I have seen several people come to DT looking for help with their pups who have carpal flexural deformity. Often people search for the phrases "knuckling over" or "bowed/bowing legs".
My puppy, Axel, had a significant case of carpal flexural deformity. At least one of his littermates did, too, but not as bad as Axel. I was told several times when it first started that he would just outgrow it and not to worry. But he didn't. He just kept getting worse and worse. I was told if I wanted, I could give him calcium supplements or Vitamin C. My vet said that calcium is an old school way of thinking and can actually be counter-productive. Vitamin C wasn't going to hurt anything if I wanted to give that.
I'll start out by showing a photo from before any signs showed. I already had him at home, and his legs were just fine.
Then 3 weeks later he looked like this:
Here he is at its worst when he was a little over 2 months old:
This is when I found DT and the other littermate who was going through the same thing. The thread for everything we went through is here: http://www.dobermantalk.com/puppy-corner/61357-what-do-about-knuckling-over.html
My vet and I consulted 2 orthopedic specialists and saw a canine physical therapist in addition to numerous regular vets. I researched the bejeezus out of carpal flexural deformity and this is what is working for Axel, who is still healing at 22 weeks but has seen tons of progress.
1. You want to grow your puppy slowly. Get him on a lower protein food, no more than 23-24% crude protein. All dog food packaging will tell you this content. Be sure to verify any treats or snacks you give him is low protein as well.
2. Limit his food to 3 small portions throughout the day. At 14 weeks I was feeding Axel about 2 cups of food in three meals combined. You don't want to feed him so much that you get that swollen puppy belly look. You want to keep him slim. The less weight he has to support with his legs, the better. If you start to see several ribs or the bones on the top of his back start to protrude, then he definitely needs more food. You can also tell if the food is good enough if his coat is smoth and silky.
3. If your home has hard floors such as tile or hardwood floors, buy some cheap nonslip area rugs from Walmart so his paws can grip the floor for better support and strength building.
4. Do stretches on your dog's legs several times a day. Little by little you want to stretch out his legs so they will stand correctly. Take one of his front legs in your hands. Hold it as straight as possible and gently push up on his paws so they are in a position similar to how they would be if he were standing. If they're not stretching all the way now, don't worry, he can get there with diligence.
5. Most definitely get DogLeggs carpal supports for your puppy. They have made all the difference for Axel. His legs kept getting worse and worse until he started wearing these. They require a vet's prescription. Pay for the interior lining and the extra support strap for each leg. They cost me about a total of $120USD. The puppy doesn't have to wear them while he's sleeping, so that's nice. They don't cause sores from chafing, either. Plus you can machine wash them. Carpal Support | DogLeggs Theraputic and Rehabilitative Products
The DogLeggs carpal supports are custom sized to your dog. I sent the company this photo of Axel's legs when he was 10 weeks old to create the custom-made supports:
And here is a photo of him wearing them for the first time less than 2 weeks later:
Here is a photo of him after wearing them for a week:
Here is a photo of him after wearing them for 2 weeks (you can see I added the rug in the kitchen on the tile):
6. Until his legs are mostly standing straight, keep his activity to a minimum. Crate him most of the day, except for potty and food if you have to. This won't last forever, but is necessary for a little while. You might have to put up with some protesting, but it's for his own good. Once his legs are supported or mostly straight, exercise is good for him, but nothing forced, such as taking him for a long walk or run. Let him just play naturally and don't push him to run hard.
Axel is still on his road of healing, but he's seen great improvements. His legs still bend a little bit inward now but he's running and playing just fine. Whenever I know he's going to be active, I still put the supports on his legs.
Here is a photo of him at 4 months:
And here is one a couple weeks later (two weeks ago). This one he is laying down, but you can see there is still a slight bend in his legs.
If anyone ever has questions or concerns about carpal flexural deformity/knuckling over/bowed legs, please comment or PM me. I'm more than willing to share my and Axel's experiences with you in hope that it can help your puppy. If I think of anything else, I'll add it in a comment.
I put this in the Puppy Corner section since this is mostly a condition found in puppies, and this is where most people post asking for help. If a mod wants to move it to the health section, that's fine, too.
