LGD puppy developed bowing of legs

[Finnie]

I think I'll manage just fine, thanks. Would I "goof around"? No, I never "goof around"....I'm a nurse and have been treating my animals at home for decades without any "life long consequences", so I'm fairly confident I'll be able to manage this pup as well. Asking for advice from anyone who has experienced this before is hardly "goofing around"....that's what these forums are for, to network and trade experiences with livestock, farming, etc. Since the "Anyone have experience with this?" doesn't seem to include you, why in the world would you answer this post? To simply insult someone because you hide behind the anonymity of a screen?

Squeeze out some vet money? You want to donate? We'll let you be the first, since you feel I'm so very negligent and "goofing around" with this poor puppy's life.

Ok, I’m very sorry for the poor choice of the “goofing around” phrasing. I merely meant that time spent treating the wrong thing is time not getting to the bottom of what the correct thing is. I didn’t mean to raise your ire.

And yes, I was actually thinking of sending you a PM to see if I could send you some vet money. But I don’t think I could afford to send you the whole bill, and that got me to thinking of the go fund me idea. People actually do that, which blows my mind.

And I do also have to admit that there was criticism of not taking her to the vet. I apologize for that too, because you are right, I don’t have experience with that particular problem.

 

[rachels.haven]

Our Badger disaster puppy came with severely bowed legs. Apparently he'd been on a raw food diet that wasn't properly balanced for a growing large breed (???!). They corrected after a few months of growing on Iams large breed puppy. I'm not endorsing the brand, but a boring balanced diet and time should fix that. To my adult I feed Victor Professional. I think the Iams LG breed puppy was even lower in protein, and about the same price, very palatable in all it's awful commercial-ness and for the short time of fast growing part of puppyhood it should do no harm. Walmart or Chewy should be able to deliver it to you if you can't get out.

 

[Beekissed]

Our Badger disaster puppy came with severely bowed legs. Apparently he'd been on a raw food diet that wasn't properly balanced for a growing large breed. They corrected after a few months of growing on Iams large breed puppy. I'm not endorsing the brand, but a boring balanced diet and time should fix that.

What did your vet say about it? And thank you for responding...you give me hope! I will buy any brand of food that will help, as I've never had this issue in a puppy before now. They've all ate the same thing and grew well and strong on it.

 

[rachels.haven]

My vet didn't come out right away if my memory serves, so it may have already been well on the way to correcting, although he did ask and approve our food choice for the puppy so I'm suspicious he noticed something and wanted to make sure we weren't keeping it going, and wasn't concerned with it beyond that. Large breed dogs are notoriously difficult to feed (and it can vary from individual to individual dog and growth period to growth period). I think the important thing is that you catch it before it goes on too long so he can grow out of it. It may also correct faster than I remember. I just remember all I could think about when he walked or stood for a while were his crooked front legs and waiting for them to normalize.

Badger was a level two on this page, but because he was an 8 week old pyr mix and not a dane his legs were shorter and fatter. We didn't wrap anything. I'm not sure I have a picture of our dog standing with it because...he didn't stand much until it corrected. *face palm* the dane lady page has lots of info from her experience if you want to go through it for any info you want to use. I'm not sure how good the info is, but the pictures are good examples.

Knuckling Over and HOD - Developmental Orthopedic Disease | GREATDANELADY.COM

Educational site for people who purchase Great Danes and large and giant breed dogs. The information provided at this site is designed to assist pet owners in the care and feeding of their companion animals. The subjects covered are; Diets, Nutrition, Pet Health Issues and General Pet Care.

www.greatdanelady.com

Iams, hill's, and even not-my-favorite purina may have a large breed puppy appropriate food.

(and gee, was I dumb, I think as I write this, obviously there was a problem with my puppy situation from the start)

 

[rachels.haven]

and sorry if my reply is a bit fractured. I have the joys of parenting during covid going on in the background.

