Down on pasterns - Page 1

hi all, i have an 11 yr old male who has suddenly gone way down on his pasterns. does anyone have information on how to correct this? Thanx

11 years as in very geriatric or months as in young dog?? either way I'd see a vet, correcting? I don't know.. best to do an all over exam, bloodwork, xrays.. etc

11 yrs old. i'm going to call my vet in the morning, but i've found alot petaining to puppies with down pasterns and nothing on old dogs..

harley, if they fall as an aged adult, I'm not sure there is anything that can be done to "correct" it, make him comfortable and prevent further falling maybe, but I am not even sure of that. 11 yrs. is getting up there. I wish you luck at your visit with your vet and hope you recieve some good news !! Keep us posted I would love to hear what the vet comes up with, and keep for refference. Best of luck. :-)

I have seen lots of pups that way and watched a good portion of them grow out of it, not all of them .. but no experience with an older dog.. I would suspect some sort of getting older affliction, somedays I'm pretty down in my pasterns too!! Please do keep us posted and let us know what you find out.. even if you start a whole new thread! Good luck at the vets

thanx DK & EchoM-he doesn't seem to be in pain.i will let you know tomorrow what happens..

harley- You're taking him to the vet, and they'll probably give a definitive diagnosis about natural aging--but just maybe it could be as simple as something I saw in a pet store. Two elderly women were strolling down an aisle with a very elderly longhaired shepherd. The female was also down on her pasterns---painfully so. I stopped to talk, and bent down. Her nails were so long and curling that the dog was resorting to put her weight on the back of her paws, lowering the pasterns. The women told me she was fine. I, tactfully, said she wasn't, and said I would cut her nails--if they would allow me. Thank God, they said yes. A stockboy got nail clippers from inventory and I cut them down. The long tangled hair between the toes was also adding to her problem. I snipped that away, too. She was walking better almost immediately--but it would take a couple of weeks to really see improvement. She'd been compensating for too long a time, and certain muscles had atrophied. I'm sure your dog's nails aren't to this extreme, but even a little pain just starting might make him shift weight. Take a look, and check those toes. If not this, I hope the cure is as simple as some CosequinDS, and a multivitamin. Good luck.

LMH-nope, his nails are clipped by me when needed. he was just operated on for cysts in july so they trimmed them very short.he is on multi-vitamins antioxident,and glucosime/chondrotin.. thanx for the tip though :))

Sorry harley-- I figured as much---but thought it was worth mentioning. I'm sure the vet will check the extremities for sensitivity or the opposite. Has he gained weight recently, or is even naturally heavy, and now it's too much for his joints to support? Oh well, you'll find out soon enough. Get back with the diagnosis--Hope the outcome is favorable.

thanx LMH.. he's far from fat,his hips are bad so he is kept thin :)) all of them are..