Dog with bowed legs??

Hi everybody..Im new to this site and to this breed..And i just bought a pitbull..red nose..he is 10wks old now..He is a male..And as ive had him ive noticed that his front legs are getting bowed/like a side ways U..both of them are exactly the same..the 2 front ones..He walks and runs and jumps on them perfectly fine and he shows no pain in them..And i have a neigbor that has owned pits his hole life and he said is normal for a large breed like this to have bowed legs/arched legs..And some people say its not ok..You see them more bowed when he sits down, when he stands you dont really see it and at times when he's sitting down they are perfectly straight..And as i was searching the web on pitbulls i came upon this site and ill tell u ive learned alot since ive known about this site..So if u guys/girls can please help me on my concern about my pitbull..Thanks

 

No, Taz, it's not normal for the APBT to have bowed legs. Not unless you bought one of those non-standard dogs that is. Some of those have bowed legs. Got a ped on your pup? That would be helpful.

 

Like i said im pretty new to this breed so when u say non-standard dog what do you mean??

 

It could be a genetic defect, however, since he's just a pup it could also very well be a nutritional defficiency. You need to put your pup on a great quality puppy food (Canidae, Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance, Chicken Soup, etc) & also make sure he is getting plenty of sunshine. This condition is like Ricketts in humans. If not corrected now though, your pup could suffer permanent damage to the bones, joints, ligaments, & tendons & be permanently crippled.

Also take into account where you got him from. If it's nutritional then obviously the owner/breeder didn't take care of his dogs as this is something very easily prevented. Also, if you haven't taken him to the vet yet, do so NOW. This way they can check his legs out & also check him for intestinal worms & parasites that would also be robbing his body of nutrition.

 

Yes i will make sure he gets plenty of sunshine..right know im feeding him purina puppy chow the blue bag

 

There are certain true to form game lines that have the tendency to have bowed legs, elbows out and bowed rear legs, too....

 

Sunshine alone won't fix this. Like Mia said, make sure you feed a high-quality puppy food (not puppy chow) and take him to the vet.

Congratulations and good luck with the puppy!

 

If there bowed it's genetics. Like it or not it has no "fix"

 

Could be either genetics OR a nutritional deficiency, or possibly something else -- a vet visit is warranted to see if there is a "fix".

 

Well i called up the breeder..who sold it to me and he said that the dad is like that too and that all the other pups that he sold were like that also so that its traits thats its carrying on from the dad and somewhat of that mom

 

Sounds like a good breeder :rolleyes:

 

sounds like a "woods" dog. they admittedly breed for "freakish bowed shoulders." and no...it is not normal for this breed because unlike your friend told you...THIS IS NOT A LARGE BREED. now, if something was mixed into your dog, making it too big for its own health...than it could be a large dog. but the true apbt is not a large breed dog. most likely, it is a genetic defect that your "breeder" didn't care to get rid of, from what he was breeding. that's a shame, and i hope for the pup's sake that he'll be ok. its probably a good idea to get him neutered so he doesn't defect any more puppies. good luck with him...do you have a pedigree?

 

Not true. Inadequate nutrition & lack of the proper levels of calcium, protein, & other mineral will affect the growing bone structure as will being kept in a small dark place. In these cases, the dogs will often exhibit a bowing out at the elbows & kncukling over on the ankles. Sometimes if the dog is standing still, one can actually see the dog's legs shaking as he tries to support himself on the deformed legs.

As for the original poster, puppy chow is complete garbage & will harm your dog. I suggest you do a search on here for good dog foods (just type in "dog food" in the search blank) & immediately switch your dog over.

As for as it being genetic, it very well could be & then it's true that nothing can be done without medical/surgical intervention. Then it's best for you to spay/neuter your dog early & start him on a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement as all these dogs end up with shortened live spans due to arthritis & such.

Good luck.

 

I have to agree with Rock on this. There are definately some true to type game lines that consistantly produce smewhat bowlegged dogs. Red devil dogs are often bowlegged and some of the best ones too. Red devil himself was bowlegged, Koko, Iron Bear, Muhammed Ali and more. Alot of old time game dogs were bowlegged too especially Some Tudor dogs, Black Jack for example. One of my pups was bowlegged and grew right out of it. Now you're not going to win any dog shows with an excessively bowlegged dog but.....

 

maybe it has some english bulldog blood in him?

 

Hey mia u said somthing that His legs they are bowed at the ankels and they shake well thats exactly how my dog is so what can i do??Find him better food????B/C my dogs shake when he's sitting down not all the time but sometimes when he sits??

 

Or there is just no cure for this and see how he turns out..Also you said that this shortens there life spand well how big does it shorten them like..they will grow up only to a year or to 7 years..ect...????

 

Taz, asap-like in today, you need to switch foods to a better food. Trust me, the little bit higher price tag is nothing compared to the results you will see in terms of your dog's health. Like I said earlier, do a search on dog foods, but if you have a Petco close by, they sell Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance which is a wonderful food (what I feed).

Also if he hasn't seen the vet, he needs to. He could also have some intestinal worms/parasites that are preventing his body from absorbing any nutrients from the food he is eating. It **sounds** by your description that your dog's condition is more nutritional/lack of care based than genetic. HOWEVER, I have not seen your dog nor the parents of the dog, but if the rest of the litter is exhibiting the same symptoms, then the owner/breeder needs to step it up in his care for them.

Right now, the vet is your best bet. He/she can explain to you exactly what's going on, show you similar pictures, & explain the treatment process. Plus, they grade these types of conditions & each month can denote the improvement (or lack thereof).

Good luck & keep us informed.

 

Hey thanks alot for ur help "Mia" i went to pets smart that's the closest store that is near my house..I went there and I asked for the best "puppy food" they had and they told me to take IAMS for puppy's and i read the bag and it says it builds strong bones,nice and healthy,good digestive sytem ,ect...Oh ya they didnt have Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance, and since i wanted to switch to a better food ASAP they told me to go with IAMS that most vets recomomed it...And you know whats funny i ask the guy about the purina puppy chow and he's like oh ya thats not good im like lol..So ya im hoping this food helps him out with his legs ill keep you guys posted on what goes on..and if u find any better info. about his legs keep me posted also..thanks alot i really appreciate it..And yes i have token him to the vet my next appoinment is on the 17th ill have to wait to see what she says, she told me the first time I took him to wait intill his second visit to see if it has gone worse or better..

 

Also there might be a chance he was breed wit something else his mom and dad are pits, but like his history some one in his family could of been breed with maybe a mastiff,or english bulldog or dogs in that kind because he's huge, he has huge paws and well the pits i seen some are nice and thin, but then again i seen some that are huge the short and stubby ones, I like those better i hope mine will be one of those.. but he looks like a pit u can tell right away hes a pit..