I love my little guy but I think his feet are deformed--please advise

[agentbunny]

Thank you so much @agentbunny. He has been on a bland diet and I am slowly integrating Fromm Puppy Gold. Would that be an acceptable diet?

I also called a long time breeder here in Houston and asked him his opinion. He said that he has seen a bully come out of this by the time they are 8-10 months old He said if he doesn't come out of it by then it will be permanent. He strongly encouraged me to put Rocky on the grass and make him walk for 15 minutes every evening. I have yoga mats all over the family room for him to walk on so he won't slip.

I have to be honest; we considered returning Rocky to the breeder. In the end the breeder refunded us $500 of the purchase price. We are very pleased because we did not want to send him back to the breeder--not sure that is a good place after learning about the poor nutrition and slick floor issues that can cause this issue.

We're blessed to live in a large city that has so many options for us. There is an orthopedic surgeon vet in our immediate community and I'm going to call him and schedule a consultation tomorrow for Rocky. I just want him to have a look and give me his opinion.

I am glad you kept him as his fate back with the breeder would be unknown. I know that putting him on carried surfaces (grass, pebbles, sand) can help along with the diet change (I hear good things about Fromm but have never tried it as we feed commercially available raw dog food). If he were mine though, I would make an appointment for him to see an orthopedic vet. Your vet can refer you to one. There may be physical therapy excursuses that can help correct the problem. I am not sure though. It is important to have a specialists opinion on it while he is young because if his feet settle like that, he may have degenerative issues in the future which all ultimately cost a lot more in medical care than any preventive measures you may have to pay for now. I know how it is though... one of my dogs came with very expensive issues from the breeder. It was hard spending all that money but in the end, she is worth it and we have no regrets because we love her so.
Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[agingermom]

I am so glad you found some answers!! What a cutie!!