A small breed dog runs across the yard chasing a tossed ball. In mid-stride, he yelps in pain and pulls his left hind leg off of the ground. After a second, he continues limping on in three-legged fashion. After ten minutes, the rear leg drops back down to the ground and he uses it normally. This episode occurs maybe once a week. It never really seems to bother him that much – a yip of pain, a short period of lameness, and in a few minutes he is back to his old self. Typically, he is a small or toy breed such as a Lhasa Apso, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Poodle, or Boston Bull.
A luxating patella may affect some animals much more severely. They may hold the leg up for several days and show considerable discomfort. Dogs who have a luxating patella on both hind legs may change their entire posture, dropping their hindquarters and holding the rear legs farther out from the body as they walk. Those most severely affected may not even use their rear legs, walking by balancing themselves on their front legs like a circus act, holding their hindquarters completely off the ground.
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Sirhc22
Your niece has that. It is very common in Chis. She had surgery for it when she was very young.
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