BOWED FRONT LEGS DEFORMITY IN PUPPY: CARE MANAGEMENT & TREATMENT
Compiled by-DR VK SINGH, PET CONSULTANT, JAMSHEDPUR
Former Production Manager, VH Group,Fellow: (IPMT,PDRC);
The Bowed legs can be a serious problem in puppies and adult dogs. Bowed legs in dogs are an abnormality that is noticed when a leg grows curved or bowed instead of appearing straight as it normally should. This type of abnormality is most likely to be seen in young, growing due to problems in their development, but can also be seen as an aftermath to traumatic injuries sometimes even in older dogs.Canine leg deformities come in their shapes and sizes. One of the most common ones is bow legs—a condition that is common among French bulldogs, Corgis, and Dachshunds.In simple terms, bowing out is a leg deformity that causes the legs to appear curved or bowed out rather than straight.It is mostly a puppy problem but adult dogs can also suffer from it.
Bow legs present in different ways. In the front legs, one limb can grow faster than the other compromising its shape. Other times, inverted growth of the leg bones leads to bow legs as well.Most bow-legged canines have curved front legs but you can also find some with bowed hind legs as well.Breeders tend to think that bowing of the legs is genetic, but except for the genetics built in these breeds to grow fast, genetics is seldom the cause.
Fast-growing puppies, especially the heavy breeds, have considerable pressure on the long bones of the legs while they are growing. The scaffolding of protein and cartilage is laid down at the growth plate and that frame work is soft and will bow to pressure. Behind that frame, calcium and phosphorus with other minor minerals use vitamins to make solid bone. Vitamin D gets calcium and phosphorus from the gut into the body, and Vitamin C gets calcium and phosphorus into the bone.
If the diet is short on any of these needed vitamins, minor minerals, calcium or phosphorus, the puppy is slow to calcify while the frame is still being built; soft bones are the result.
https://wagwalking.com/condition/front-leg-deformity
Clinical Signs
Most issues start within five to 12 weeks of age as this is when babies are going through their fast growth stage. Often the breeder reports that the legs look okay in the morning, but by the end of the day, they can see bowing on the front legs. The pressure of romping and jumping all day causes the long bone to bow. With early detection, you can correct this issue with the right vitamin/mineral supplement.
Early Detection and Prevention is Key
The problem with bowed legs is that your baby is growing faster than your diet is allowing.
- Put on adult diet (not puppy food) and wean. Some large breeds are still nursing at this five to 12 week stage, and milk is all calcium! A maintenance diet or giant breed diet will not push growth. Limit the protein and slow the scaffolding growth slightly until we catch up. The maintenance diet will not make them thin while treating for a short time; it just doesn’t push them for maximum growth.
- Limit exercise until bone is hardened as you want the bone to heal straight, not crooked. Pressure from romping and running bows the long bone while soft. Usually one week does it.
What Causes Leg Bowing In Dogs?
- Fast Growth
A puppy is meant to grow gradually to give her bones and cartilage enough time to develop.When the process is hurried, the fast-growing body may exert too much pressure on the limbs causing leg deformities. This is especially true for heavy breeds.Essentially, the cartilage and protein of the bone are framed at the growth plate. This happens to be a very soft area that can succumb to pressure easily.As the young dog puts on weight in her body, it may exceed the limit of the growth plate resulting in curved or brandy legs.
- Nutrition Deficiencies
Like in humans, bones rely on certain vitamins and minerals to develop optimally. These include calcium and phosphorous among others.
A growing puppy needs a lot of vitamin C and vitamin D to create solid bone and teeth.
His diet must have the vitamins and minerals in sufficient quantities. If it is lacking in any of them, soft bones are inevitable.
- Injury
A growing puppy has until around 12 – 18 months before her growth plates close up.
Right about this age, the soft cartilage that once formed the bone mineralizes and hardens into solid bone.
In the sad event that she gets an injury before the plate matures and becomes hard, some of the cells may stop growing. In the end, the leg will appear uneven and bow-legged.
Accidents can occur if the puppy is dropped from a high place or gets knocked by a moving car or bike.
- Genetics
Although rare, genetics can be a cause for bowed legs among dogs.
If your pooch’s parents had bow legs, you might want to watch her closely.
These genes can be passed down from generation to generation.
Symptoms of Bow Legs
Bow legs in dogs start presenting as early as 5 and as late as 12 weeks of age. This is the period most dogs go through the first growth stage.
