My puppy's legs are bending. What should I do and what's the cause?

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!

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

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.

If it is congenital, there may be no cure or Kuky may require multiple surgeries. A nutritional deficiency may be corrected, but it is possible he will also be bow legged. You would need to have him physically examined by your veterinarian or a veterinary orthopedic specialist to make the determination.

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.

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.

From the pictures, it looks like Bruno is suffering from valgus deformity of his front legs. This is when there is a lateral (outward) turn of the feet. It occurs when the ulna stops growing while the radius continues to grow, causing the radius to begin bowing at the top and rotating outward. This is can cause discomfort to Bruno and it is something that can be fixed surgically. You can speak to your vet about surgical treatment of this deformity.