Bad front legs? (and another issue)

augrad · 05-07-2010, 01:38 PM

I'm sure you guys have addressed this issue a hundred times, so forgive me - I'm new and I'm unfamiliar with the breed. I grew up with beagles and now mostly foster bully breeds.

I picked up a bassett mix foster puppy at animal control yesterday. He's been there for a month, living in a crate (full of his own poo and pee, evidently, as he was covered in it), and he's now about 12 weeks old. And he's a big fat fatty. How they ever allowed this little guy to get so fat is beyond me. (And yes, he's been dewormed twice.)

His front feet have me very worried. He does not walk up on his toes, like I'm used to. Instead, his front feet flatten out and he seems to walk on the "heels" of his hands. I've seen this in a senior, obese dog, but never in a baby. Is this a normal stage for a bassett puppy? Will he grow out of it, perhaps? Nutritional issue? Should he be splinted? Surgery???

The other problem I'm seeing is this: I don't know if this is because he's so fat, or if it's a congenital defect, but his little peepee has gone turtle. It looks like it's been sucked into his body. The first time I saw him, someone was holding him, and I actually thought he was female and had an umbilical hernia. Because it doesn't protrude, I think urine is staying on the skin and irritating him - it's red and swollen. Any thoughts on that? Obesity or birth defect????

He's going to the vet on Monday for his neuter (given that his upper respiratory infection is gone - poor kid's a hot mess), and of course I'll have them look at all of those things, but if someone calls about him on the weekend, I'd like to be able to give them as much info as possible.

Here he is:
And he needs a name.

Poor little guy was completely wiped out last night. A new home, a bath, a 90 pound bulldog to pay with...

Mikey T · 05-07-2010, 04:35 PM

Quote:

He does not walk up on his toes, like I'm used to. Instead, his front feet flatten out and he seems to walk on the "heels" of his hands

Are you say his dew claw or if he had dew claws would most of the time be touching the ground.?

His foot should normally be like the one on the right in photo above if more like the foot on the left then there is a problem with the carpal joint (i.e. wrist) This is not normal

Carpal Hyperextension in Dogs

Carpal flexural deformity in puppies

Quote:

All affected puppies had been separated from their mothers a short while (10–15 days) before, and had been generally feeding on cow’s milk and various dog foods.

...

In our opinion, the ethiological reason for the 31 cases of carpal flexural deformity evaluated in this study is unlikely to be related to hereditary reasons,
or to breed predisposition. The main reason being that studies on nutritional deficiency need to be carried out. It has been determined that the lesion
can be prevented with a light splint application in early stages and dietary planning with a balanced commercial food, and that the deformity does not recur in later stages.

hypercalcium intake is know to cause a number of orthopeadic dieases in dogs.
from like above

Quote:

Following examination of all cases diagnosed with deformity and those reported by a practicing veterinary surgeon, a splint with a caudally placed light aluminium support and a large amount of cotton padding was applied to the leg reaching up to the elbow joint, in order to make it easier for the puppy to walk, correct the deformation and prevent flexor tendon contracture. The splint was continued for 10 days and repeated in cases where it was necessary. Following the removal of the splint, the carpal flexural deformity was seen to have been corrected in a case with bilateral deformity; however, a medium degree of carpal hyperextension had also developed (Figure 2). In one case with unilateral deformity, a splint was applied to the leg with the deformity. However, 3 days later hyperextension was seen to develop in the other leg. On the 3rd day, bilateral splint application was carried out in this case, and also in the remaining 3 cases with unilateral deformity.

over feeding and too much calcium could be the cause but there are other posibilities as well. a vet exam preferably one specializing in orthopeadic.

if the dog leg are more like this on where the where the carpal is ahead of the ball of the foot is termed knuckling over. Original thought to be a genetic condition is basset hounds there is evidence it may be nutrionally related as well

Knuckling Over and HoD

If the cause is nutrional get back on a blanaced diet for large/giant breed puppies and feeding the dog to 2 on 1-5 scale with the addition of support wraps may be all that is need to reverse the problem.

