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Puppies Legs can anybody provide me information about puppies learning to walk. I have two babies they will be four weeks tomorrow, the boy is a little over a pound and seems to be starting to walk around fine. The girls is 15.4 oz and her two hind legs stick our like little sticks. they can bend but she mostly looks like she is walks on sticks. She also can sit fine. :questione:questione Does she just need to practice or could something be wrong? I called my vet today and they seem to think she just needs to practice but wanted to get some other thoughts. |
Some puppies do take longer in learning to walk, especially if they are overweight. The most important thing is to make sure they have a rough surface to walk on. I will put down a rug or flannel sheet that has a rough surface so they can get better traction with their legs. Make sure their toenails are clipped so they don't hangup on the bedding. At four weeks they need a nice size area to walk in so they can start exploring and getting some exercise. I have mine out of the whelping box in a exercise pen at that age. When I have a overweight pup with weak rear legs, several times a day I will hold the pup with his rear legs in the palm of my hand and let the pup push up on the rear legs to help strengthen them. |
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they are in a very good size box 40 inches by 36 inches, I have a thin blanket and a bath mat rug down. The smaller one, is the one that is having problems but not sure what is overweight. I looked at their toe nails and this being my first litter, I am not sure what to do and am a little intimated by their tiny little claws and don't want to hurt them. How can I clip them. I will try the excercises. Thank you, thank you !!!!!!!!! |
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You might want to think about giving them a little more room. Here is a picture of my setup I had for some 4 1/2 week old pups. Mom can go in out of the puppy area and not be trapped |
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The set up you have looks almost like the same size as my box. the box I have is 4 feet long and 3 feet across. We also bring them downstairs and let them roam around little out of the box, when there is not much going on. Have you ever seen this where their legs stick out like two sticks? I can bend them and she doesn't whine. I went home at lunch and tried to get her to stand on them but she doesn't, she just sits there. She walks great with her front. |
It sounds like she just has not build up any muscles. Do her legs just stick straight out to the side or straight back? Just keep trying to exercise them and unless something else wrong, she should start walking in about a week. I have heard of some pups just being born crippled. If she does not start responding to the exercise and try walking on her own within a week or so then you should have her checked by a vet. |
I couldn't say for sure but your little one may have a condition called swimmers. My Hope was a tiny little thing, progressing well but were as her larger sister was getting up and moving around her back legs weren't comming up under her. I took her to my vet and he diagnosed Swimmers. For about 2 weeks he taped her back legs together, changing regularly, they stayed in place, after this we would masage her legs and hold her in a mug- yes a mug- of water to excercise them. They were weak to start with but gradually improved, She was almost 12 when we lost her. I looked it up on the net a few months ago and apparently it can be caused by having the whelping box too warm. According to the page I read the pups need to huddle together, climbing over each other helps the hip joints into their normal position. Made sence for Hope as the litter was born on 2nd January, we had the heating on all the time as I was worried they'd get too cold. I dont know if its the same for your baby but apparently it does come right with time. A visit to your vet should clear it up. |
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I read in the 'birth defect' article that Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can result in skeletal defects and abnormal dentition. Vitamin D excess has been implicated in impaired bone formation and some "swimmer" puppies. |
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I hope I did not do this:cry::cry: I am going to try the excersies but if I see no improvement take her to the vet on Friday. |
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UGH. We got the mom only a week before she had her babies. this was....ugh, I hate to say it, her 5th litter, she will be 4 in October. It sounds like all other litters were fine. I know that she did not have any prenatal care but was given enough food. The boy who was smaller at birth is doing great a little slow at walking but his hind legs are fine. He was 2.25 oz when he was born and now over 1 lb. The girl who is having the problems was 3.75 at birth and now at 15.4. I called the vet, they said the weight is not the problem. |