 

[Beekissed]

My vet didn't come out right away if my memory serves, so it may have already been well on the way to correcting, although he did ask and approve our food choice for the puppy so I'm suspicious he noticed something and wanted to make sure we weren't keeping it going, and wasn't concerned with it beyond that. Large breed dogs are notoriously difficult to feed (and it can vary from individual to individual dog and growth period to growth period). I think the important thing is that you catch it before it goes on too long so he can grow out of it. It may also correct faster than I remember. I just remember all I could think about when he walked or stood for a while were his crooked front legs and waiting for them to normalize.

Badger was a level two on this page, but because he was an 8 week old pyr mix and not a dane his legs were shorter and fatter. We didn't wrap anything. I'm not sure I have a picture of our dog standing with it because...he didn't stand much until it corrected. *face palm* the dane lady page has lots of info from her experience if you want to go through it for any info you want to use. I'm not sure how good the info is, but the pictures are good examples.

Knuckling Over and HOD - Developmental Orthopedic Disease | GREATDANELADY.COM

Educational site for people who purchase Great Danes and large and giant breed dogs. The information provided at this site is designed to assist pet owners in the care and feeding of their companion animals. The subjects covered are; Diets, Nutrition, Pet Health Issues and General Pet Care.

www.greatdanelady.com

Iams, hill's, and even not-my-favorite purina may have a large breed puppy appropriate food.

(and gee, was I dumb, I think as I write this, obviously there was a problem with my puppy situation from the start)

No sorry needed! It's perfect! And I understand completely. I'll be looking at that site and today I'll be picking up a specific feed for the pup, as well as switching her current milk to buttermilk to culture her bowel...I'm beginning to think she has a slight absorption problem also, so have wormed her and will give her some good probiotics through the buttermilk.

Just the one leg bowed now but it does seem to hinder her. Her little legs are thicker than Blue's legs, so I know she's going to be a bigger dog than he is.... I think she just grew too fast on that high pro feed I had her on for a week.

I figured the vet would just recommend a certain feed and that was one reason I didn't rush her right to the vet...it's obviously diet/nutrition related due to how it evidenced upon the change in food. Your reply helps me confirm that initial assessment and so I thank you!

How old is your Badger pup and how is he doing now?

 

[Beekissed]

My vet didn't come out right away if my memory serves, so it may have already been well on the way to correcting, although he did ask and approve our food choice for the puppy so I'm suspicious he noticed something and wanted to make sure we weren't keeping it going, and wasn't concerned with it beyond that. Large breed dogs are notoriously difficult to feed (and it can vary from individual to individual dog and growth period to growth period). I think the important thing is that you catch it before it goes on too long so he can grow out of it. It may also correct faster than I remember. I just remember all I could think about when he walked or stood for a while were his crooked front legs and waiting for them to normalize.

Badger was a level two on this page, but because he was an 8 week old pyr mix and not a dane his legs were shorter and fatter. We didn't wrap anything. I'm not sure I have a picture of our dog standing with it because...he didn't stand much until it corrected. *face palm* the dane lady page has lots of info from her experience if you want to go through it for any info you want to use. I'm not sure how good the info is, but the pictures are good examples.

Knuckling Over and HOD - Developmental Orthopedic Disease | GREATDANELADY.COM

Educational site for people who purchase Great Danes and large and giant breed dogs. The information provided at this site is designed to assist pet owners in the care and feeding of their companion animals. The subjects covered are; Diets, Nutrition, Pet Health Issues and General Pet Care.

www.greatdanelady.com

Iams, hill's, and even not-my-favorite purina may have a large breed puppy appropriate food.

(and gee, was I dumb, I think as I write this, obviously there was a problem with my puppy situation from the start)

That site has been most helpful and the first cause listed for this was the exact thing I did...I mixed different kinds of dog food at a 50/50 and after 4-5 days of eating it, this appeared. From their scale she is a level 2....I'd really love to splint her with vet wrap but in her current living conditions, I couldn't keep it from getting wet. Especially with the weather coming up in the next few days.