My puppy, Axel, had a significant case of carpal flexural deformity. At least one of his littermates did, too, but not as bad as Axel. I was told several times when it first started that he would just outgrow it and not to worry. But he didn't. He just kept getting worse and worse. I was told if I wanted, I could give him calcium supplements or Vitamin C. My vet said that calcium is an old school way of thinking and can actually be counter-productive. Vitamin C wasn't going to hurt anything if I wanted to give that.
I'll start out by showing a photo from before any signs showed. I already had him at home, and his legs were just fine.
Then 3 weeks later he looked like this:
Here he is at its worst when he was a little over 2 months old:
This is when I found DT and the other littermate who was going through the same thing. The thread for everything we went through is here: http://www.dobermantalk.com/puppy-corner/61357-what-do-about-knuckling-over.html
My vet and I consulted 2 orthopedic specialists and saw a canine physical therapist in addition to numerous regular vets. I researched the bejeezus out of carpal flexural deformity and this is what is working for Axel, who is still healing at 22 weeks but has seen tons of progress.
1. You want to grow your puppy slowly. Get him on a lower protein food, no more than 23-24% crude protein. All dog food packaging will tell you this content. Be sure to verify any treats or snacks you give him is low protein as well.
2. Limit his food to 3 small portions throughout the day. At 14 weeks I was feeding Axel about 2 cups of food in three meals combined. You don't want to feed him so much that you get that swollen puppy belly look. You want to keep him slim. The less weight he has to support with his legs, the better. If you start to see several ribs or the bones on the top of his back start to protrude, then he definitely needs more food. You can also tell if the food is good enough if his coat is smoth and silky.
3. If your home has hard floors such as tile or hardwood floors, buy some cheap nonslip area rugs from Walmart so his paws can grip the floor for better support and strength building.
4. Do stretches on your dog's legs several times a day. Little by little you want to stretch out his legs so they will stand correctly. Take one of his front legs in your hands. Hold it as straight as possible and gently push up on his paws so they are in a position similar to how they would be if he were standing. If they're not stretching all the way now, don't worry, he can get there with diligence.
5. Most definitely get DogLeggs carpal supports for your puppy. They have made all the difference for Axel. His legs kept getting worse and worse until he started wearing these. They require a vet's prescription. Pay for the interior lining and the extra support strap for each leg. They cost me about a total of $120USD. The puppy doesn't have to wear them while he's sleeping, so that's nice. They don't cause sores from chafing, either. Plus you can machine wash them. Carpal Support | DogLeggs Theraputic and Rehabilitative Products
The DogLeggs carpal supports are custom sized to your dog. I sent the company this photo of Axel's legs when he was 10 weeks old to create the custom-made supports:
And here is a photo of him wearing them for the first time less than 2 weeks later:
Here is a photo of him after wearing them for a week:
Here is a photo of him after wearing them for 2 weeks (you can see I added the rug in the kitchen on the tile):
6. Until his legs are mostly standing straight, keep his activity to a minimum. Crate him most of the day, except for potty and food if you have to. This won't last forever, but is necessary for a little while. You might have to put up with some protesting, but it's for his own good. Once his legs are supported or mostly straight, exercise is good for him, but nothing forced, such as taking him for a long walk or run. Let him just play naturally and don't push him to run hard.
Axel is still on his road of healing, but he's seen great improvements. His legs still bend a little bit inward now but he's running and playing just fine. Whenever I know he's going to be active, I still put the supports on his legs.
Here is a photo of him at 4 months:
And here is one a couple weeks later (two weeks ago). This one he is laying down, but you can see there is still a slight bend in his legs.
If anyone ever has questions or concerns about carpal flexural deformity/knuckling over/bowed legs, please comment or PM me. I'm more than willing to share my and Axel's experiences with you in hope that it can help your puppy. If I think of anything else, I'll add it in a comment.
I put this in the Puppy Corner section since this is mostly a condition found in puppies, and this is where most people post asking for help. If a mod wants to move it to the health section, that's fine, too.