# Leg Problems For My Puppy



## MMZero2009

Hi, I have a dog named "Balls" and he is about to be 9 weeks old tomorrow on the 12th, I have done some research because I am really worried about his leg, or rather legs. One if his legs is a bit crooked and bowed. Is this normal for a pitbull? i was told he has high caliber bully blood and his dad is grandpup of juan gotti. Please let me know what you think, should I take him to the vet? please help, I am new to all of this and I love my pitbull very very much, I don't want nothing to be wrong with him =(.


----------



## delunarr

Well you have to understand byb out there will tell you anything you want to hear. Byb of ambulls breed for looks and not for conformation or health or longevity of there pups. They just want to make massive hippos that mostly have health problems. It definitly looks bowed and crroked if you go through some abully pics like on craigslist and other mostly non kennel sites you will see the same problem in alot of dogs. In your pups lineage the leg was bowed and being byb they didn't take that dog out of their breeding program but continued to breed because maybe the dog had a big head or was extremely built. So with them not takin the dg out it has passed on to your pup through the litters of a horrible breeding program if you can even call it that. How much did you pay for your greatgrandson of Juan gotti with other high calliber bully blood.


----------



## MMZero2009

I paid 200$, i love him very much I just don't know very much about pitbulls and i want to make him as healthy as a horse! i don't want nothing to be wrong with him should i take him to the vet? and the dad seemed fine and so did the mom, he is a ghenghis khan also. i am feeding him NUTRO PUPPY GOOD LAMB N RICE. should i change food? what should I do? =/


also the mom had 9 pups and 5 of them died.. 4 survived and he was the one that survived, and the house he was in was not all that great, his brothers were in kennels outside and he stinked really bad so i took him home with me because I wanted to provide a better home, i have a huge backyard and he always plays in the grass and play fights with my toy poodle lol


----------



## delunarr

Ghengis khan and greatgrandson of Juan gotti. Do you have papers


----------



## delunarr

There is no reputable breeder out there that I know of that would ever breed a pup with that big of a problem. Like i said byb back yard breeders will tell you anything you want to hear. Unfortuneitly you paid 200 for a puppy that in the long run you will probly have to shell out thousands as more of his health problems begin to show up. The bitch loosing that many puppies should of been a hint that they do not know what they are doing they obviously didn't get there bitch health tested. Plus with that much loss she was probly way to young to breed. Since you love the pup so much keep loving her just know financially it will definitly be a factor and who knows what other things skeletal tempermental Nd other might be wrong


----------



## christina60546

Why did the 5 of the puppies die? Was he vaccinated when you received him? I don't mean to sound like a jerk at all but if you don't know a lot about pit bulls then how do you know if they were ok? But besides that I thank you that you are providing a better home for him! And welcome to the forum!


----------



## MMZero2009

thanks, and i guess i just got the wrong pitbull trainer.... the mom and dad have papers and yes he had his shots and was dewormed he gave me tge stickers to the shots.... and you scare me..... i cant return him i love him too much.... abd i guess i cant provide for him as i work for 8/hr =\ i guess tomorrow i will take HIM yes... HIM not HER to the vet and before i do rub his little paw and pray that he lives a healthy life =[ cuz i dunno whats going to happen.....


----------



## delunarr

Did you see his leg like that before you bought him


----------



## MMZero2009

No, it wasnt liked that when i got him and heres the add to the pitbull puppies teres 2 more left lol cuz it was 4 total Pitbull Puppies for sale 2 males left - san diego pets for sale - backpage.com

i dont know i just regret buying a doggy without knowing what was what... =\


----------



## delunarr

They weren't like that? Does it hurt the pup when you touch the joints. Did he jump from smoewhere high? I would definitly go to vet and see what they say after x Ray. When they say pups won't be registered because we moved I don't get.


----------



## MMZero2009

He runs and jumps and plays and ive put pressure on the leg and he doesnt cry.... this just sucks... did u see the mom n dad? the dad was highly active and happy and the mom didnt look happy cuz they were taking her a bath lol... well ima call the vet tomorrow and lets see what she says... u dont think its due to nutrition?


