Silly puppy or hip problems?

[Amy & Albee]

Albee is 9.5 weeks now.. We just got back from a visit to the vet for a set of shots. I moved the appointment up from tomorrow because I was a little concerned about his hind leg.

Today when I got home, he was walking around and occasionally lifting his hind leg a little higher and abbreviated (think of - hesitating to scratch his ear kind of look, but while walking). He also does a bit of a bunny hop with his hind legs as he approaches a toy that he's fetching.

His nails were a bit long as I was planning on having them trimmed tomorrow.

I need some thoughts or maybe help me relax a bit.. His dad got excellent hip testing and his mom's was great.

Vet felt his hips and knees and said everything felt great - and he wasn't reacting at all her to examination. She watched him walk around on the tile floor with no signs of favoring his hind leg. Just his little butt wiggle that I had mentioned (is this normal??)

So, DK... Do I just relax as he is not even 10 weeks or what? Vet's advice was to keep an eye on it, take some anti-inflammatories (all though she told me nothing felt inflamed..), and to tone down playing for about 5 days. She did mention that it is early to tell, obviously.

Are butt wiggles normal? Could his nail have been bothering him? Are bunny hops okay while playing? Again, we're temporarily in an apartment - so it's not like we do any far fetching, just 10 feet or so.

Thanks for the advice.. I'm trying not to worry :/

[Ginny Nightingale]

My first thought is that it is too soon to worry--he has only been walking for about 7 weeks--puppies wiggle and wriggle all over the place and are totally uncoordinated--enjoy the antics. He may have just had something on his foot and was holding it up and bunny hops are totally normal--my dog still runs that way and he is going on three years old. 

[Miss Ellie]

I'm sorry you are going through this Amy...there is so much to worry about when you have a puppy.  Ours is 13 weeks old now and she definitely bunny hops...I think that's a doodle thing...I'm sure it will work itself out...just give it some time!

[Deborah Brown]

I'd trust your vet on this one.  Your pup seems way to young to diagnose with hip problems.

Enjoy the bunny hops!  It's a puppy thing and he will outgrow it some day.  I love watching my pup hop around the yard when she is excited.  I think butt wiggles are OK too.  

[Cyndi, The Boys & Callie]

From what you've said, I think he's just being a puppy.  One of ours still bunny hops at times and he was two in May. If the vet feels that he's good, I would relax.  That being said, I remember when our first one was a puppy and I worried about everything. Of course, when my son (who is now in college), was a baby, I worried about everything with him too.  

I finally relaxed after a few months (with both of them).  We now have three doodles and it takes a lot to rattle me :)   It could also be his nails as you said they were a little long. Maybe they were feeling a little funny.  When our middle doodle needs his nails trimmed, he doesn't seem as comfortable. 

[Amy & Albee]

Thanks everyone for the reassurance. Of course, we'll keep an eye on him (as we would anyway), when he gets older. Bunny hops are definitely cute, but obviously it is not so good when HD is present. It's like googling 'headache' and automatically thinking you have brain cancer..

So I appreciate the similar stories of wiggly, bunny hoppin, goofy doodles across our site =) It does definitely lessen the worry so we can focus on his cuteness!