That can be especially true for heavier dog breeds. The cartilage and protein of the bone are framed at the growth plate.
The growth plate is a very soft area that can easily be deformed due to pressure. If the pressure limit is exceeded, it can result in your dog being bow legged. Bones rely on vitamins and minerals to develop.
In some rare occasions, bowed legs can also be hereditary. The symptoms start quite early, only at 5 to 12 weeks of age. That is the time when most dogs go through their first growth stage. The symptoms can appear all of the sudden. Your pup may be okay one day, just for you to notice his legs started to curve the other. Often, it has to do with the aforementioned factors such as nutritional deficiencies, genetics, fast growth, and injury.
Still, some breeds are more at risk. Bowed legs is actually a breed standard in bulldogs according to the AKC. The gene converts cartilage to the bone making the legs appear deformed. This is often accompanied by bowed forelimbs. There are several treatment options you can consider. Other treatment options include putting braces on the dog, doing massage therapy, and removing a certain part of the plate or bone. However, surgery is the best route for straightening the legs and giving the dog a new lease of life.
It has a high success rate compared to other treatment options. Sure, it is invasive but totally worthwhile. The vet will recommend either stabilization or corrective surgery. As mentioned, there are different surgeries undertaken for a dog with bow legs.
Each is unique in its own way including cost, post-op care, medication, you name it. The costs cover everything including consultation, CT scans and radiographs, and the procedure itself.
This is a lot of money for the average Joe. Puppies typically have bowed legs. Owners who cannot distinguish from the actual condition of having curved legs and puppy legs can be worried sick at the sight of their bow-legged fur babies.
Development causes the dog limbs to exhibit curvature. However, as the dog grows up and the growth plate becomes stronger, the leg should straighten up. As said before, certain breeds have bowed-out legs. The bulldog is one such example. It is this very condition that gives the breed its signature rolling or shuffling gait that we love so much. This type of abnormality is most likely to be seen in young, growing due to problems in their development, but can also be seen as an aftermath to traumatic injuries sometimes even in older dogs.
Whatever the cause, it's important to consult with a vet to determine the best course of action. When puppies are developing, the long bones of their front and back legs are gradually growing, courtesy of growth plates, also known as ephiphyseal plates.
These growth plates consist of soft, cartilage matter located at the end of the puppy's bones. Growth plates tend to close when the puppy is 12 to 18 months of age. Around this time, the soft cartilage at the end of the bones hardens and mineralizes into hard bone. If an injury occurs before the growth plates close, there are chances that the cells on the damaged side of the growth plate quit growing, while the cells on the non-damaged side continue to grow, leading to uneven growth and its associated curving, which ultimately leads to bowed legs.
Traumatic injuries that may cause bowed legs in a puppy include being hit by a car or the puppy being accidentally dropped. This type of injury is common in short-legged dog.
Daniel A. In certain breeds, the appearance of bowed legs may be genetic, which means it's passed down from one generation to another. The American Kennel Club's Bulldog's breed standard calls for short, very stout forelegs that are straight and muscular, set wide apart and have a " bowed outline ;" however, the bones of the legs should not be curved or bandy.
This particular conformation is what gives the bulldog its peculiar, shuffling, "rolling" gait. In other dog breeds, the bowed legs are due to a mutation in the gene responsible for converting cartilage to bone leading to what is known as " acondroplasia. In these breeds, the bones of the legs appear shortened and deformed with bowed forelimbs. Common achondroplastic breeds include the basset hound, dachshund and corgi.
In these breeds such bowing is acceptable, up to the point of being desirable in their breed standard. In other breeds, bowing of the legs is considered a serious fault.
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