Hops like a rabbit - Page 1

Hi All,   This is my first ever post on this forum, I would like to ask for opinion about a young puppy that I have, we own four dogs - pair of Dalmations, German Shepherd and a Saint Bernard puppy. We have been noticing that our Saint's rear portion, when viewed from side or above appears higher than her withers. Her hindquarters also appear to be straighter than I would expect off a Saint puppy. She is 5 months at the moment and shows no apparent signs of pain or discomfort. We even took her to four different vets who opined differently to each other. One of the vets even claimed it was a growth related issue and she wasnt going to gain height or weight unles we administered growth hormones, that was when he saw her first at 2 months, he should see her now for she has gained quite a bit in both height and weight since, needless to say I vowed never to frequent the said vet again. The breeder clams that her parents never had any such issues but still insisted I keep a watchful eye for any deteriorations.  Coming back to the problem, Do you reckon this to be something that would only get worse with age, or would she get out of it as she grows? Oh, and also she hops like a rabbit, meaning while running she would lift her hind legs simultaneously rather than one by one. Other than that, she is an extremely energetic and lovely puppy. I have been feeding her 4 medium meals daily from the day I got her and also am giving her Megaflex twice a day.   Please suggest    

have her hips xrayed for dysplacia and also her hind legs xrayed for panno and her back xrayed for any spinal issues.

then you will have a better idea of what is or isn't going on.

@SitasMom, Thnks for that.

Hip dysplacia is the first thing that came to my mind and though the vets(four of them) viewed the problem differently, they were united in saying that they didnt think it was HD. Nevertheless, I got her hind legs xrayed but the vets couldnt see anything they could point to. 
A question, would xraying the hind legs solely suffice for HD screening or do I need to get something else done also?

 I have GSD's and our newest boy used to bunny hop as a young pup (4-5 mths) as they are developing evrything is going on and no two dogs are the same. Some GSD pups are what I call bum high where their backside is higher than their withers this all should change as they grow up gain muscle and things start to work in sinc They are babies at 5 months dont expect to much to soon be patient. You have a large breed which needs time to develop at a steady rate, careful and correct nutrition and the correct amount and quality exercise should see a dog develop correctly providing there are no underlying issues. Her hind angulation again will develop in time providing her breeding produces this. From what you have said If she were mine I would not worry at all, just feed her adequately for her breed and size, exercise her carefully and perhaps liase with someone who is expericenced and successfull in rearing quality Saint B's. 

Goldie 12

I used to be scared when a young dog would bunny hop but after a point in time and x-rays proved it I quit listening to all of the chatter about dysplasia. Dogs that were bunny hopping stopped it after their bodies became less awkward  and I had scores in the high 70s and low 80s.
Your vet is more than likely right as I fund out by listening to mine who is a tremendous orthopedic man.

Poster: I had a female out of my original foundation both ofa good,and Cola was training in a schutzhund club in Houston many yrs ago..The trainer, other breeders and members all told Jeri, Cola is gonna have Mild Hd on her ofa..she will never pass..she bunny hops...lol When Cola was 24 months Dr. Henderson in Galveston did her xrays. HE told us...ofa Excellent but we did not breath a word. Sent in to OFA and Whallah ..ofa Excellent...Practice on that Thurs, Jeri sported the certificate and all were openly surprised.. SHE was also a powerhouse in her protection phase, which is indicative of strong rear ... So at this point keep this pup \very slim.. Wait till 12months and then do a hip xray from an experienced Vet . Contact some clubs(Schutzhund) in your area and ask them who they take their GSD to.. YR

I agree with what's already been suggested. My sable WL GSD bitch has severe HD and she bunny hops. She runs normally but when it comes to playing, jumping, getting on/off the furniture, both rear legs go together.

It doesn't mean that this is what's wrong with your pup. Keep her weight down so as not to put any extra strain on her growing joints and have her x-rayed by a specialist when she's 12-18 months old. It will give you a far better indication of any ongoing problems.

Thanks all for your kind words and putting my mind at somewhat ease. I guess I am just being paranoid having listened to all sorts of folks suggesting the worse. The breeder also particularly insisted that it wasnt dysplacia and the pup would grow out of it. I am going to upload her pics over the weekend.

thesaint:  We have been noticing that our Saint's rear portion, when viewed from side or above appears higher than her withers.

In certain taller and leggy breeds this can be one of many common growth stages. 

Why play a guessing game?  Go to a trusted vet and have xrays taken of your puppy's hips.  No - they don't have to go under to have an xray taken.  It will give you peace of mind.  As with any large breed of dog, monitor the amount of exercise your puppy is getting - don't let the baby overdo it, no jumping , no standing up on the 2 back legs with the front legs off the ground.  Keep baby's weight down.  Plus trust your breeder.  Many vets are general practioncers and have limited experience with each breeds nuances.  So if the breeder is reputable they would have alot more to share about Saints.  Most of all enjoy your puppy.  They are only baby's for a short period of time.

Cassandra

P.S.  Good decision to not continue with the growth hormone vet UNLESS they can prove your puppy is deficient in this.

Growth hormones for a large breed puppy?!  Not something that I would ever do, I'd rather take my chances on a pup being undersized.

It's pretty common for giant breed dogs to have hips higher than their withers, some breed standards even call for it.  I don't know what the St. Bernard standard is.   As for a straight rear end, sounds like she doesn't have much angulation (length of the upper leg and thigh bones) If her hip is higher than her withers then it doesn't sound like her rear legs are over-all too short.  Best to watch out for knee/patella problems in under-angulated dogs. 

Bunny-hopping is very common in growing pups, their bodies are just awkward.