my 5 months old male german shepherd dog is cow hocked and his rear toes keep pointing outwards when he stands or walks , does anybody know about it ? will he get better when he gets older ? is it so serious ?
2006-12-15 18:55:52 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Take him to the vet and have your vet palpate the patellas (kneecaps) and hips. This is just a procedure where the vet will move the joints around to see if they are acting as they should. It is usually just part of an exam so it shouldn't cost much. See what the vet thinks - it could indicate a joint problem or it might just be a really bad rear.
2006-12-15 19:08:59 · answer #1 · answered by keesnbcs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It can happen some while the puppy is really growing, but you may want to have a vet check it out just to be sure, the cow hocking may reduce as the dog gets older but will probably always be there. If you purchased your dog from a breeder you may want to contact them (especially if the dog had a health guarantee).
2006-12-15 19:02:28 · answer #2 · answered by iluvmyfrenchbulldogs 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A German Shepherd takes about 2-3 years to be fully grown.During puppyhood,where he still is,the development depends partly on genetics,partly on nutrition.Is he getting proper nutrition for his age?Vitamines?High quality puppyfood?What did his parents look like?Any of them cow hocked?Or even his grandparents?It can be carried for generations genetically,and suddenly pop up.Call the breede,ask questions,learn more.My guess is nutrition.Make sure he gets enough calcium,and good exercise,where he can stretch out when he runs.
2006-12-15 19:09:27 · answer #3 · answered by Flowergirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
neuter him if you hadn't already, as you do not want to pass such a trait to future generations, and see a vet to check to see if it is anything more serious, or anything they can do about it. Contact the breeder and try to get a refund for at least the vet fees. If you bought him to be a show dog get a total refund. I know GSDs have a lot of bone/muscle/tempermant problems because of backyard breeding and unexperienced people just trying to produce as many puppies as possible and make a quick buck, I hope that wasn't the case for you.
I wish you luck!
2006-12-15 21:05:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He's in that time of being a "teenager". He may get better, you'll just have to wait and see. It's a structural fault which can cause problems later in life. It shouldn't really affect quality of life other than you need may need to be careful with any type of sports you do with him.
2006-12-15 20:06:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does he come from American lines? They tend to have worse conformation. He probably won't outgrow it. People are breeding GSDs right and left because they think they can make money from it. If breeding is done correctly, you are lucky to break even.
Sounds like bad breeding to me.
2006-12-15 20:49:00 · answer #6 · answered by renodogmom 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