# Puppy front legs struggling



## Lindsey (Mar 24, 2016)

Hi all

New to the forum and vizsla motherhood and very happy.. We've recently welcomed Hugo to our home and into our family and are besotted... The vet we have is very good and doesn't seem too worried and thinks Hugo will get stronger on his own and she seen this before but I wondered if anyone else has been through this.. 
Hugo is 12 weeks old and 6kg now and his front legs are quite weak, he runs well and jumps (though we try to deter as we know he needs to be careful) but when standing he is rolling paws a lot.. This is an extreme picture just to show you what I mean he hasn't done this as much in the last week but still does occasionally.. He is very quick and doesn't seem like it hurts, has anyone else experienced this? 

Thanks


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi! Just wanted to welcome you and Hugo to the forums. It's been years since I raised a puppy, and no, I have never seen that before. Poor little guy! You are the best one to know if it seems to cause him any pain. I think that maybe you should get a second opinion from another vet about it, just to be safe. Also, you should let his breeder know about it. Sorry I can't be more helpful, though.

I am hoping other members will chime in with their opinions.


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## Lindsey (Mar 24, 2016)

Hi 

Thanks for that, we've talked to the breeder who acknowledged he was "down on his pastons" but he felt he would start to gain strength and he advised us to keep eyes on and keep him posted.. 
The vet we have is our 2nd opinion.. The first vet was a generic vet and didn't know much about the breed which we didn't like... The vet we now have was recommended by a friend in the industry that works in the fields with vizslas so we're fairly happy we've a good vet now.. 
This pic was a couple of weeks ago and he doesn't always stand like this and certainly does it less now too but it's there.. We're told gentle exercise and such and he will hopefully grow out of it but the vet is seeing us regularly to monitor his progression.. 
Just wondered really if anyone has had similar experiences, he's certainly not lacking in the expected vizsla energy etc it doesn't seem to bother him at all, just hoping we can get him better as he starts to grow..


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Well, Hugo certainly is a cute little guy! We have plenty of members with puppies, so hopefully, you'll get some input from them. Sounds like you're doing everything right.


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## Lindsey (Mar 24, 2016)

Also one more thing the breeder mentioned when we picked him up was that he was the smallest in his litter and was bullied by his brother and sisters a bit  he needed to gain weight and he thought he'd now thrive on his own as he started to feed better... 

The worry now is that he was super small so we were originally working to bulk him up a bit but now have to slow his growth rate down to reduce the pressure on his legs.. 

He's not out walking yet as only just had 2nd vaccs but hopefully the small amounts of walking will help the muscles get stronger..again, he can stand straight when he is not tired it's like the legs, paws roll when he gets tired..


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## Lindsey (Mar 24, 2016)

Thank you 😄 the vet seems to think he will get stronger as he's already starting to, there's nothing broken just seems to have weak muscles there which need some strength.. 
Thank you for coming back to me


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

"Pastern" is the 'wrist', it's the joint that Hugo is pushing forward, and it's definitely not correct.

You don't necessarily need a vet with experience with Vizslas...dog physiology is basically the same...but you might need a vet who specializes in orthopedics. I would suggest you do this now while he's young and growing, increasing the probability that any treatment would be effective.


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Oh My Gosh Lindsey... Hugo is so adorable!!! I bet he has become the love of your life!!
His legs look much improved from your first photo, and that is just a few weeks I'm guessing, which is very encouraging.
I think I might want to see an orthopedic, just to see if there are some particularly better exercises to to, or things that he should definitely not do.
It looks like you have things well under control, and are absolutely doing the best for your little guy.
Welcome to the Forum, and thank you for sharing Hugo with us. I will be looking for more pictures of him and watch him grow up.


