Hello, my 5 months old GSD looks very strange in the rear, weak hind legs and arched back. My vet said something about cowhocked legs. He probably also has a bunny hop, but I am not quite sure. I think he was like this since he was born, and I just hoped it would correct as the muscles strengthen ( that’s what I was told by the breeder). Is there anything I can do about it? Thank you.
5 months old German Shepard - weird back and hind legs
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I would be pursuing further diagnostics if this were my dog, especially with his gait being weird with the maybe-hopping. At least a hip x-ray with your regular vet, but consider asking for a referral to an orthopedic specialist if there's anything strange found on those. Early intervention can be super important with some hip/joint issues, which is why I, personally, wouldn't be comfortable with the 'wait and see' approach. I hope it isn't serious, though, and good luck!
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This looks like the result of terrible breeding to me. Now, you are not in the US, so I don't know how things are where you are. but because of the AKC stupid "standards" for how German shepherds "should" look people here breed dogs to have those deformities on purpose, and this is what they have done to German shepherds. If this is the case with your dog, and he was bred that way on purpose, there won't be anything you can do to correct it.
If his parents and littermates don't look like that, then he has serious hip dysplasia. There are no cures for this, although there are medications that can ease the pain, and as young as your dog is they may be able to treat him to keep it from getting worse. Untreated, it will lead to osteoarthritis and shorten the dog's life as well as making it less enjoyable for the dog.
Give him a soft bed, don't expect him to climb stairs, use ramps if possible, don't expect him to run, and get him to a vet as soon as you can for X-rays and treatment.
If his parents and littermates don't look like that, then he has serious hip dysplasia. There are no cures for this, although there are medications that can ease the pain, and as young as your dog is they may be able to treat him to keep it from getting worse. Untreated, it will lead to osteoarthritis and shorten the dog's life as well as making it less enjoyable for the dog.
Give him a soft bed, don't expect him to climb stairs, use ramps if possible, don't expect him to run, and get him to a vet as soon as you can for X-rays and treatment.
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This pup looks like a European (possibly German) show line pup. The roached back is pretty typical, but the cow hocks and looseness in the hind legs is excessive, even for those lines. DaySleepers advice of x-rays, and referral to a specialist if possible, is very sound. In the meanwhile, make sure that he doesn't have to walk on slippery floors or go up and down a lot of steps until he is more coordinated. Maturity can sometimes help with puppies "tightening up", and being less awkward, but the basic structure won't change.
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It looks like your breeder has Show lines either German or even American. The German Shepherd breed has Working Lines and Show Lines. The structure and temperament of each is quite different. Show lines are typically either West German or American in lineage. Working lines also have sectors such as Czech (mostly W. German working), DDR etc.
The show line breeding was meant to show case the "flying trot" which was supposed to represent and accentuate the all day trotting of a dog tending sheep (the original purpose of the breed). However, the flying trot in no way represents the efficient movement of a true working dog and could never be kept up for hours on end in a real herding situation.
To attain the flying trot the dogs were bred with ever increasing hind leg angulation as seen in your puppy.
The hind leg mechanics of dogs is actually a spiral construction and as such most dogs (horses too!) need to toe out slightly behind. In the case of the over angulated hind limb in show line bred German Shepherds the spiral is more extreme. This is what you are seeing in your puppy.
An over angulated hind leg does not immediately mean the dog is also dysplastic. There are other diagnostic tools for that.
You mention "bunny hopping." This is a movement at the gallop where the hind legs move together landing and leaving the ground together in a hop as opposed to moving separately regardless of which lead the dog is on. A dog that bunny hops MAY be dysplastic. Dysplasia diagnosis requires xrays which, at 5 months old, are not always conclusive. The SV (German registry) will examine hip and elbow x rays at 1 year to determine dysplastic structure (you can send xrays to Germany). In the US we have the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and you can send xrays at 1 year for preliminary evaluation and at two for final evaluation. A general veterinary exam at this age is not truly diagnostic. You need an orthopedic vet with German Shepherd breed experience.
At 5 months old most of these over angulated show line bred dogs are very awkward. Whether or not they continue to be awkward moving behind as an adult depends on how the individual dog matures as well as its lineage. Have you seen the adult dogs produced by this breeder? Advice of firm footing as opposed to slippery floors is good for any large breed dog at this age.
All in all the over angulation you show is very common in show line bred German Shepherds. Take your puppy to an experienced orthopedic specialist and start a discussion would be my advice.
The show line breeding was meant to show case the "flying trot" which was supposed to represent and accentuate the all day trotting of a dog tending sheep (the original purpose of the breed). However, the flying trot in no way represents the efficient movement of a true working dog and could never be kept up for hours on end in a real herding situation.
To attain the flying trot the dogs were bred with ever increasing hind leg angulation as seen in your puppy.
The hind leg mechanics of dogs is actually a spiral construction and as such most dogs (horses too!) need to toe out slightly behind. In the case of the over angulated hind limb in show line bred German Shepherds the spiral is more extreme. This is what you are seeing in your puppy.
An over angulated hind leg does not immediately mean the dog is also dysplastic. There are other diagnostic tools for that.
You mention "bunny hopping." This is a movement at the gallop where the hind legs move together landing and leaving the ground together in a hop as opposed to moving separately regardless of which lead the dog is on. A dog that bunny hops MAY be dysplastic. Dysplasia diagnosis requires xrays which, at 5 months old, are not always conclusive. The SV (German registry) will examine hip and elbow x rays at 1 year to determine dysplastic structure (you can send xrays to Germany). In the US we have the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and you can send xrays at 1 year for preliminary evaluation and at two for final evaluation. A general veterinary exam at this age is not truly diagnostic. You need an orthopedic vet with German Shepherd breed experience.
At 5 months old most of these over angulated show line bred dogs are very awkward. Whether or not they continue to be awkward moving behind as an adult depends on how the individual dog matures as well as its lineage. Have you seen the adult dogs produced by this breeder? Advice of firm footing as opposed to slippery floors is good for any large breed dog at this age.
All in all the over angulation you show is very common in show line bred German Shepherds. Take your puppy to an experienced orthopedic specialist and start a discussion would be my advice.
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