And she hiked one leg way up in the air, balanced with her arms and elbows flying, and with a serious look of concentration on her face, hopped across the floor through the small crowd in my waiting room. I want to get this right. Some of those professors from the ivory towers of academia put on shows too. Dr. Schrader said he had once counted up about 120 causes of lameness in dogs and cats. The most common cause for lameness in young animals is probably trauma.
Young dogs are also susceptible to several bone diseases.
But if they are not treated early the dog may develop painful arthritis as he ages. It is important to get an accurate diagnosis, or at least rule out certain diseases. Hip dysplasia is probably the most common cause of lameness in older dogs. It actually starts early, and can sometimes be detected by physical examination of the hips of young puppies. Evidence of the characteristic hip joint deterioration usually shows up on X-rays by two years of age or earlier.