 

[rachels.haven]

Badger had to be put down at 10 months unfortunately, which is genetic unfortunately. The way he reacted to the seizures made him unsafe to place in a pet home. He went after animals and people right before as if we were doing it to him and I didn't feel good about a potentially 180+ lbs dog that needed to be a house dog going out in the world like a time bomb if his medications ever stopped working or needed adjusting even if we did get them working and the seizures controlled completely. It was an extremely heart rending, traumatic time, but I think we had the best outcome we could have expected in the situation. I doubted myself right up to as we were leaving on the one way trip to the vet when he decided to go after my husband and split the man's lip. My husband never had a negative interaction with him in his whole life either so there was no reason for the turn.

I'm chocking the whole incident up to being in an area where a lot of people breed LGD's, and a lot of them shouldn't (or at least that's what I'm telling myself, lol).

Physically he was perfect though-beautiful dog with perfect sound legs, so if we're dealing with the same issue, feed is the key with your dog and it will correct, likely even without wrapping.

 

[Hipshot]

What was the protein content of your puppy feed?.What I would do is use a cheaper feed and deworm the pup .It would be more helpful if you had charted growth weight of the pup .Feel pretty sure the protein might be the culprit .Real easy to over grow muscle. Keep in mind that high price dose not make a feed good .I use puppy chow for about 12 weeks then switch them over to
Retriever. I use TSC Retriever mix the 25 % with the 21% 50/50 .When we have an abundance of surplus eggs .The dogs get 2 hard boiled eggs a feeding.I don't want to tell you to starve the pup . At a year old large breeds should only weigh about 75% of thier adult weight .By the time they are 2 they should have reached full bone and body mass .
Stay away from wet food .Compare feeds and slow down .For a while dry food and water might be your best choice.Never had a dog that I raised have rickets. I am either lucky are doing something right .Hope the pup is doing well today.

 

[Beekissed]

Badger had to be put down at 10 months unfortunately, which is genetic unfortunately. The way he reacted to the seizures made him unsafe to place in a pet home. He went after animals and people right before as if we were doing it to him and I didn't feel good about a potentially 180+ lbs dog that needed to be a house dog going out in the world like a time bomb if his medications ever stopped working or needed adjusting even if we did get them working and the seizures controlled completely. It was an extremely heart rending, traumatic time, but I think we had the best outcome we could have expected in the situation. I doubted myself right up to as we were leaving on the one way trip to the vet when he decided to go after my husband and split the man's lip. My husband never had a negative interaction with him in his whole life either so there was no reason for the turn.

I'm chocking the whole incident up to being in an area where a lot of people breed LGD's, and a lot of them shouldn't (or at least that's what I'm telling myself, lol).

Physically he was perfect though-beautiful dog with perfect sound legs, so if we're dealing with the same issue, feed is the key with your dog and it will correct, likely even without wrapping.

I remember that story now and agreed with your assessment of what needed to be done. Too dangerous a situation.

You have no idea how much you helped me on this issue and I thank God there are good folks on this forum who are willing to help with their own experiences and with links to good information. This pup has so many good qualities I didn't want her to get off track in all of this mix up in feeds. I finally have two good working dogs on the land and I really want to see how that all plays out.

Got some vet wrap today to support that one joint that's buckling and will change it out every other day and check for changes.

Bought Nutrena Loyall large breed puppy food~ https://www.nutrenaworld.com/product/loyall-life-large-breed-puppy-chicken-brown-rice

~as it seemed the best value for the price and ingredients and seemed to have better nutrients than the Iams and Hills, even had prebiotics and probiotics they didn't have. The reviews were good also, so I'll give a report here as to how it all worked. As of tomorrow I'll not be adding any additional supplements, but will rely solely on the dog food to balance her out. Can't wait to see her get back to sturdy, strong legs once more!