I just got my puppy, Monte on Thursday (16 weeks old)! The breeder kept him for an extra month because he was knuckling over. Eventually, I said, "if you are, for any reason, worried that is legs won't straighten out, keep him longer. If you are confident that they will straighten out, I'll go ahead and take him." At that point, she said, his legs are 95% better and I can have him. He looked a little bowed when I got him but I wouldn't call it severe. So, now about two days later, I just got back from the vet.
So, I've been researching this EXTENSIVELY. I've read this: Knuckling Over and HOD - Developmental Orthopedic Disease | GREATDANELADY.COM and probably every post on here about it. From what I've read, puppies do usually get better. I believe the breeder had switched his food a couple times because of the knuckling over but the last one she had him on was Bil Jac Adult. I now have him on Iams Sensitive Naturals (23% protein, 13% fat, .85% calcium). I also have him on fish oil, 1000mg vitamin C and 1500mg Glucosamine/MSM per day. I have seen no improvement so far. In the morning, he looks slightly better but by the afternoon, he's standing on just the outsides of his front feet. He doesn't look like he is in pain and he bounces around just fine.
The vet thinks that he has a severe orthopedic condition that will most likely need surgery. He took x-rays, which I will try to post. He said the good news is, the bones are straight. One of the bones appears to be growing faster than the other and if he doesn't get surgery soon, it will become worse and he will essentially be lame. This is the only vet I have seen so far. The vet said he had seen this before but puppies don't usually outgrow it, which made me a little skeptical. I'm not sure whether to believe this vet or not. On one hand, he is looking at my puppy specifically, in person and he is trained in this topic. On the other hand, he seems to be telling me exactly the opposite of what I have read online.
I was wondering if anyone has any advice. I was hoping the vet would put wraps of splints on his legs but he said that wouldn't help. Will it? Can someone explain how I should wrap them? I'm emailing the breeder the pictures right after I post this. I also thought I would email the x-rays to another vet or a specialist to see what they say.
I really hope his legs will straighten out. I love his personality and he's so beautiful. I 'm confident that the breeder will take him back if I decide that is best but I think he is just wonderful and I worry about what will happen to him if I give him back Any advice at all would be appreciated.
P.S. I know his ears have pockets. He's already been posted back up.
So, I've been researching this EXTENSIVELY. I've read this: Knuckling Over and HOD - Developmental Orthopedic Disease | GREATDANELADY.COM and probably every post on here about it. From what I've read, puppies do usually get better. I believe the breeder had switched his food a couple times because of the knuckling over but the last one she had him on was Bil Jac Adult. I now have him on Iams Sensitive Naturals (23% protein, 13% fat, .85% calcium). I also have him on fish oil, 1000mg vitamin C and 1500mg Glucosamine/MSM per day. I have seen no improvement so far. In the morning, he looks slightly better but by the afternoon, he's standing on just the outsides of his front feet. He doesn't look like he is in pain and he bounces around just fine.
The vet thinks that he has a severe orthopedic condition that will most likely need surgery. He took x-rays, which I will try to post. He said the good news is, the bones are straight. One of the bones appears to be growing faster than the other and if he doesn't get surgery soon, it will become worse and he will essentially be lame. This is the only vet I have seen so far. The vet said he had seen this before but puppies don't usually outgrow it, which made me a little skeptical. I'm not sure whether to believe this vet or not. On one hand, he is looking at my puppy specifically, in person and he is trained in this topic. On the other hand, he seems to be telling me exactly the opposite of what I have read online.
I was wondering if anyone has any advice. I was hoping the vet would put wraps of splints on his legs but he said that wouldn't help. Will it? Can someone explain how I should wrap them? I'm emailing the breeder the pictures right after I post this. I also thought I would email the x-rays to another vet or a specialist to see what they say.
I really hope his legs will straighten out. I love his personality and he's so beautiful. I 'm confident that the breeder will take him back if I decide that is best but I think he is just wonderful and I worry about what will happen to him if I give him back Any advice at all would be appreciated.
P.S. I know his ears have pockets. He's already been posted back up.