pup with bent legs

[giblink 0]

hi everyone,

iv never posted on here as almost all topics can be found with the search option but this is really puzzling me.

 

this is my bitch pup 5 months saluki, grey, whip, wheaton.

 

has anyone else seen this in the legs. where the hocks are her legs start to point out like they cant take her weight.

 

she has no known pain and runs fine if anything a bit too well as she runs with my other dog and keeps up with him well.

 

have i over excersised her??

 

i put it down to her growing that fast her legs need to catch up but its worrying me a bit now as i had a full sister to her from a previous litter and i cant remember her looking like this.

 

hope the pictures are ok.

 

shes kept in the house, is fed a mix of barf, complete meaty mix, tined cat food and milk as i have trouble keeping the weight on her being sauki.

 

any help apriciated. (sorry for spelling)

 

 

 

thanks katie

[artful212 394]

why are you feeding the dog cat food

 

i had a pup and the legs went the opp way but it was calcium deficincey

[Scottish_Whippet 5]

you shouldnt be feeding cat food to dog for a start......can damage kidneys if prolonged use and ultimately lead to a blind dog, and thats what my vet told me (and hes a mate), as for legs looks likes its bowed slightly, pups still growing and at 5months take it easy running with big dog, lets its bones set fully and if your really concerned take it to vet. my ten pence worth said. atb

[giblink 0]

thanks so far.

 

the cat food iv always fed them just to moisten the mix for a change. iv always thought there was more content in it than the tined dog food. i am looking at changing to tripe so ill do that sooner rather than later.

 

i think i will go to the vets just to be safe as this has only happened in the last few weeks.

 

any other thoughts??

Edited January 25, 2012 by giblink

[chook1 184]

It could be with everything your giving him - your putting to much protein in to him,

pups/dogs dont need cat food or milk and with pups that are going to grow larger you need to really give a lower protein

food, personaly i would just stick to one either the raw or the complete and cut any hard running out.

 

with the weight issue a lot of pups go through this - solong as there healthy and have energy

it shouldnt matter if they look a bit skinny, once theyve grown to full size most will start to fill out.

 

I would see the vet - as problems like these can rappidly go worse.

[alan626 305]

it could be early stages of carpal diase or rickits diase see a vet straight away

[skycat 6,173]

A lot of Saluki saturated pups have legs that look like this: turning out front feet. It is a breed trait in some lines of Salukis. Never had a problem with dogs with turned out front feet.

 

You say the hocks, but you've shown photos of front legs. Dogs have hocks on their hind legs, wrists on their front legs. Please clarify.

 

Like Chook said: Saluki types look very skinny compared to other types and breeds. They're marathon runners, not sprinters: did you ever see a chunky marathon runner? That pup doesn't look underweight at all to me, from the photo. Lots of them are all ribs, pin bones and knobbly legs for the first year.

 

Cut out the cat food and milk. Pups don't need anywhere near as much protein as some dog food manufacturers would have you believe. Raw food is much lower in protein because of the higher water content. I've been rearing pups for years on chicken carcases, minced beef, breast of lamb, bit of raw minced veg, odd slice of brown bread or bit of boiled rice. I've sent you a pm.

[salukiman 28]

Message skycat off here if she dont know no one will

[salukiman 28]

P you must of been writing i missed the boat again ha ha

[chook1 184]

Skycat said it better than i ever could

 

On the turning out front feet - i went through it with my deerhound

she did grow out of it.

[MoChara 1,632]

It is possible the dogs legs are bowing, it very common in large breed dogs such as danes etc but can happen in any dog, it is mostly caused by food nutrition. But also too much calcium/protein making the dog grow slightly quicker but the joints cannot handle the excess weight as they have not had the time to grow to support it, but it can also happen when pups are constantly on slidy surfaces such as wooden floors etc as the pup has no grip so its not properly holding its weight evenly or using muscles or tendents. To fix the problem wrap the legs properly in vet wrap, but if it carries on getting worse there are spoon splints available to put on the dogs legs. But the most important thing is to change the dogs diet as soon as possible. And if you do wrap the legs remember to check them every 2 days at the latest. This is just what knowledge i have of bowing legs/knuckling over but i recommend you get a diagnosis off a vet first just incase it is something eles other than bowing in. Good luck.. Nicole.

[shaunovderby 183]

to much protien in the dogs diet can cause this 1 of my mates pup did this put it on low protien food and it soon growmn back right ,

[red pit boar dog 13]

mate they call it knuckle over

back of the protien put more veg in its diet or just biskets and water

it normal coused from the bones growing faster than the tendons or the other way round

the vet will proble splint the legs have heard of it done with hose and bandges or pvc pipe

or you can get these wet suit boots that go around the groth plates

its genetic dont breed from dogs that have knuckle over when there pup even if fixed it will be past on

also if you can get it off hard floor or out of concrete kennel there not made for these surfices

 

atb rbd

[giblink 0]

thanks everyone, espesh Skycat

 

i have obviously over compensated with the food as she was very skinny when i got her and i dont like seeing skinny pups. her sister was very bony when grown but with this diet i managed to get a bit more weight on her.

 

should i switch to a low protien complete?? and stick with the barf when i can as i cannot switch to all barf (wish i had the contacts)

 

 

 

also the knucking over i have read about this but looking sideways they are straight the photos i have seen they bend right over hers dont do this. they just bend from the angle i have shown.

 

and im sorry i meant wrist not hock.

 

i will be taking her to the vets so ill update if im tald anything else.

 

thanks again.

Edited January 25, 2012 by giblink

[skycat 6,173]

Where are you based? There are a lot of barf suppliers up and down the country, and there's also local butchers, if you have an old fashioned one that still prepares meat himself. Ask about, and look at this: one of the better raw meat and bone suppliers.http://www.bulmerdogfood.co.uk/