----------



## dixieland

Sorry that you are having to go through this.I would definitely take him to the vet.You may be looking at surgery down the road.
If the dog is not registered then there's no way to tell what bloodline he is.And even if he has these bloodlines in a certain part of his ped,it doesn't matter if byb's have gotten ahold of them and been breeding them wrong.
But yeah I would take him to the vet.


----------



## MMZero2009

-sigh- well if theres surgery involved its going to be a bumpy ride.... a really bumpy one..... is there anything i can give him to make him healthier while hes young? something i can buy from pets mart? anything at all?


----------



## FloorCandy

It looks like knuckling over, which is not a genetic defect, and is not an indication of back yard breeding, or being a bad breeder. Knuckling over is easily treated with a special diet and sometimes leg braces. Results can be seen in a few days once you take him to the vet and get him started. The earlier it is caught, the better, and at his age there should be no permanent damage.

Here's some info:
Knuckling Over and HOD - Developmental Orthopedic Disease | GREATDANELADY.COM


----------



## Lvis

looks like a product of bad breeding


----------



## aimee235

:goodpost: Floorcandy.

It does look like knuckling over.


----------



## performanceknls

DON'T PANIC! Sorry you got some bad advice from some newer members with little experience, this is treatable without a vet.

Your puppy is knuckling over it happens when a puppy grows too fast and the ligament that hold the leg in place grows faster than the leg bone. When that happens the ligament is lose and cannot hold the leg in place.

I had the same thing happen with my gamebred dog and the same thing started to happen to her puppies at 7 weeks old. They are 9 weeks now and because I knew what was going on I was able to correct it right away and they are fine now. The dog who had it when she was young is a working dog and it has had no effect on her what so ever as an adult.

You need to switch food to a lower protein adult food for a while then go back on puppy food. You said you are feeding nutro (an ok food) but you need to switch to an adult food with lower protein. You need something like 24% or lower, I feed Kirkland chicken and rice from costco and the puppy food is 28% but the adult chicken is 24%. Kirkland is basically the same as nutro but it is made by a better company and is better quality. Now matter what food you feed you need lower protein and it will take a few weeks but it will correct it's self. I would also wrap the puppies legs or make a splint so the bone does not start to bow out but again this should all correct in a few weeks.

So again don't panic this happens to many breeds including APBT's and bullies, you do not need to go to the vet yet save your money, just switch food for about 2 months and you will be fine. Once this corrects you can go back on puppy food or do a 50/50 mix.
If you have any more questions just ask or you can even PM me.  take a deep breath it will be ok.


----------



## FloorCandy

performanceknls said:


> DON'T PANIC! Sorry you got some bad advice from some newer members with little experience, this is treatable without a vet.
> 
> Your puppy is knuckling over it happens when a puppy grows too fast and the ligament that hold the leg in place grows faster than the leg bone. When that happens the ligament is lose and cannot hold the leg in place.
> 
> I had the same thing happen with my gamebred dog and the same thing started to happen to her puppies at 7 weeks old. They are 9 weeks now and because I knew what was going on I was able to correct it right away and they are fine now. The dog who had it when she was young is a working dog and it has had no effect on her what so ever as an adult.
> 
> You need to switch food to a lower protein adult food for a while then go back on puppy food. You said you are feeding nutro (an ok food) but you need to switch to an adult food with lower protein. You need something like 24% or lower, I feed Kirkland chicken and rice from costco and the puppy food is 28% but the adult chicken is 24%. Kirkland is basically the same as nutro but it is made by a better company and is better quality. Now matter what food you feed you need lower protein and it will take a few weeks but it will correct it's self. I would also wrap the puppies legs or make a splint so the bone does not start to bow out but again this should all correct in a few weeks.
> 
> So again don't panic this happens to many breeds including APBT's and bullies, you do not need to go to the vet yet save your money, just switch food for about 2 months and you will be fine. Once this corrects you can go back on puppy food or do a 50/50 mix.
> If you have any more questions just ask or you can even PM me.  take a deep breath it will be ok.