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I would have her looked at by a vet. There may be something structurally wrong with her legs. You really need a trained person to look at her. If there is something wrong, you want to address it before her bones have set. Many times a little physical therapy will help but you need to know what it is (if anything) that is wrong. I had a little girl born earlier this year with rear legs that turned inward and her toes curled under. I had her at an orthopedic vet's when she was only a few days old having her checked out. He checked her structure and recommended physical therapy for her and showed me what to do. It worked and she developed just fine but, if she hadn't showed good progress, we would have been doing some kind of binding to align the legs properly. From my experience, I would say she needs to be checked out while you still have a window of opportunity before the bones set. |
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I will, thank you so, so, so much for your help. You guys on this site have been such a help to me. I never knew there was this much involved in this, the worry, the every two hour feedings, etc. even knowing what I know, I still would do this over again. Miracle (the mom) has only been with us a little over a month and I just love her to pieces. I know this is a continue learning process so again, I thank you for all your help and advice. :aimeeyork |
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Thank you. |
You can also slide rolled up towels under their bedding to create lumps and humps for them to crawl over to help strengthen them. It sounds like it maybe could be a neurological thing or a spinal problem. I am glad you are taking the baby to the vet. |
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OH, no. I hope it's not anything serious like that.:( Nothing I do hurts her when I move them. She seemed to be walking a little better this morning but still NOT bending her hind legs. I will try the towels also. Thank you so much for the advice. |
Sorry just rechecked this thread. If her legs stickout sideways it definitly sounds like swimmers. Hopes legs were exactly the same, stuck out to the side and she couldn't get them underneath. The suggestion of creating bumps is a fair one, I had the problem that Angel, Hopes mom would only except newspaper beneath her, thinking back it was probably because the crate was too hot for her.All I did was google 'SWIMMERS IN DOGS' and the artical came up. Hope your little one comes o.kay. Good luck at the vets. |
I hope all is well with her. I am in MICH West side of town, Commerce, also and have a 5 wk old litter of three. Let me know if you need any help, been breeding for awhile. Vet check is the only way to know for sure, so happy she is going to see one. |
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YAY!!! I am on the east side Sterling Heights, although I know Commerce township. I am taking her today at 1:30 (couldn't wait until Friday), I too believe that is what the problem is but not being a vet...... I did google swimmers puppy but again I just want/need to be sure. |
Glad you got her in sooner, I'm kepping my fingers crossed for you and your little one. |
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She has been diagnosed with luxating patellas bilaterally. But we have options for her and we will work with her and raise her just like any other puppy. She is our very special girl!! |
Puppy with weak hind legs Hello Everyone, This has been a great site with many wonderful people who really care. Thanks so much for all your input and help in raising these precious yorkies. I was reading this thread in hope for some additional advice. I have this same problem with the only puppy that my dog gave birth to, the puppy seems to be overweight a little and she kicks her legs back outward while using her arms to move around. I did bring her to the vet and he said that she was okay but needs to get more exercise to build strength so that she can walk. So I have been working with her for a week now. She does try to use her legs a little more than before, but still kicks them out. My puppy is four weeks old. I wanted to know how your puppy is doing? Also any advise would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks NC |
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What you're experiencing is swimmer's legs......make sure that you have your pup on a surface that has great traction.....You can also, use a piece of foam rubber that looks like egg crates and allow the pup to walk on that....taping the hind legs together also helps. |
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HI: Sadly, my puppy (Lady) did not make it, but this was not due to he problem with her legs, the mom had NO prenatal care from her previous owners. We brought her into our home a week before she had her babies. Lady, also had a very small trachea and and congestive heart disease. Perhaps what your baby has is what is called Swimmer's puppy and there is a site, I believe located on this thread that shows what it looks like and how to fix it. If I remember correctly there abdomen also extrudes out some. Your baby is just learning how to walk and may need to build up strength in her legs. Just keep up with the exercise. Also, there are physical therapists for animals you may if you need to want to consult one. If you truly feel she is not getting any better than take her back to the vet. There is also a lot of information out and on this site in regards to luxtaing patella, which is what Lady had. Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions. This site has a ton of people with knowledge about our fur babies and offer great advice. |
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