issue with forelegs - Page 1

We were told that that issue with forelegs is connected with thier growth. Is it possible?

Hi David,  How old is your pup and what do you feed? Have you spoken with his/her breeder?

I am NOT a mastiff person so can not speak to Mastiff growth but in German Shepherds ( my breed) pups can go through so strange and sudden growth spurts between 4 - 10 months where literally it seems one leg gets longer over night before the other one catches up. That being said generally that kind of structure in GSDs is from one of two things. In extreme  cases andvery  unusual to see in these days of commercial food it is rickets - usally an imbalance of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus.

More common it is an inherited trait we refer to ( in GSDs) as being East West in the front. Highly technical scientific name :)) If you drop "dogs east west feet" in google you will find lots of posts including a number on this board. Unfortunately you will aslo find a ton of misinformation at least on the GSD boards where newer folk seem to think a gsd is suppossed to have an absolutely straight front like a hound dog.   To be East west as much as your dog in a gsd would be incorrect however a slight amount of E-W is actually desirable because of the drive and reach gsd have in their floating trot. Now Mastiffs have a totally differen body structure and I believe a rolling gait so whether this is ok in a Mastiff I do not know, thus my suggestion to check w/ the breeder. I would also check out some books on the breed and its development.

In shepherds some changes in E-W can be seen during growth but usually they are minor. A dog this extreme generally would not correct back to normal BUT remember we are talking two different breeds here and that is huge. What is correct structure for one breed is not for another. I'm hopin an experience Mastiff person will spot your inquiry and give you some better info. I added mastiff to the above google query and there appears several discussions on mastiff and other large breeds that E-W can be a developmental stage as a result of chest and shoulder growth. My concern here is it appears your dog is E-W only from the hock down NOT as a leg/shoulder expression. My first question then is once again - what are you feeding.

Good luck keep us posted. Hoping someone more knowledgeable comes along to give you more breed approriate info.