My puppy's front legs hurt. Is it a serious carpal growth plate issue?

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!

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.

This sounds like a growth deformity, xrays would help to define exactly what is going on. Mineral, especially calcium and phosphorus imbalances can have a major influence at this age - converting his diet completely to a large breed puppy food may help to encourage optimal bone formation

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.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is most certainly a congenital problem, essentially a birth defect. Whether there are any treatments depends on how severe the problem is, does it involve all the long bones in the legs, it this mainly a problem with joint & tendon laxity, or are certain structures underdeveloped or missing all together. X-rays are imperative. Depending on what is seen, & how much time & money you wish to spend on this poor little guy would determine a treatment plan. Surgery may be an option, but leg braces & splints may be appropriate, too. In the short term, he will probably do fine, but with time & age, he may be very prone to developing abrasions & pressure sores, & most likely arthritis. If you decide to adopt this sweet guy, go in with the anticipation of higher than normal care costs, & unexpected problems that can arise. A special needs pet needs a very special owner. Thank you for considering adoption. Take care.

It sounds like Scrappy Coco is suffering from an angular limb deformity called values, which is when the legs are bending outwards. This occurs when the growth plate in the one of the long bones of the forelimb (either the radius or ulna) closes and that bone stops growing while the other bones continues to grow. This isn't caused by a calcium deficiency, it's typically caused by trauma but it can be inherited (rarely though). The way to fix this is surgery, which I imagine it would be very difficult for you to find a veterinary surgeon in a remote area of India. This may be something you'd have to travel in order to get fixed, and I would recommend having it fixed as it's a painful condition. You can speak to the visiting vet to see if they can recommend a veterinary surgeon to see Scrappy Coco.

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.