The symptoms can appear suddenly. The puppy can be okay in the morning just to see her with bowing later on in the day.
Some puppies don’t exhibit clear symptoms of leg deformities at first only for them to present later on.
Some of the symptoms of this condition include the following:
- Limited movement
- Trouble rising up
- Limping
- Grinding in the joints
- Swelling
- Bowed paws
- Uneven limbs
- Pain when moving
Unless you are very keen, some of the symptoms will pass you by.The minute you notice that something is off with the dog, err on the side of caution. Call the vet and have him do checks on the dog.If the deformity is caught early enough, it can be treated permanently.
Dog Breeds with Bowed Legs
Having a crooked leg is not really an issue of the dog’s breed.Often, it has to do with the aforementioned factors such as nutritional deficiencies, genetics, fast growth, and injury. Still, some breeds are more at risk.
Bowed legs is actually a breed standard in bulldogs according to the AKC. As long as the dog has short and stout forelegs that are muscular and have a ‘bowed out’ outline, the dog qualifies for the show ring.
In Corgis, Boston Terriers, Basset Hounds, Pugs, Pekingese, Skye Terriers, and Dachshunds, the bowing is a result of a genetic mutation referred to as ‘acondroplasia’.
The gene converts cartilage to the bone making the legs appear deformed. This is often accompanied by bowed forelimbs.
Can You Fix Bowed Legs in Dogs?
While most young dogs suffer from bowed legs, some carry the condition into adulthood.If yours shows any signs of having leg deformities, don’t panic. There are several treatment options you can consider.Changing the dog’s diet can take care of the problem once and for all.Other treatment options include putting braces on the dog, doing massage therapy, and removing a certain part of the plate or bone.In very rare circumstances, the limb may need complete removal.However, surgery is the best route for straightening the legs and giving the dog a new lease of life. It has a high success rate compared to other treatment options.
Carpal Flexural Deformity Facts
Here are a few important things to know about this deformity:
- It is common in medium to large dog breeds.
- It generally manifests in puppies who were separated from their mothers at an early age or those who have been on cow’s milk.
- It is thought to be caused by too much protein in the diet.
- It is also thought to be caused by walking on smooth surfaces most of the time.
- The ages of the puppies affected by this deformity range between 6–24 weeks.
- The deformity occurs most frequently during the 6 to 8-week period.
- In many cases, puppies overcome the deformity without intervention.
- Splinting or casting may help get the leg back to normal.
How Simple Splints Are Made
Here’s some information about how simple splints are made:
- Thin pieces of wood that are scraped smooth and flattened may work as a splint. The wood may be chopped and scraped with a sharp kitchen knife to smooth the edges. The piece should be long enough to cover the entire length of the puppy’s leg. A tape measure may be used to make sure that the piece is wide enough to cover the back of the leg but not too short or too long.
- Wood may be cushioned with thick cotton (to serve as a pad). The cotton can be secured with surgical tape.
- Splints are often applied with the help of two people: one to hold the puppy and the other to attach the splint.
- When a splint is positioned at the back of the leg, it can be wrapped using gauze or VetRap.
- Wrapping should begin at the farthest end of the extremity, like the toes or wrist, then go up the limb. This encourages lymph and blood flow. Otherwise, pooling and swelling can occur in the toes.
- The wrapping should neither be too tight nor too loose. If it’s too tight, it can occlude the limb and cause tissue death or even lead to amputation. If it’s too loose, the puppy will likely tear it.
- The ends of the splint can be secured with surgical tape. Loose ends should be removed.
Suggestions
- When you notice a slight bend in your puppy’s leg and she/he is a medium to large-breed dog, don’t panic; it can be fixed with proper care.
- Protein in the diet is good for puppies and adult dogs (and even humans), but too much of it can be dangerous.
- To avoid this condition, never take puppies in if they are still not weaned.
- If your floor surface is smooth, provide a rough mattress so puppies can use it for stretching.
- Allow the puppies to walk outside on natural surfaces as much as possible. Take them to a park or a place where there is enough earth for them to dig or run. This allows them to use their leg muscles properly. (Make sure they are current on their vaccinations!)
- When splints are on, the most effective way to divert their attention is to take them for a walk. While at home, a little more attention is required to keep them from chewing the tape or gauze.
Caution
The incorrect application of a splint or cast can occlude tissue or cause swelling in the lower extremities. In some cases, this may result in tissue death and amputation. Qualified veterinarians should apply splints whenever possible.
