[Anusha Ravi]

Hello Everyone,

My dog is almost 10 months old and he is having some issues with both his front legs. To begin with he is a rescue and when I adopted him, I was told he could be a jack Russell mix breed. He had crooked legs from when he was a puppy , but when he was about 4 months he sprained his right leg(front) and it was swollen, he limped for a about a couple of days then he started walking fine. I took him to a vet just to be sure,did an xray done and the doctor told me that there are no broken bones but he might have some genetic issues, said some dogs grow out of it and he recommended giving him supplements for strengthening his bones. He is 9 months old now and the more he grows up the more I see his front legs are pointing outwards in opposite direction. Occasionally he yelps when he jumps from the couch or anything that is a little high. That does not stop him from playing or jumping nor he is lethargic. He is infact very energetic and loves to walk and run and go for a hike. But I feel recently he is in pain and somehow this is a problem I need to address. This is my first pet and any advice would be recommended. I'm freaking out that it could be something serious and due to the lockdown I'm sceptical to take him out when I'm not sure whats going on. Please help! Attaching pictures(recent and his baby picture)

 

[storyist]

He's a cutie, but he does have a pretty definite fiddle front. In the first pic he doesn't even have all his weight on the left front, so maybe there's something going on there. If keeping him from jumping on and off things for a couple of weeks doesn't stop the weight easing and occasional yelps, I'd take him to an orthopedic vet. Probably not everyone agrees, but I've had better luck with specialists than general practice vets when the GP can't give me an answer. Keep in mind that orthopedic vets are surgeons, so they may be more inclined than some to recommend surgery. You're the owner. Whatever someone recommends, make them explain, make them give you pros and cons and odds on recommended treatment. The decision is yours.

One way or the other, I'd stop him jumping off things because of the way he's built.

 

[Anusha Ravi]

Thank you so much for the detailed advice. I took him to an orthopedic and he did some investigation and it looks like a genetic deformity clubbed with having too much protein rich diet. He adviced keeping him on a specific diet, give him plenty of exercise and additional supplements and revisit after 6 months
Thank you so much for your help!