My puppy sits and lays down funny. Could it be hip issues or pain?

Your best option is to keep up with routine physical exams. It's impossible to know at this point if this is behavioral or if there is a medical condition. Hip problems may not become evident until she is older but getting her and your vet use to the feel of her hip palpation would be a good idea. She may need radiographs when she is older. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

She is adorable! It is likely just her personality and excitement being with you and your dog. You may bring it to her owners attention and ask them if they have seen her sit. They could have their vet thoroughly examine her hip to ensure she doesn't have any hip pain. The vet may also want to do hip x-rays to ensure there are not problems. But this is most likely just her and not anything to worry too much about. I hope this helps!

Congrats on your new puppy! It could be that Peanut has a congenital deformity causing the shorter leg. I would have her seen by a vet for a physical exam and x-rays. If it isn't causing her any problems, then it may be nothing will need to be done for it, but the vet may discuss surgical options that may apply to help with the leg. Without seeing it in person, I can't say for certain if anything needs to be done, but it's a good idea to have her seen by a vet. If she does have trouble jumping onto the bed and into your SUV, I would help her do that. Certainly there are dogs who live perfectly normal lives with just three legs, and Peanut may be one of those dogs that can live a normal life with one leg shorter than the others. You just have to adapt to her limitations, such as trouble jumping. Have her seen by a vet however to get their take on it. I hope this helps :-)

This is a beautiful puppy. It may have been born that way and if your veterinarian did not find any condition that impedes its life, I would not worry about it. Nobody is perfect and animals can also not be perfect. She is beutiful and that is all that counts.

This could be due to a deeper trauma which could be possibly still causing pain. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. X rays of the hips may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

I agree with your veterinarian, in that being constantly crated and restrained absolutely could affect her in terms of leading to back and joint issues, arthritis and could change her gait and posture, making it impossible to sit up straight. That is true whether she is a mixed breed or not. I agree that she very well could be a mixed breed, and I suspect she is. It sounds like you are doing a lot for her to try to keep her comfortable and healthy! The more you can keep her weight down, the better that will be for her mobility in the face of her arthritis and pain problems. I think it may really benefit Phoebe to consider some rehabilitation (physical therapy) exercises, and maybe some acupuncture or therapeutic laser. All of these things along with her being on Vetprofen will be beneficial. Ask your veterinarian if they can recommend anyone who offers those services in your area. If your vet doesn't know of someone specific, here is a search tool to find a rehab vet: http://www.rehabvets.org/directory.lasso I hope that information helps you. Thank you for asking PetCoach!

At this age, it’s hard to say- it could be either. Bernadette will need to start or continue her puppy vaccines around this age anyway, so have your vet do a good exam of the hips while you’re in for that. We really can’t diagnose hip dysplasia without xrays (unless it’s so severe that the hips are popping out of their sockets) but your vet could certainly do that at any time. Hope this helps and best wishes to you and your big puppy girl!