Puppy - Odd Gait

[lehughes]

Hi, was wondering if you could look at videos of my puppy, if you could tell me what else we can do and if he should grow out of it or not?

1 month old lab puppy that was born by c section at 63 days. Breeder said repot bet thought by the they looked when born that they may have needed another day or two to cook.
Litter if 9 they lost 3 in the first 3 days. The two yellows m and f were sick with fever around that time. Treated them and they seemed fine. Gained weight, ate great. A little too great because they got too fat before they started walking.
So, my little guy started to splay with hind legs at about 3-3 1/2 weeks about when they were learning to walk.

Breeder started using tape hobbles at 4 weeks. Now he’s kind of intermittent with them.
I’m a former rehab vet tech so I said he should add some guided paws up on something elevated to start building hind end.
Could you give me your opinion? I’d be happy to give you my credit card # if you need to charge me a consult.

I just have no experience with this young of a puppy. Breeder assured me that he will get stronger and grow out of it.
Do you think that is the case?
Are there long term effects to this?

He didn’t think it was swimmers puppy syndrome because he could and did lay on his side and chest isn’t flat. It’s more like moms milk is super rich and it’s a small litter and I got too fat for my new legs syndrome.

No hobbles
https://youtu.be/w-G3PMpO3e4

With hobbles
https://youtu.be/h3F_E0uedxc

Do you like where they place the hobbles?

Thank you so much for any feed back that you can give me.

J.

[lehughes]

Hi J!

So I see what your saying and where your thinking on this pup. I would say that likely both you and the breeder are correct in regards to your thoughts on the etiology... could have turned into Swimmers... but not a true swimmers. I've seen singletons and/or litters of two where the pups got so fat that they had troubles getting up in those early days.

So then, I think also that the intermittent use of hobbles is okay OR have the owner go out and buy a very cheap egg crate foam mattress cover. (Just twin size would be suffice). So that the puppy can move around without slipping out. This might work just as well as hobbles. Also outdoors walking / activity (so good nonslip ground) could also help at this stage.

As the puppy starts to learn more, I'd work on sit to stands to build the rear legs.

I've been amazed over the years at what puppies 'grow out of'. Years ago, I tried to talk a fellow physio out of getting a swimmer's puppy because, I said, "There's no guarantee that there won't be issues." Well, I'd have to eat my words today. She was and still is fine! I've seen 'fat slow puppies' (like this one) do fine as well. I've seen pups with rear legs that 'bent the wrong way' as a 3-day old puppy that looked perfect at 6 weeks. Dog's continue to amaze me!

So, I would have to say that this little guy will likely be fine.

So, again, My apologies for the tardy reply.

All the best!

Laurie

[lehughes]

Thank you!

He's out of hobbles now and doing great! Spending most of his time outside has fine wonders.
Will do sit stands and I’m also going to walk him around in a kiddy pool to simulate underwater tread mill therapy.
Thanks so much!

J

[lehughes]

FWIW, I think you should check the little guy's SIJs. There's still some stiffness / odd movement in the rear limbs RH > LH. That's what I saw anyways with the little guy running towards the camera.

Laurie

(( Note: A video had been sent, but the breeder couldn't be cropped out, so it has not been shared on this thread! Sorry!))

[lehughes]

So are you seeing
sacroiliac luxation ?
What would I do? Just strengthen?
What exercises?

J

[lehughes]

Just a weird movement of the leg that makes me think there is a sacroiliac joint dysfunction / SIJ pain. I'd likely look for a mal-position and mobilize it.
But if that's not in your tool kit yet, try just rubbing over the SIJ ligaments and doing some mobilization 'bounces' (pressure) on each side of the sacrum (i.e. 10 pushes on each side.) Hard for me to explain much more than that without seeing the little guy and/or without the background for you to evaluate that area for a dysfunction... but try these things anyways as safe generic things to attempt and see what you get! It's worth a try for sure!

[lehughes]

I used to work for some rehab vets. Would it be worth bringing him to them?
Would you suggest doing films on him?
Thank you so much for your input. I really do appreciate it.
J

[lehughes]

I'd not worry about radiographs... at this age, it's doubtful you'd see much in the way of a 'radiographic' problem. See what you find when you look at him, if you find the SIJ to be tender with strumming up there and/or the pushes... and those things don't resolve the tenderness, then yes, maybe get one of the vets to have a look. See what you learn when you see him next and go from there!
L

[lehughes]

Thank you!
We are bringing him home on Sat.
And believe me the puppy that needs rehab going home with the rehab vet tech is not lost on me.

[lehughes]

Here's where it's a small world... So the rehab vet that saw the puppy e-mailed me to let me know what she found!

I saw the puppy!! Undermuscled right vs left.
Tight in right SIJ. Mild- moderate discomfort on gapping but not painful in ligaments. Pelvis is square as best I can measure on a wiggly rolly-Polly. He fell asleep when I used alpha stim over his sacrum. No hip drop. He is uncoordinated but he’s 8 weeks.

Thoughts are to institute the Happy Hip program, bouncing/paw extensions through the pelvis, and whole body shaking (squirt with water) to engage multifidus. Showed mom body wrap too

Sound reasonable?

Thank you!!
C