My puppy is flat-footed due to carpal hyperextension. What can I do?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Pillow, Lu. Poor boy. Premature closure of the carpal growth plate leads to a shorted bone, which in turn leads to leg deformities and problems with walking. Yes you should definitely have x-rays done as soon as possible. If he does have this problem, surgery is done to correct it. I hope this helps!

Yes, you are correct. With good nutrition, slow to moderate growth rate, controlled exercise and maintaining a normal weight she should improve and be normal when she's grown up. Please limit jumping and explosive movements, excessive rough housing and I recommend feeding a large breed dog food. She's a beauty and should be fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Hi Ardian, I would ask your veterinarian about carpal flexural deformity. It is a condition that we can see in young puppies that have normal x-rays. They think it happens because the bones and tendons are growing at different rates, but they are not sure of the cause. The good news is that it seems to resolve in a few weeks and does not cause any long term problems. Some people recommend a diet change, but it has not been proven to make a difference. It is not recommended to splint the wrists. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like Gotti may be suffering from carpal flexural deformity. This can be due to uneven growth of the bones and tissues of the legs, as well as dietary imbalances. I would take him into the vet for evaluation. In early stages, this may be corrected with splints and dietary changes, although surgery may be required to fix it.

It may have been healed but it does not mean it was healed properly. The toes being spread and the hyperflexion in the carpus can be signs of misuse and weak ligaments and tendons. Make sure you are feeding a high quality large breed puppy formula to help. Your vet can x ray it and evaluate the healing process and see if there is a limited range of motion in the leg or joints due to the previous injury. From there they may give you therapy exercises to get strength back and help

Yes this can heal and keeping her quiet will prevent further injury. I do recommend a neoprene carpal wrap to use daily when exercising Luna. I get them from handicappedpets.com or therapaw.com. I do not leave it on all the time as I want some normal weight bearing to maintain the ligament strength and to promote healing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Luna.

The treatment would be complete rest and anti-inflammatory medications for 4 days - a week time. I would recommend a check up as signs are quite persistent. A soft tissue injury is the most likely reason for it. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.