Is this genetic? - Page 1

I was looking at the picture, and was baffled as to exactly what you have going on there in the picture. 

Does the puppy have hocks that are of unequal height...one short stiffle, one long stiffled?  Or are both legs the same proportion and length, but very straight in the hock?

I know that in animals and people, you sometimes get one leg that is shorter than the other.  I have actually seen an adult horse with one leg shorter.  The people had the farrier put on a shoe with a pad to make it thicker than all the rest of it's shoes to make up the difference between lengths.  I think that is considered more congenital than genetic, but don't quote me. 

If the hocks are the same height, but with not enough angle, that is called "post legged" in horses.  I cannot remember the term in dogs.  It is genetic, and you see it every so often.  It appears to be common in the mastiff general population to be a bit or even a lot postlegged behind.  I've seen some all over the USA who were very straight in the hock. 

AKVeronica60,

Yes,  both legs are in the same proportion and length, but very straight in the hock, the puppy cannot bend its hind legs. I have seen this twice in three different litter and breed. I am just wondering if it is a genetic disorder or viral infection or what ever  and if this can be avoided. Thank you for reply.

AKVeronica60,

Who's puppy are you talking about? 

AKVeronica60,

Yes,  both legs are in the same proportion and length, but very straight in the hock, the puppy cannot bend its hind legs. I have seen this thrice in three different litter and breed. I am just wondering if it is a genetic disorder or viral infection or what ever  and if this can be avoided. Thank you for reply.

AKVeronica60,

Yes,  both legs are in the same proportion and length, but very straight in the hock, the puppy cannot bend its hind legs. I have seen this thrice in three different litter and breed. I am just wondering if it is a genetic disorder or viral infection or what ever  and if this can be avoided. Thank you for reply.

Naya's mom....ryken1 posted a picture of a puppy with hind leg issues on the ads section, as he wanted to ask if the problem was genetic, and wanted to post the picture that would illustrate the problem.

I know that being too straight in the hock (post-legged) is definately a conformational defect you see a lot of in both horses and dogs.  Such a leg is weak, and prone to being easily damaged in the hock joint, causing arthritis of the joint, fusing of the joint due to abnormal bone growth as the joint degenerates (in horses, I don't know if an affected dog's joints fuse), and unsightly swelling around the joint (bog spavin) due to the leaking of synovial fluid into the joint and the surrounding tissues. 

Perhaps the puppy has already damaged it's hocks and this is why it does not bend it's hind leg?  How old is the puppy?  How about the rest of the puppies you mentioned....do their hocks bend normally?  Of course, being so straight, a post-legged dog's hock does not appear to bend as much as much even when they have not yet been damaged. 

Could be EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) or connective tissue disorder.

http//www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ehlersdanlossyndrome.html