Right on Lisa, I would never offer treatment advice without a vet because I have never treated it myself. I'm glad you chimed in with a treatment plan


----------



## Shiver

I would have freaked out also if my puppies legs started doing that. MMZero2009, I wish your cute puppy a swift recovery and many days of running ahead.


----------



## MMZero2009

Thank you so much !!! you really helped...everybody!, well I have a mini toy poodle who eats adult food, i am going to ask my mom what kind of food it is and if I can see the bag because usually when I feed my poodle named "Papi" and my pitbull Balls, he usually starts devouring papi's food and he starts crying lol... so maybe that was an indicator that he needs adult food? but thank you so much everybody and especially to you performanceknls! you were a huge help! now after that problem is solved I will start to train the little one to do exercise, I have seen some neat exercise routines that trainers do with they're pups, so I am going to try it out, I will keep it easy though as his leg is rather crooked .


----------



## Saint Francis

performanceknls said:


> DON'T PANIC! Sorry you got some bad advice from some newer members with little experience, this is treatable without a vet.
> 
> Your puppy is knuckling over it happens when a puppy grows too fast and the ligament that hold the leg in place grows faster than the leg bone. When that happens the ligament is lose and cannot hold the leg in place.
> 
> I had the same thing happen with my gamebred dog and the same thing started to happen to her puppies at 7 weeks old. They are 9 weeks now and because I knew what was going on I was able to correct it right away and they are fine now. The dog who had it when she was young is a working dog and it has had no effect on her what so ever as an adult.
> 
> You need to switch food to a lower protein adult food for a while then go back on puppy food. You said you are feeding nutro (an ok food) but you need to switch to an adult food with lower protein. You need something like 24% or lower, I feed Kirkland chicken and rice from costco and the puppy food is 28% but the adult chicken is 24%. Kirkland is basically the same as nutro but it is made by a better company and is better quality. Now matter what food you feed you need lower protein and it will take a few weeks but it will correct it's self. I would also wrap the puppies legs or make a splint so the bone does not start to bow out but again this should all correct in a few weeks.
> 
> So again don't panic this happens to many breeds including APBT's and bullies, you do not need to go to the vet yet save your money, just switch food for about 2 months and you will be fine. Once this corrects you can go back on puppy food or do a 50/50 mix.
> If you have any more questions just ask or you can even PM me.  take a deep breath it will be ok.


You and I have conversed briefly about the protein content in kibble when I questioned the percentage in some of the top dollar food. I still don't understand why these companies push such high protein when it can adversely affect the pup. Seriously, can someone give me an answer?


----------



## MMZero2009

You are right saint francis, that is kind of odd why companies put so much protein into they're food. My mom has recently told me she bought my toy poodle kibbles and bits brand dog food which is this one right here

Walmart.com: Kibbles 'n Bits: Mini Bits Savory Chicken & Beef Dog Food, 17.6 lb: Dogs

http://www.kibblesnbits.com/varieties/original.aspx

*EDIT*
Here is the nutrition facts, is this good food to feed him? its low on protein !


----------



## performanceknls

Kibbles n bits if CRAP! feed a decent food like nutro, you have already been feeding that so I would just put him on adult. Look for a chicken based food it will have lower protein. You also have to look at the back of the back not any adult food will do. You need one with lower protein and fat. Also like I told you in the pm, you said your going to the vet so have her show you how to do a good splint to keep that leg straight while it heals.
Let us know how it goes!


----------



## MMZero2009

I Will and thanks I am about to call her to see what she recommends, I am also going to petco/petsmart today to buy him vitamins for him, I think that will also help the pup...hopefully.... and I need to buy him toys because the only toy he has is my toy poodle, and he keeps annoying him a lot lol


----------



## Indigo Bully Connection

Ive had two pups start knuckling and they have been corrected. I also helped a good friend of mine on here who had an entire litter start knuckling, her name on here is Bluefamily. lisa (performance kennels) is right, it is simply corrected with a good diet and it is NOT a condition that is hereditary. Do not let your puppy run or do a lot of jumping right now which can cause issues down the road.