I however can not tell anything from the photo but it does appear he may be knuckling over a bit.

other resourses
Flexural deformity of the carpus in puppies

Quote:

A flexural deformity affecting one or both forelimbs identified in 21 puppies of six to 12 weeks of age closely resembled a condition which has long been known in foals and farm animals at birth or shortly afterwards. In the puppies the characteristic feature was carpal hyperflexion which was associated with tautness of the tendons of the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle. The majority recovered spontaneously with conservative management but in two puppies it was necessary to section the shortened tendons to enable a normal limb posture to be regained

augrad · 05-07-2010, 04:52 PM

Yes, that first photo is exactly what I'm talking about (only it's both feet). Bad nutrition makes sense. He's been living in a cage at animal control and eating God-knows-what. Thanks for the info - I'll speak with the vet on Monday about possibly splinting him. And he's getting good food with me now.

I assume there's some reason you're suggesting a Giant Breed puppy food? I've never considered Bassetts to be a large breed, and he's definitely mixed with something small. He's three months old and MAYBE 5 inches at the whithers. He's going to be a wee little boy.

FloppyToby · 05-07-2010, 06:42 PM

rescuing a pound puppy can be such a rewarding thing! my non-basset is from animal control and he is the most loving dog i've ever had! good luck with your new friend! i hope he is ok!

Mikey T · 05-07-2010, 07:07 PM

Quote:

assume there's some reason you're suggesting a Giant Breed puppy food? I've never considered Bassetts to be a large breed

a basset is a large breed on short legs, some are marginal on a weight basis to make it in that classification but you need to be remember that the clasification is made for on skellatal reasons. As a breed the basset has more bone mass per body weight then any other breed. Based on bone size i.e. diameter not length, a basset is a large breed and sufferes from the same growth abnormalities of more classical large breds. OCD, HOD, pano, elbow dysplasia, and hip displaysia, in fact generally at much higher rates than many breeds consider at high risk.

FWIW that first photo is that of a dog landing from a jump. The carpsus hyperextends to abosrb the impact but it a monetary event. at least it should be momentary.

SophieB · 05-08-2010, 07:51 AM

Awww your poor wee pup being kept in such dreadful conditions!

So upsetting and how people can do this to helpless animals is way beyond my understanding! Thank goodness you came along to take him out of his miserable pre-life!

As for a name.... there are sooo many to choose from and he looks such a honey!

augrad · 05-10-2010, 11:15 AM

He is a total sweetheart. Typical playful, bitey, chewey puppy, but so sweet and cuddly, and just wicked smart. He's already figured out the doggy door, the automatic waterer, the locking food bins, and how to get up on the bed using the stairs built for my senior Lab. And he's doing well on housebreaking, too - much better than any other pup this age I've ever fostered.

I had to postpone his neuter surgery today because he's still sneezing and coughing. I can't risk the anesthesia when his little lungs aren't healthy. It's now scheduled for Friday.

But he's obviously feeling much better than he was. He has a better appetite - ravenous, actually (more typical of a hound now). And his skin on his belly and his penis is healing. That HAS to feel better. Now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that his front feet recover. His rear end is wobbly, too, but I think that's just a question of muscle development. Good food and exercise should fix all of that, I hope.

Animal control does the best they can with limited resources around here. Overpopulation is such a HUGE problem where I live. They kept him way longer than they were required to, gave him two rounds of antibiotics, dewormed him twice, and actually gave my group a $50 donation when we pulled him. It's just not an ideal situation for any animal to live in. Too many animals, too few volunteers, too little funding. :-( He'll have to be dewormed twice more, I think, because of the tapeworms he picked up from the fleas.

