I rescued my little Mindy from a puppy mill at nearly 5 months old. Her owner wanted to breed her with their toy poodle for "cockapoos" but for various reasons decided to get rid of her. She has food allergies, flea allergies, an underbite, and lately while trimming her hair I noticed that her middle two back`toes are fused together. I trim my parents poodle mix and I if I remember right I can get the clippers between all of his toes, but with Mindy the middle two are stuck together and look like a heart with two pads. I'll have the vet look at her at her next check-up because I don't think its affecting her health at all, I was just wondering if anyone knew what this was? Some kind of birth defect or something? Is it common?
BTW, she just turned a year old!
2007-10-08 14:48:17 · 7 answers · asked by dolly 6 in Pets ➔ Dogs
The fusion occurs on both back feet and not the front.
2007-10-08 14:49:41 · update #1
Yes, she's purebred. I was given her papers when I got her. Both parents are CKC registered and her father is AKC registered as well.
2007-10-08 14:54:09 · update #2
Poor little doggy. I'm sure she can live a long and happy life with you now she's rescued, but she's obviously come from an awful background. Flea allergies and food allergies happen fairly commonly, but to get them both together is bad luck - coupled with physical deformities, that is quite a large shame.
Purebreeding is NO guarantee of good health. In fact, it's the inbreeding used to create breeds that is often the cause of physical deformites such as these. If you look at the ancestry on the paper work, you'll probably see something like your dog's maternal and paternal grandmother being the same dog or something. So yes, these things would be congenital i.e 'birth defects' but inbreeding is a common reason for it.
Chalice
2007-10-09 06:09:21 · answer #1 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is a genetic defect. It is usually found in badly bred dogs.
If it doesnt bother her at all than I woulds not make a big deal about it. It is just her and I dont hink there is anything that can be done to correct it.
2007-10-08 14:53:29 · answer #2 · answered by ♥Golden gal♥ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have you asked your vet about it?? it could be a birth diffect but ask the vet it might be something serious and i feel bad that maybe the owners raised it so bad the toes some how got fused together.
2007-10-08 14:52:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Puppymills are responsible for alot of ill bred dogs. Sounds like a birth defect!
2007-10-08 14:52:32 · answer #4 · answered by Boxer Lover 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd say a birth defect.
2007-10-08 16:13:32 · answer #5 · answered by plynn_03 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
im sure your dog is fine, and if it is a full bred dog, im sure that it might have alot of health problems, or at least all of my full breds had alot of health problems
2007-10-08 14:52:50 · answer #6 · answered by CrazyTexanGuy 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
idk probaley not
2007-10-08 14:51:44 · answer #7 · answered by tralay 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