Weak Ankles? *Update w/link to pics* - Page 1

Hello,

Bella is about 11 weeks now, I noticed when I got her  (8 weeks) that she has slightly weak ankles. One ankle is worse than the other.  Her wrist isn't touching the ground when she's standing but you can see it's angled rather than straight up and down.  I was wondering what causes this. Is there something I can do to fix it? Should I exercise her more or less? She runs and plays but she's SO MELLOW compared to the way Galan (workingline) was as a pup.......Should I change her diet? (She's on Eukanuba Sporting) and I also give her a teaspoon of Missing Link every other day.  I was always told large breed pups shouldn't be on puppy food....One of my friends told me it was a weak tendon, not a problem with the bones, so calcium won't help.  Anyone else have experience with this?

Also, I took some pics of her today that I will put up tomorrow, and should be hearing back from my friend in Germany soon about her lineage! Guess he's been out of town on business which was why I haven't heard anything yet :)

Well thanks for any advice anyone can offer!     Stacy

well,  she is going to be more angled than a working line puppy for starters.   Showline puppies have longer and more angled pasterns.   when was the last time she was wormed?  down pasterns could be a sign of being wormy.  does she free exercise herself out in the yard,  or does she go into a concrete kennel?  keep her off concrete.  let her exercise at will in the yard.  I would also take her off puppy food.  I have always had nothing but problems out of keeping mine on puppyfood for too long.

try a little bit of yogurt in her food daily for additional calcium.  I wouldn't give calcium supplements. also get her some butcher bones to chew on for calcium.  Missing link is pretty good,  but look up a product called NUPRO,  works great,  and the dogs love it mixed in their food with a little water.

Jennifer

A person once told me that Magnesium helped her show dogs wth weak pasterns.  Vitamin C is a big must with growing and adult dogs.  It really helps with good hip development.  I had a dog with OFA fair pre-lims and Panosteitis.  I gave him 1500 mg of C a day and at 2 years old the Panno is gone and the hips rated OFA good.  It's worth a try.

take an egg.  Place it in apple cider vinegar for 24 hours.  Then give it to the dog and see if he will eat it.  Do this a couple of times a week and it could help strengthen the front pasterns.   An old breeders remedy.

I had an American Showline that had this problem as a pup. He was actually walking on his pasterns. I was told by the breeder and my Vet to reduce his protein level to 22%  and to put him on an Adult food, and to limit his exercise. I saw improvement in 2 weeks.  What you are feeding probably has way to much protein.  Also is your pup over weight,  you want to grow him lean, rather then hefty or overwieght.  You should easily feel the ribs, not see them. A sudden growth spurt can also cause this.

Thanks for all the advice. My yard is half concrete (a huge covered patio) and the rest is grass. Bella has free roam during the day (except walks on the sidewalk and training on the grass) I didn't mean to confuse with the feed. She IS on adult food, but it is 20% fat and 30% protein so combined with the Missing Link....YIKES!!! I guess she is getting too much.

She is not overweight at all, maybe a bit on the thin side, and I think she looks a little wormy. I did the 3 day panacure 3 weeks ago when I got her.  I will start it again in the morning.  She does seem to have grown a lot taller in the last couple of weeks. I had to adjust her collar 1 hole per week already.

Preston..For the egg, do I just let it soak in the shell then feed the raw egg? I'm willing to try anything, but she's kinda snooty so might not eat it LOL

I will also supplement her with the Magnesuim and C, and the small amount of yogurt and see how she does. Thanks All for the advice and I'll get started right away. I'll post up her pictures tomorrow on this post and yall can tell me what you think, THANKS! ....................Stacy

DON'T GIVE CALCIUM OR SUPPLEMENT..

DOWN PASTERNS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BONES.  IT'S ABOUT LIGAMENTS.  TOO MUCH PROTEIN IN THE DIET COULD MAKE WEAK PASTERNS OR THE OPPOSITE CARPAL LAXITY SYNDROME.

GIVE HER ADULT FOOD AND MAKE HER WALK IN UNLEVEL KINDS OF TERRAINS.  IT SHOULD GET BETTER FAST.

GOOD LUCK.

Ok Thanks, I haven't picked up the supplements yet. My inlaws are using Flint River Ranch dog food and I was thinking about switching her to that. The protein is only 23%. I started her on the Safe Guard wormer today too. Be back in a few minutes to post some pictures of her :) Thanks again for all the advice and info

Stacy

OK I have been trying to post pictures here from photobucket, I've done it several times before but not sure why they're not coming ut. I copy and paste but it underlines the links in the middle of the html code... and just has a red x instead of the picture.  

Texaslady, place a raw egg in apple cider vinegar over night and then feed ity to your dog.  The vinegar creates a chemical reaction and "cooks" the egg so it become rubbery like it has been hardboiled.  Some old time breeders used to give such a egg to their dogs with weak pasterns three days in a row every week until the pasterns strengthened.  I have never used this but I have a friend who has and says it helps.  It shouldn't hurt to try it and see if your dog will eat the vinegar processed egg.