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## Lindsey (Mar 24, 2016)

Hi 

Thanks for the replies.. I may have done our Hugo a real injustice here with this pic.. If he was like this most of the time I'd be a lot more concerned than the light query i meant to pose. I used this pic as it accentuates the issue.. We have had to use this picture to show our vet as he is always stood/sat well when we spend time with her (which had been quite a lot.) Hugo doesn't stand anywhere nearly as bad as on this original photo so understand "this isn't right" but this was the extreme... 
Our vet will refer us to her colleague, should we see any regression but so far he is getting stronger daily... I just wondered if anyone else had come across this.. I'm comfortable with his prognosis and that any treatment will be effective..  also thanks for the nice comments, he's the love of our family life and we will share his pics as he grows  

Lindsey


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## Lindsey (Mar 24, 2016)

Hugo this evening, still not 100% but this is more close to his general stance these days:


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Internet diagnosis, bleh. Since you asked for opinions, I still think there's something's not quite right after looking at all the pics. I've had 3 of my own and been with literally dozens of puppies and I've not seen that. This isn't being "Down in pastern", it seems like he doesn't feel comfortable resting his front weight on his front paws, maybe a paw/foot issue? I'd think an X Ray might clarify a lot here, at least the presence (and hopefully) extent of some orthopedic issue.


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## Lindsey (Mar 24, 2016)

Hi there

Genuinely thank you for the replies but please note I was not looking for an Internet diagnosis I was merely looking to see if anyone had been through similar.. I'm comfortable in our very experienced vets interventions and she too has suggested an X-ray should we need to arrange after our next scheduled check up. I don't think people can diagnose better than she based on a few pics but understand I have perhaps worded this whole thing wrong.. 😱
Being down on his pasterns was something the breeder acknowledged but not hugos diagnosis, this is all I said and I understand the orthopaedic suggestions thank you I will continue to look at all options with our vet. 
It is clearly a lot more rare than I'd realised but still happy as I've seen how he is progressing, how he moves and see the improvements.. 
I will keep anyone posted that wishes to know bit again, am not naive enough to have thought I'd get a diagnosis here and apologise if anyone though that's what I was looking for  
Have a great Easter break with your families


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## cuddlebuglove (Apr 27, 2014)

No diagnoses here but I would hope that you will keep us apprised of Hugo's progress. I pray that he will be alright and mobile as a Vizsla should. 
Best of the Easter season to Hugo and the rest of your family


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## gmk (Dec 21, 2010)

That appears to be Carpal Laxity. It can occur in any med to large breed puppy. Most dogs out grow the issue. It's suggested that in may be caused by different growth rates in bone & tendon, but the cause remains idiopathic at this point. Here is a link to an excellent article on the subject.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2905020/


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## Lindsey (Mar 24, 2016)

Hi 
Thank you for taking the time to show me this... This initial post was added a couple of months back and Hugo seems to stand on his legs much better these days, he seems to be naturally growing out of it (we have actually practised some of the regular excercises in addition) but he's really come on and we rarely ever see him roll anymore.. 

I'll continue to keep my eye on now and keep you posted, great article and thanks again.. 

Lindsey


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## cuddlebuglove (Apr 27, 2014)

Hugo is a very handsome Vizsla and will probably give his generous heart to you in a big way because not only are you his family you all are his nuturers and protectors. What a wonderful story that is thank you for the mutual choosing.

I really hope that you will keep us apprised of every development physically and socially. 

He seems to be a loving Vizsla. Have you all invested in a California King bed yet?  Hugo will probably get the best spot ;D

Bright Blessings to all!


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## Lindsey (Mar 24, 2016)

Oh thank you and yes loving boy he is... Yikes, don't get me started on the bed argument haha 😂😂 Hugo has been crate trained but at 6 months, it's a struggle... There's only one place he likes to be and that's between the hubby and I.... 

We may need to look into the king size after all and we always said we'd never allow haha 

Hugo boss! 🐶🐾


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## cuddlebuglove (Apr 27, 2014)

Well, being so loving and clean how can you resist? I have seen commercials for mattresses with Bulldogs on them testing them for comfort, when they REALLY need a Vizsla either gracefully lounging or sweetly sprawled out in only those yoga positions that Vizslas DO!. 

Well there are holidays comming up where California Kings' are on sale- wouldn't it be a treat if you could take Hugo there to help 'test' the mattress? As handsome, people pleasing and sweet smelling as he IS ( a spiritual gift to Vizslas from above :), he doubtless would charm everyone there into getting ALL a deep discount ! 8) . Don't forget comfortable blankets and sheets- they say that Vizslas prefer to dive deeply in the covers while snuggling with YOU ! ;D
Thank you for sharing; please keep us informed.
Happy Trails!


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