Still haven't chosen a name. My mom likes Sherman, because he's such a little tank. So it's up in the air between that, Louie, Lucas, or Toby. RIght now, he's just "Little Man" or "Wee Man." He answers to anything, really - he's just so happy someone's talking to him. =-)

Yogi's Mom · 05-10-2010, 02:29 PM

He's such a cute puppy and I am glad to hear he is doing better.

bubbad · 05-11-2010, 10:30 AM

I have had English Mastiffs,they have some problems ,as do many large breeds , of being "down in pasturn" this is not quite as bad as the photo Mikey had posted but it can look close to that. Many times it can be helped by putting the dog/puppy on a little extra B1 Vitamin(recommended by several mastiff breeders). I would also use a higher grade dog food for giant breeds or large breeds.I am not a Vet so you can certainly check with your Vet although I have found over the years that a reputable breeder of any breed knows a few things about their breeds that the average Vets do not,that being said,if you are not comfortable with anything anyone suggests don't do it. I have used brewers yeast with my dogs for several different things which is all B vitamins and a very safe product. I add a teaspoon (it is dry powder)to their food daily,usually, they have no problem eating it that way.If the smell is not to his liking use a little wet food to mix it in to get him started. Good Luck

augrad · 05-11-2010, 12:33 PM

Hmmm.... I'll have to swing by Petco this afternoon and look at the supplements. I know that Missing Link has B vitamins in it, but I don't know in what quantities. NutriCal probably does, too, but I don't want to put any more weight on him. I hadn't even thought of vitamins, but it's a good thought. He's on Natural Balance now, so he's getting good food.

He finished his antibiotics this morning. If he starts coughing again tonight, I guess it's back to the vet for another round. Oh well, he has to be de-wormed again anyway. Stupid tapeworms are a bear to get rid of. The shelter had given him two rounds of pyrantel. Good stuff, but I don't think it gets tapes.

05-07-2010, 01:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
augrad Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 5	Bad front legs? (and another issue) I'm sure you guys have addressed this issue a hundred times, so forgive me - I'm new and I'm unfamiliar with the breed. I grew up with beagles and now mostly foster bully breeds. I picked up a bassett mix foster puppy at animal control yesterday. He's been there for a month, living in a crate (full of his own poo and pee, evidently, as he was covered in it), and he's now about 12 weeks old. And he's a big fat fatty. How they ever allowed this little guy to get so fat is beyond me. (And yes, he's been dewormed twice.) His front feet have me very worried. He does not walk up on his toes, like I'm used to. Instead, his front feet flatten out and he seems to walk on the "heels" of his hands. I've seen this in a senior, obese dog, but never in a baby. Is this a normal stage for a bassett puppy? Will he grow out of it, perhaps? Nutritional issue? Should he be splinted? Surgery??? The other problem I'm seeing is this: I don't know if this is because he's so fat, or if it's a congenital defect, but his little peepee has gone turtle. It looks like it's been sucked into his body. The first time I saw him, someone was holding him, and I actually thought he was female and had an umbilical hernia. Because it doesn't protrude, I think urine is staying on the skin and irritating him - it's red and swollen. Any thoughts on that? Obesity or birth defect???? He's going to the vet on Monday for his neuter (given that his upper respiratory infection is gone - poor kid's a hot mess), and of course I'll have them look at all of those things, but if someone calls about him on the weekend, I'd like to be able to give them as much info as possible. Here he is: And he needs a name. Poor little guy was completely wiped out last night. A new home, a bath, a 90 pound bulldog to pay with...

05-07-2010, 06:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
FloppyToby Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 186	rescuing a pound puppy can be such a rewarding thing! my non-basset is from animal control and he is the most loving dog i've ever had! good luck with your new friend! i hope he is ok! __________________ A basset is an asset!

