Boxerlove123 Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 (edited) Hi there I will give you a bit of background...I have a 9 and a half week old boxer pup which i got one week ago today. when he arrived i noticed the claws on his right paw were completely work down. i assumed he may have been scratching at his crate over the 2 day trip travelling down to where we live. since then, we have noticed that the same paw knuckles over and he walks on its side. he is showing no signs of pain or discomfort, but visually it has become obvious. we took him to the vet last night for an examination, and they said it looks like he has 'flexural disformity'. the definition in a simplified way, is the bone is growing faster than the soft tissue around it. it is commonly seen ion staffies and dobermans, although they had never seen this on a boxer. usually is occurs in both paws - although with our little guy it is only effecting the right paw. it appears that in most cases, this is something that the pup will grow out of with the right diet, limited exercise, and grippy surfaces (not lino/tiles etc). has anyone experienced this before? or give any advice on what we can do to try and rectify the issue? diet suggestions? we live in New Zealand. we are booked in for another check up in a week to see if any progress has been made, but if there is anything we can be doing to help the situation, we are keen to hear any suggestions. thanks in advance, Alicia :) Edited September 1, 2015 by Alicia123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 (edited) Hi - how disappointing .I hope you have contacted the breeder- they need to be made aware- ..... I would also advise reading this . http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/262328-knuckling-over/ Edited September 1, 2015 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxerlove123 Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Hi - how disappointing .I hope you have contacted the breeder- they need to be made aware- ..... I would also advise reading this . http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/262328-knuckling-over/ thank you for your reply :) yes it is very disappointing indeed. the vet was certain that based on the appearance of the pad on the effected paw, it has been present for a few weeks. this means the breeder would have been aware, and withheld this information from me. i have been in touch with the NZ kennel club, who have advised my rights under the consumer guarantees act, so it looks like i will have a few interesting conversations... i feel disappointed because this is supposed to be a time of happiness and joy celebrating our newest family member, but instead this is being clouded with worry for our wee pup. thanks for the link, i will certainly have a read. thanks Alicia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 yes, I agree - the breeder would probably have been aware . if so - then sending you a pup with problems is at the least , certainly not good practice. Glad you have sought advice from the kennel club, too. take it slow ... do some thinking ..and hope it works out for you all :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I had a mixed breed puppy with this and it can just appear overnight. If the leg has been like this for a few weeks and the puppy is now only 9 1/2 weeks old then I would be thinking of something worse then a simple knuckling over. Did you get xrays done? That would be my very next step based on the few weeks the vet said this had been present. Keep in mind you might not get any money spent on vet bills back. You will also have to consider whether you send the pup back and if you decide that, sooner is better then later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxerlove123 Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 I had a mixed breed puppy with this and it can just appear overnight. If the leg has been like this for a few weeks and the puppy is now only 9 1/2 weeks old then I would be thinking of something worse then a simple knuckling over. Did you get xrays done? That would be my very next step based on the few weeks the vet said this had been present. Keep in mind you might not get any money spent on vet bills back. You will also have to consider whether you send the pup back and if you decide that, sooner is better then later. Thanks anne he is booked in at vet for one week from today for another check up. if no improvement, we will get xrays done. i just need to find what food is best to be feeding him going forward as all the research i have done indicated that diet is a large factor to improvement. the kibble he is currently on may be too high in protein -thinking maybe an adult formula instead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I had a mixed breed puppy with this and it can just appear overnight. If the leg has been like this for a few weeks and the puppy is now only 9 1/2 weeks old then I would be thinking of something worse then a simple knuckling over. Did you get xrays done? That would be my very next step based on the few weeks the vet said this had been present. Keep in mind you might not get any money spent on vet bills back. You will also have to consider whether you send the pup back and if you decide that, sooner is better then later. Thanks anne he is booked in at vet for one week from today for another check up. if no improvement, we will get xrays done. i just need to find what food is best to be feeding him going forward as all the research i have done indicated that diet is a large factor to improvement. the kibble he is currently on may be too high in protein -thinking maybe an adult formula instead? Yes an adult formula asap. http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/puppy_feed_program_for_knuckling_over.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I have a dog here with a neurological issue which means that she knuckles over occasionally. When she was a pup, she had little splints made for her front legs/feet to assist her to learn to walk properly. Maybe this would help your little one in the short term too? Talk to your vet about the possibility at least... My dog is nearly 5 now, and she can't feel her legs properly, so occasionally she still knuckles over - especially when tired. A simple "OI" from me alerts her to the fact, and she rearranges her feet... training worked there... lol! T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I have occasionally placed light supportive bandages on these guys when they aren't able to place their feet properly. Ordinarily I would only consider it for quite severe cases, and would choose supportive light bandages before splinting. It is an option but if they are able to walk and weight bear they probably aren't necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 An acquaintance had a puppy who had a similar issue - diet related. Part of the treatment she employed was acupuncture and also hydrotherapy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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