URGENT!!! Bulldog Puppy!!!

[KaylaW22]

Hi all. I recently reserved an English bulldog puppy. He was born 4 days premature by C-Section and has 7 other littermates. His mother is a red and white, kc registered family pet and his father is a kc registered red and white stud dog who participates in shows. My puppy opened his eyes around 2 weeks old and started walking around 3 weeks old. Fast forward to now, he is 6 weeks old tomorrow. When we saw a video of him walking at 3 weeks old, he seemed to have some weakness in his back legs but we passed it off as normal because he had only just started trying to walk. But now, he can stand up, but his legs give way slightly as he walks, not enough for him to fall over, but it’s noticeable. His siblings seem to have some leg issues too. One pup in a video I’ve been sent of my pup, was running to the phone and lifted his hind legs up into the air. Another pup in the same video had one leg that seemed to go out to the side, as if stretching. I’ve viewed the mother with the pups and she walks well, but I haven’t viewed the father, I’ve only seen pictures. They walk on wooden floor and the grass outside. They are being weaned onto puppy food and are drinking from a bowl etc. Everything else with my puppy is fine, his eating and drinking habits, his toiletry habits etc. The vet told the breeder to follow the puppies’ developments as if they were born on their due date. They are all booked in to see the vet on Monday and then I am viewing my pup on Tuesday. I am just looking for some piece of mind. My puppy’s eyes look clear, he responds to noises, his breathing sounds fine, he is lazy I’ve been told but when he’s with his littermates, he does play. Should I be concerned about his legs? The breeder told me it is normal for a bulldog puppy not to put all their weight onto their legs at this age because they haven’t grown into themselves yet. Is this true? Any help or advice is welcome and appreciated. If I’ve missed anything out, please ask and I’ll do my best to answer. Thank you in advance.

 

[cefe13]

Oh, he's a cutie! I cannot answer your questions but hope breeding experts here on the forum will soon help out!

 

[KaylaW22]

Thank you very much, he really is. Yes I hope so, because I’m worried about him.

 

[mer55]

I am not a breeding expert but at 3 weeks of age, I do not think they have full use of the back legs. I picked my first EBD out at 4 weeks old, and he was so clumsy and falling all over the place. Even at 8 weeks when I picked him up, he would get unsteady if running. If you are dealing with a reputable breeder, she should know exactly what is normal. A good breeder will NEVER sell you a sick or injured pup. That said, there are some that breed here, so hopefully they can be of more help. My current EBD was the runt- a mere 7 lbs and very quiet and lazy. His littermates walked all over him. He now is 1 year old, has 7 pound on his brother ( whom my son has) and is as feisty as they come!! Make sure you keep us posted!!

 

[ddnene]

I don't consider myself a breeder, but we did have ONE litter of EBD. When they start walking, some of them have issues because of the way their bodies are shaped (look up swimmer puppies)... we had a couple of pups that were HUGE and had trouble getting their tummies off the ground. We used foam egg crates to have them walk on to strengthen their legs as they grow, this is very important because this prevents further problems. IF you are using a reputable breeder, then they should be using this method for the pups that are having issues... some pups are just natural born walkers, so they don't need help. I advise anyone when they purchase a dog, to have their vets do a thorough check on their puppy for ANY issues w/development. A good breeder would insist that you have their pups checked for any issues, and stand by their litters.

 

[KaylaW22]

My pup’s legs are positioned as they should be so I do not think he has the swimmer issue with his legs. When he was 3 weeks old, his legs were able to go straight when he stood up but they would fall out behind him but he would easily try to walk again. His legs don’t stick out to the sides at all. He is able to stand properly and walks fine with his front legs but he shows a tiny bit of weakness in what seems to be the knees of his hind legs. He wobbles, not enough to make him fall but it’s noticeable. He walks on wooden floor, started walking on a rug and also walks on grass outside so he is walking on lots of different terrain. The breeder does stand by these pups and says that it’s normal for them and that she isn’t concerned. She is taking them to the vet on Monday.

 

[helsonwheels]

[MENTION=3354]RiiSi[/MENTION] [MENTION=2071]Davidh[/MENTION]

 

[KaylaW22]

Can these people give me some advice?

 

[RiiSi]

Puppies develope at different speed. From what I see in the pictures they look normal. None of them lokk swimmers. IMO though they should not be walking on hard wood floor at 6 weeks. Especially big chubby puppies can be clumsy even longer. I had one puppy whos hind legs were her paws were turned almost 60degrees outwards and they corrected by themselves by the time she was up and was perfectly normal by 4 weeks.

 

[KaylaW22]

Quite a few of them seem to have some form of weakness in the back legs, but they are running etc. I was told that there was a soft rug down for them but they chewed it. In their enclosure that they’re in for safety reasons, it’s full of blankets as you’ll see on the link I post in a second. Before, he was quite down on his hocks but now he looks to be standing up on his feet. He has the vets today, I’m just so concerned about my baby, I have two bulldogs already, both rescues, and if something is wrong with this puppy I certainly won’t turn him away, I don’t have the heart for things like that. I have a male named Shrimp who has hydrocephalus, he’s cryptorchid, skin problems, ear infections, and then I have pumpkin who is healthy, thank god. But yes, nothing “wrong” with this pup will change my mind about him. Fingers crossed all goes well at the vets. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your advice and kind words, I shall either find out how the appointment went today or on Tuesday. Thank you all, keep safe .

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https://youtu.be/-YGuIYMmXy8


My puppy has the white markings on his back, he’s the one on his legs.

 

[KrysA724]

I purchased my first EBD, and though I’m not experienced with the breed or breeding, Brisket was very wobbly. His back legs did seems to be a little weak, but with his constant chasing of his brother, Oreo, he has gained strength and is still kinda clumsy and tumbling plenty! But he is strong and getting more steady. He’s now 9 weeks old and is doing great. Vet says all is well. Some just need that exercise to build that muscle up. This breed is very wide set and heavy for their itty bitty legs when they’re pups so I wouldn’t worry.

 

[KaylaW22]

Hi all, he went to the vet today and all is well, the vet said it’s completely normal and that I shouldn’t be worried. His eyes, ears, legs, heart etc were all checked and he is fine. Thank you all so much for your advice. I’m glad that my Sully boy is okay.

 

[KrysA724]

Hi all, he went to the vet today and all is well, the vet said it’s completely normal and that I shouldn’t be worried. His eyes, ears, legs, heart etc were all checked and he is fine. Thank you all so much for your advice. I’m glad that my Sully boy is okay.

yay!! I’m so glad to hear! There is so much about this breed that makes us all worry and be on edge, but they are so worth it! I’m learning that very quickly! Congrats on your baby bully!

 

[2BullyMama]

Hi all, he went to the vet today and all is well, the vet said it’s completely normal and that I shouldn’t be worried. His eyes, ears, legs, heart etc were all checked and he is fine. Thank you all so much for your advice. I’m glad that my Sully boy is okay.

Great news.... he is adorable!!!


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[Davidh]

Sorry I'm late. Good to hear the vet gave them a clean bill of health. Pups are pretty clumsy at that age and are still developing. It takes about one year for their growth plates in their joints to harden. That is why it is very important for you to not let them jump off high things. Go up of especially down steps.