I have a female mastiff/ american bulldogg mix puppy she is 2 months old and on Friday I noticed she was walking with her front legs bowed and she doesn't seem to be walking with her paw completely flat it is sort of turned to the side I took her to the vet and she said that with large breed dogs they sometimes get to much nutrition and to take her off puppy food and feed her adult food and hopefully this will help! Has anyone every heard of this if so can you please explain it to me a little better I am not to sure i understand completley!!
2007-01-15 05:16:45 · 15 answers · asked by abby 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
This sounds like bowing from the carpal joints. It is explained easier like one of the ligaments is tighter on one side of the carpal joint than the other. Ask your vet about splinting. Now, splinting this pup normally should only be for a few days and it can cause the pup to go completely the other way and down on her pasterns. If she is doing alright getting around, she might not need to be splinted. You can take her into an orthopedic vet, so he can do x-rays of both front legs. She will probably need to be watched for bowing of the bones if this problem continues.
Also, do not put this dog on supplements! Excessive Calcium in a large breed pup can cause damage.
2007-01-15 05:32:07 · answer #1 · answered by bear 2 zealand © 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No giant breed dogs should be fed puppy food because you don't want them growing too fast - it's too hard on the joints. So feeding her regular good quality dog food is a good idea.
As for the way she's walking, puppies do go through some really weird stages at times when they're going through growth spurts, but this one doesn't sound quite right. Give her some time, be careful not to over-do the exercise while she's young, keep her off pavement, and hopefully she'll improve with time. If not, take her back to the vet for x-rays.
2007-01-15 13:26:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would get a second opinion if I were you. Most large breed puppy foods are specially formulated to help puppies avoid growing too fast.
Also, 2 months old is way too young for a puppy to get adult dog food. Even on the bags of less quality dog foods it tells you what ages the animal should be before feeding it to them.
Getting a second opinion from another vet might end up saving you a lot of money in the long run. I know 2 people who lost their dogs earlier than they should have because the dog had physical problems from growing too fast.
I hope this helps you!
2007-01-15 13:45:11 · answer #3 · answered by jamie c 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a bullmastiff female, when she was about 3 months old, I took her off the puppy food also, they grow very fast and are heavier dogs. The reason being the puppy food has more protein than adult food. My vet requested the same thing and it worked. It will not hurt your puppy. I feed my dog Wellness adult chicken and she also likes the lamb. Another good place to check information is at the ABA. (american bullmastiff association)
2007-01-15 13:44:09 · answer #4 · answered by Linda B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes I have heard of this... former Vet Tech here. What is happening is your puppy is growing faster than the growth plates (I won't bore you with the long name for this). This is quite common in large breeds. Your Vet putting the pup on adult food is to help slow the growth so that the plates have a chance to catch up and the growth will be normal. Follow your Vet's advice, since they are the one's who have seen the pup.
2007-01-15 13:59:17 · answer #5 · answered by o b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your vet is trying to tell you that your puppy will have a tendancy to gain weight. Puppy food is high in calories, by changing to adult food now you may stop the rapid weight gain seen in large breed dogs. When they get too heavy it can cause the legs to bow.
2007-01-15 13:34:32 · answer #6 · answered by sandie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I haven't heard of that exact issue, but the issue with puppy food and large breed dogs is a known one.
Basically the extra calcium in the puppy food causes the dogs bones to grow at an accelerated rate and the surrounding connective tissues, tendons and muscles, cannot keep up with the bone growth.
2007-01-15 13:27:19 · answer #7 · answered by JCSquardo 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Also your vet should have told you to make sure she has a bed to sleep on....like a nice ortho one. It should be soft (something you would sleep on) to protect her joints.
2 months....she should still be on puppy food. Maybe switch your food. What are you feeding? She should still be growing (why you shouldn't take her off) but if you are feeding a cheaper food then it may be causing her growth to go all retarded. Make sure you feed a higher food (Iams being the lowest of the higher foods) like Innova or Natural Balance. Good ingredients = good health. Make sure first 5 ingredients are meats and only meats (no by products or meal)
2007-01-15 13:24:05 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Did they take an xray? A problem like that can't be definitively diagnosed without one.
I suggest you look up "panosteitis" and "OCD" and "elbow dysplasia" on the net, as a starting point, and then ask your vet any questions you may have. If your vet can't answer you clearly enough, get a second opinion. It's kind of complicated, and a communicative vet looking at an X-ray of your dog is what you really need.
2007-01-15 13:35:17 · answer #9 · answered by zilmag 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
YES! Giant breed dogs should NEVER eat puppy food! They need to grow slowly and regulated so that they don't develop severe bone and joint problems. Here is a really good website about diet in giant breed dogs.
http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/do_i_need_to_use_a_puppy_food.htm
http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/puppy_feed_program_2006_htm.htm
Feed a high quality, moderate protein, adult food to your giant breed puppy. You want her to continue developing until she is around 2 years old!
2007-01-15 13:26:19 · answer #10 · answered by Lauren M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