These major dog food brands are pushing the "higher protien" gimmick shearly for their own profit. The american mind set is more is better, and most people automatically assume "more protien means bigger muscles" while higher protien can play an affect on a dogs muscles if the dog is extremely active like a working dog... the average dog owner does not need high protien. You also need to take into account that it is more of a "protien to water ratio" not necessarily protien period. High protien in a raw diet is better for your dog than high protien in a kibble because the water is what helps your dog process that protien.

I personally made the switch to a lower protien food which is an all life stages not necessarily an adult formula. I used d*ck Van Pattens Natural Balance L.I.D. Fish and sweet potato which is a 21% protien. *Oh yeah, do not give any extra calcium supplements until the knuckling is gone. You don't want to help the bones strengthen and harden the way they are right now.*

*EDIT EDIT:* I was lucky enough not to have to use any splints.


----------



## performanceknls

Since you said your going to petsmart this is what I would recommend it is 21% protein and a good food.
Nutro adult chicken and rice
Nutro Natural Choice Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula Dog Food - Dry Food - Food Center - PetSmart

I agree I would also not do any vitamins till this is over.


----------



## MMZero2009

Thank you, me and my mom are going to go right now to pets mart to see what I can buy him, I will look into the food you assigned to me performanceknls, thanks so much, I called the vets here and they charge 47$ for an exam + the xrays and stuff they will give the dog, I think that is expensive! i dont have that kind of money to be spending at the moment but I will try the food and make sure he is not jumping or running, thanks a lot and I will see what happens after i feed him this food for awhile!


----------



## intensive

if you cant afford vet stuff you really dont need to be buying puppies


good luck, and quick recovery!


----------



## MMZero2009

Well i bought him this food, i havent opened it because i want an opinion to see if this doggie food is good.

Senior Dog Food | Dry Kibble | NUTRO® ULTRA™ Dog Food

it has CRUDE PROTEIN 22%
CRUDE FAT 11.00
CRUDE FIBER 4.00
MOISTURE 10.00
ARGININE 1.00
LYSINE 0.75
LINOLEIC ACID 3.50
ZINC 250 mg/kg
IODINE 5MG/KG
SELENIUM 0.30MG/KG
VITAMIN E 250UI/KG
TAURINE 0.12
ASCORBIC ACID 60MG/KG
DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID (DHA) 0.10
Alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA) 0.50
L-CARTININE 75MG
BETA CAROTENE 0.50
CHONDROITIN SULFATE 100MG/KG
GLUCOSAMINE 150MG/KG


----------



## performanceknls

Like I said in the pm I would not put a puppy on senior food it has things he does not need and can make things worse. You need an ADULT food not senior food.

Also if you vet charges 47 for exam and x-rays that is CHEAP! Most vets charge 40-50 for an exam and you are going to need a series of Vaccines and it is not cheap. Owning a dog is not cheap and while you can do it on a budget it does cost money. If you dog gets truly sick you need to think of how you are going to get him medical attention and I know you mentioned going to Mexico but what if you can't wait for that?

You sound like a young kid how old are you? If you are a minor you need to talk to your parents about what they are going to do if your puppy at some point gets sick. It will happen at some point and it is best to have a game plan ahead of time.


----------



## MMZero2009

haha, young kid, im 19 haha, it is just i don't have a good job, but I will manage, I just need to focus on the dog and get him all his shots and fix his leg, after that, it should be smooth for awhile, but for now I am going to take him to the vet probably on monday since I get paid then and there. we will see what the vet has to say because the petsmart people were the ones who assigned the food to me haha and i told them about the situation, it was not something smart what they did with the food choice


----------



## performanceknls

Don't trust everyone you talk to! lol they may work at a pet store but that does not mean they know anything!! If you go to the vet cool but I would not waste money on x-rays unless you really want to. If the leg bends back to normal by pushing it back in place then it is the ligament, only if the bone is twisted would I do x-rays but it looks straight but I can only tell from the pictures.


