Pomeranians - health

Question
Dear Nicole:

I have a four year old Pom and lately, we have been noticing that her hips seem to be locking up.  Usually the right side, but today it was both.  She looked as if her hind legs were locked straight as she tried to walk.  She was not yelping in pain, but she was shaking.  I picked her up and her hind legs bent at the joints seemingly unusually.  Do poms have hip problems???

Answer
Hi James!Yes, Poms do have hip problems. Sometimes the hips will dislocate. SOmetimes there are fractures in these brittle bones. And there is a disease called Legg-Calves-Perthes disease that affects toy breeds like Poms. In order to see if there is a problem, an examination and possibly an X-ray will tell the vet what is going on.Hope this helps!Nicole.D.