Help Needed! Hyper-extension in the front left leg

phoefling

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Feb 3, 2016
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Chicago
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Stella
Our Stella is now 14 weeks old and going great, or so we thought. We noticed that her front left leg bumps out and is not straight like the right. I only noticed her limp once, but she definitely hobbles. Our vet took and x-ray and used the word "defect" and said that we should see an orthopedic specialist. We, of course, contacted the breeder and sent him the x-ray. He used the term "hyper-extension." In the x-ray it appears that the two bones that connect the foot to the elbow are crisscrossed. The breeder, who we really like and trust, says that the x-ray was unnecessary since she is still so young, that he has seen this condition before, and that as the pup grows, the condition tends to correct itself. He was also careful to say that there is no guarantee that it will correct itself, but that we should keep an eye on her and hope that it does correct itself. If the condition is worse and this ends up being a bigger issue, he wants to keep her and raise her himself and have us choose another pup (this is worst case scenario and would be excruciating for us!). Can any of you weigh-in on this?
 

Manydogs

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May 2, 2013
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[MENTION=15430]phoefling[/MENTION] First of all, I think your breeder was incorrect in saying that an xray was not necessary. It could have been a possible fracture. This can be a genetic condition,or just an unlucky pup. I don't believe it is common that they "grow out of it", in fact, if they don't it could be a life of eventually needing surgery, and cause a lot of pain. I believe you need to consult an orthopedic specialist and get his/her opinion on this-bringing the xray with you. Maybe they would just suggest a brace,but that doesn't always work. Your breeder(sounds like-to me) knows that the longer you keep your pup,you will never want to give her up. I don't know your breeder,but since it could possibly be genetic,it sounds suspicious that they said "they have seen this before".
I believe the best thing you can do is see the ortho. and see what the prognosis is. It may not be so bad after all,but it will give you the information you need. Hoping for the best for your pup.(and you).
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
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Jul 28, 2011
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Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
I tagged a couple members that may have some insight for you.,


Good luck with her.... I hope it is something that can or will be corrected
 

Davidh

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Mar 21, 2011
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BeBe, Hazel, Lucy Lu, JLO, Hillary, Henri, & Katie
If the breeder has seen this before and it's from his stock, then he needs to stop breeding that pair and try to figure out which one is throwing that defect and stop breeding it. That being said, I would take you pup to an orthopedic specialist. Since the breeder won't help other than trade pups with you, and who knows if he will ever get the pup fixed, then I would just keep the pup and pay to have the problem fixed, and hopefully since it was caught early, it won't cost an arm and a leg. Please keep us posted.
 

bullmama

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Jan 28, 2010
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The Home of the Desert Sky Pack
Oh man, I feel for you, I'm sure your love for your pup is not something to take lightly.... can you post pictures of your pup's leg and maybe even the xray if you have it in jpeg format? This will give us a better idea of what you are dealing with.
 

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