05-11-2010, 10:30 AM	#9 (permalink)
bubbad Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Boiling Springs,Pa Posts: 1,157	flat feet on the little guy I have had English Mastiffs,they have some problems ,as do many large breeds , of being "down in pasturn" this is not quite as bad as the photo Mikey had posted but it can look close to that. Many times it can be helped by putting the dog/puppy on a little extra B1 Vitamin(recommended by several mastiff breeders). I would also use a higher grade dog food for giant breeds or large breeds.I am not a Vet so you can certainly check with your Vet although I have found over the years that a reputable breeder of any breed knows a few things about their breeds that the average Vets do not,that being said,if you are not comfortable with anything anyone suggests don't do it. I have used brewers yeast with my dogs for several different things which is all B vitamins and a very safe product. I add a teaspoon (it is dry powder)to their food daily,usually, they have no problem eating it that way.If the smell is not to his liking use a little wet food to mix it in to get him started. Good Luck

05-07-2010, 04:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
augrad Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 5	Yes, that first photo is exactly what I'm talking about (only it's both feet). Bad nutrition makes sense. He's been living in a cage at animal control and eating God-knows-what. Thanks for the info - I'll speak with the vet on Monday about possibly splinting him. And he's getting good food with me now. I assume there's some reason you're suggesting a Giant Breed puppy food? I've never considered Bassetts to be a large breed, and he's definitely mixed with something small. He's three months old and MAYBE 5 inches at the whithers. He's going to be a wee little boy.

05-08-2010, 07:51 AM	#6 (permalink)
SophieB Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 779	Awww your poor wee pup being kept in such dreadful conditions! So upsetting and how people can do this to helpless animals is way beyond my understanding! Thank goodness you came along to take him out of his miserable pre-life! As for a name.... there are sooo many to choose from and he looks such a honey!

05-10-2010, 11:15 AM	#7 (permalink)
augrad Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 5	He is a total sweetheart. Typical playful, bitey, chewey puppy, but so sweet and cuddly, and just wicked smart. He's already figured out the doggy door, the automatic waterer, the locking food bins, and how to get up on the bed using the stairs built for my senior Lab. And he's doing well on housebreaking, too - much better than any other pup this age I've ever fostered. I had to postpone his neuter surgery today because he's still sneezing and coughing. I can't risk the anesthesia when his little lungs aren't healthy. It's now scheduled for Friday. But he's obviously feeling much better than he was. He has a better appetite - ravenous, actually (more typical of a hound now). And his skin on his belly and his penis is healing. That HAS to feel better. Now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that his front feet recover. His rear end is wobbly, too, but I think that's just a question of muscle development. Good food and exercise should fix all of that, I hope. Animal control does the best they can with limited resources around here. Overpopulation is such a HUGE problem where I live. They kept him way longer than they were required to, gave him two rounds of antibiotics, dewormed him twice, and actually gave my group a $50 donation when we pulled him. It's just not an ideal situation for any animal to live in. Too many animals, too few volunteers, too little funding. :-( He'll have to be dewormed twice more, I think, because of the tapeworms he picked up from the fleas. Still haven't chosen a name. My mom likes Sherman, because he's such a little tank. So it's up in the air between that, Louie, Lucas, or Toby. RIght now, he's just "Little Man" or "Wee Man." He answers to anything, really - he's just so happy someone's talking to him. =-)

05-10-2010, 02:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
Yogi's Mom Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,032	He's such a cute puppy and I am glad to hear he is doing better.

05-11-2010, 12:33 PM	#10 (permalink)
augrad Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 5	Hmmm.... I'll have to swing by Petco this afternoon and look at the supplements. I know that Missing Link has B vitamins in it, but I don't know in what quantities. NutriCal probably does, too, but I don't want to put any more weight on him. I hadn't even thought of vitamins, but it's a good thought. He's on Natural Balance now, so he's getting good food. He finished his antibiotics this morning. If he starts coughing again tonight, I guess it's back to the vet for another round. Oh well, he has to be de-wormed again anyway. Stupid tapeworms are a bear to get rid of. The shelter had given him two rounds of pyrantel. Good stuff, but I don't think it gets tapes.

Remove Advertisements Sponsored Links
Basset.net Advertisement