle tone without stressing joints.
The only thing i'm careful of is where the dog gets out on the bank,i try and avoid overhangs or anywhere the dog has to strain the joints heaving themselves out,but then i am such a terrible worrier! x


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## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

JennieJet said:


> Jet has just woken up a sleep and she is clicking again...not sure if its coming from her hips..it does sound lower..could be her ankle joints but I couldnt be sure......I am really starting to worry now and get upset.......dont know what to do


Try not to worry too much,is she lame at all or stiff on getting up?

As a previous poster has said nails are a possibility,can you try to see of the noise is from that area.


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

bucksmum said:


> Try not to worry too much,is she lame at all or stiff on getting up?
> 
> As a previous poster has said nails are a possibility,can you try to see of the noise is from that area.


no she isnt stiff or lame at all...walking totally fine and I have checked her nails..cant see how they would be making the noise......????????? I cant help worrying.....


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## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

JennieJet said:


> no she isnt stiff or lame at all...walking totally fine and I have checked her nails..cant see how they would be making the noise......????????? I cant help worrying.....


My husband is out in the yard with a gundog friend a i've just mentioned it to him.Like we have he's experienced this in labs and says that it can happen for totally beningn reasons or maybe overexertion has caused the muscle around a joint to tighten (as when we over do it) which results in the click as it releases.Possibly it may be damage to the knee ligament but that doesn't tie in with her symptoms as she would show stiffness if not lameness.

He has had this before and the clicking has dissapeared and we have had the same.I really feel for you as i spent months dreading getting our 'clicking' bitch hip scored but if i had another young dog with it now(without any lameness)i would not be overly concerned.

Maybe trying to stick to some calm excersise,gentle lead walking for say a week if you are still worried and see how you go ,if still clicking and your still worried you could get her patella and cruciate ligament checked.This can be done by manipulation and doesn't need x rays,although i doubt it's this as you would see lameness or hopping.

Just ging back to the nails could they be clicking together rather than on the floor,if you know what i mean?


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

thanks bucksmum...you have been ever so helpful...we are going to give her limited execise for a week or so and see what happens......do you recommend any suppliments at all to help with her joints ? she has cod liver oil at the moment..is that ok or is there anything else at all she could have ? thanks


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## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

JennieJet said:


> thanks bucksmum...you have been ever so helpful...we are going to give her limited execise for a week or so and see what happens......do you recommend any suppliments at all to help with her joints ? she has cod liver oil at the moment..is that ok or is there anything else at all she could have ? thanks


I don't give mine any supplements as growing dogs,you have to be very careful not to overdo certain supplements such as calcium.I was always warned by a nutritional vet that i use that they can do more harm than good to a growing dog.
Cod liver oil shouldn't damage her joints but she shouldn't need it if she is fed the best quality diet you can afford,and too much cod liver can damage liver and kidneys so be careful with the dosage but this is a long term thing so don't worry about what you have already given her.


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2009)

JennieJet said:


> Jet has just woken up a sleep and she is clicking again...not sure if its coming from her hips..it does sound lower..could be her ankle joints but I couldnt be sure......I am really starting to worry now and get upset.......dont know what to do


This is definitely a clicking noise and not a popping sound?


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## Felix (Feb 8, 2009)

My Olivia jumped up and over (then rolled down) a hill (or two) one afternoon when we were out. She was about 6 months at the time. For the next month and a bit there was a clicking noise from the back of her body. I even posted on here for advice.

The best advice I got was to take her to the vet. And I did. He said she might have just sprained something, but that it wasnt dysplasia or serious cartilage or ligament damage. And her knee joints were fine too.

So, whilst it's lovely to hear other peoples' advice on such matters, please take her to the vet asap and hopefully she will be fine.


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

rona said:


> This is definitely a clicking noise and not a popping sound?


hi, its def a clicking sound.....we are resting her today and will only do some short walks for a week and if she is still clicking I will take her to the vet. She is not clicking all the time but quite a bit


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2009)

JennieJet said:


> hi, its def a clicking sound.....we are resting her today and will only do some short walks for a week and if she is still clicking I will take her to the vet. She is not clicking all the time but quite a bit


That's good, if it had been a popping noise, I would have been very worried.


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