German Shepherd pup wiggles when he walks - hip dysplasia symptom?

by Dennis
(Tecumseh Ontario)

My six month old GSD has a pronounced wiggle in his gait with his hing quarters.

His back end seems to shift from side to side on each stride. Could this be a hip problem in the early stages?





Hi Dennis
The most commonly seen signs of hip dysplasia are stiffness, pain or lameness in one or both back legs. Difficulty getting up from a prone position, and a reluctance to run around too much - or a 'rabbit-hopping' style of gait are also common.

Although it's less often see, a rolling/swaying/wiggling type of walk can be an early sign of hip problems, and this occasionally can be seen by 3 - 4 months of age.

However, it's too young for any type of really definitive diagnosis and X-rays or scans can rarely predict with any accuracy the problem at this age - unless it's extremely severe.

I'd recommend having your vet take a look at him and possibly manipulate the joints to see if there's any noticeable problem. Then it will be up to him/her to decide if any further investigations are necessary at this point.

If your pup seems happy and healthy and active, and doesn't show any of the other signs mentioned above then chances are he's just fine, but it always pays to be safe so have him examined anyway.

To learn more about hip dysplasia, check out these pages...

About Hip Dysplasia In Dogs

Canine Hip Dysplasia Symptoms & Treatment

Hope this helps and that all is well with your pup. Best of luck.