My German Shepherd puppy's legs look bent. What should I do?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tyson. If he is otherwise acting normal, give him strict rest for 24 hours. This means no running, jumping or playing. Take him on a leash to potty and bring him straight back inside. Do not take him for walks. Many mild cases of lameness will resolve with rest. If this does not help or his symptoms worsen, then he will need to see his veterinarian. There is a common condition in young German Shepherds known as panosteitis. This can be diagnosed with x-rays. In the meantime, do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Unfortunately, it's hard to know how best to advise you without being able to examine Rocky. Sometimes physical therapy can to strengthen the leg muscles and back. If this is suspected to be congenital, there may not be much of anything you can do. German Shepherds are prone to many orthopedic conditions as a breed. Proper nutrition is also needed to ensure appropriate growth. Rarely, surgery may be an option if it is related to abnormal bone growth. It sounds like Rocky needs a second opinion and radiographs. Hopefully you can get more information. I hope this helps.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The best thing to do is to have an X-ray of the legs done at your Vet. I would highly recommend a boarded orthopedic surgeon. The cause can be from a nutritional deficiency, genetic malformation or premature closure of the growth plates. There could be options of a brace or surgery to correct the leg. I do not recommend doing anything at home with out the supervision of a Veterinarian as things could worsen. Be sure that Trigger is on a commercial puppy food for large breed dogs. I hope this helps and I wish you and Trigger the best!

That is very unusual to hear of weak hind legs. There are two primary causes: poor genetics or poor nutrition. I recommend to work closely with a veterinarian to figure out the cause and start this ASAP before things get worse. Nutrition can be remedied by feeding a high quality diet meant for growing, large breed puppies. I recommend Royal Canin large breed puppy or Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy. It's hard to know if poor nutrition will have a lasting impact at this point. Genetic causes may be corrected with surgery and physical therapy. Baron likely needs radiographs to look at his bones and joints. It is also important to make sure Baron is regularly checked for worms and parasites as well as treated. These will steal his nutrition. I hope this helps.

I can't really compare the size of the front and back legs from the angle of the picture. The way she is sitting it is also hard to see her conformation or body size. Some dogs can have stunted growth as compared to other dogs in the litter from being the runt, having a congenital disorder (like a liver shunt), intestinal parasites, or from poor nutrition. I recommend that you have Sandie checked out by a vet who will be able to look at her bone size, body weight, body condition, and can perform testing to see if there is something to be done to help her catch up.

Hello. I am sorry that Zara is hurting. Sometimes German Shepherds can have something called "Hip Dysplasia" and can have severe arthritis and abnormal hips and this can cause pain and trouble walking. I recommend you have her checked by your vet, who will likely perform x-rays to check her hips. Your vet can also help you get set up with joint supplements as well as pain management for Zara. Good luck with her!

Without seeing him myself my first thought is that he has carpus valgus which is a congenital abnormality that cannot be fixed. If you really want to know if there is anything you can do you would need to take him to an orthopedic specialist for a consultation. Bone deformities are not an unusual problem for this breed. It could be that he has elbow dysplasia and depending on the severity there may be a surgery that could help him. I strongly suggest you get him to a specialist for an exam and x-rays. They can give you the best information. Best wishes.