----------



## MMZero2009

Well, honestly, the bone in the front looks like it got popped outta place, that was how both of his legs are but as the week passed the leg that has nothing wrong with it, was put back to place on its own, and the leg that is bowed is the leg that I guess didnt make it haha. Your right, because I could tell by the look on the lady that she was a little clueless about what she was doing haha


----------



## FloorCandy

Has your pup had shots? If not, I would schedule an appointment for shots, and when you're there ask then to show you how to wrap the legs. They might push for x-rays, but you can explain to them that you don't have the money right now, but if the issue doesn't improve you will bring him back. Most vets are sympathetic to money issues. If he hasn't had shots you need to get him started, as pit bulls are very succeptable to parvo, and you can search the threads here and see how many people have had to deal with parvo, and many times the dog does not make it.


----------



## MMZero2009

Noooo!, well I don't want balls to die from parvo or anything I want him to live a happy life, so I will do everything in my power to force the vet to take free x-rays, I will show him Balls teeth and tell him " you see these bad boys? once he is a year old he will come hunt you down if you don't give him free x-rays. LOL just kidding, that is why people think pitbulls are bad haha theyre such beautiful pups, anyways, I will have the money by monday and I will take him to the vet and hopefully the vet says it is not serious!, it is just hard to pick which vet to go to because I don't want to go to a crappy vet, should i read some reviews on local vets in my area?


----------



## FloorCandy

Well, if you post your area, maybe someone here can recommend a vet. You can also google vets in your area and read reviews. You don't have to ask for free x-rays, just tell him you can't afford them, so you dont want them, and promise him you will get xrays if the issue doesn't improve. By the time he needs his next round of shots, he should be well on his way back to normal.


----------



## MMZero2009

Hahaha!!! you actually believed I was going to ask for free x-rays? haha nothing is free in this world! besides the free dirt and ripped couches you find on the Pennysaver ads haha, But I will take him this monday because I get paid at that time, he seems to be doing fine right now...he is sitting on my lap amazed of how fast I type on my keyboard...hes been staring at it for the past 30 minutes or so


----------



## gamer

Saint Francis said:


> You and I have conversed briefly about the protein content in kibble when I questioned the percentage in some of the top dollar food. I still don't understand why these companies push such high protein when it can adversely affect the pup. Seriously, can someone give me an answer?


This is why they make diets for Large breed puppies, although i have never fed large breed puppy.


----------



## FamilyLinePits

Unfortunately, Backyard Breeders, like previously mentioned, Tend to breed dogs for the massive chests and head. Juan Gotti was known for his massively oversized head and chest, and many BYB's will claim this sire in the lineage. 

More than likely, this is a product of overbreeding. When a good sire and dam are found, BYB's will breed like there is no tomorrow, with no regard for the health of the mother.
This creates Genetic health traits that will pass on to other litters. 

Sorry that this happened to you, But I am very happy that you saved a dog from what sounds like a horrible situation.

Edit: After reading what food he was on, I would DEFINITELY change to a healthier food. The better nutrition for your dogs is more expensive, but it is worth it in the long run.


----------



## MMZero2009

Thanks a alot familylinepits, performanceknls helped tremendously and i will be taking him to the vet this monday for his shots and i will ask about his leg, i hope everything will be alright, and i hope that he will be breedable later on because my brother has a beautiful blue pit named "cha cha" i will tell him to subscribe to this website so you guys can see her. thanks everybody !


----------



## Indigo Bully Connection

petsmart and petco let you return dog food. I'd return the senior and go to an adult or all life stages food like previously mentioned. You can get the dog food I mentioned at Petco & Petsmart, it is by far the food of choice for me and my yard. I know it's a little pricey when you look at the bag, but you can feed much less and still get all of the nutrients they can use. 

I have 1 dog that eats 3 cups a day, 5 dogs that get 2 cups a day, and then there is 1 dog that only gets 1 cup a day. Where if I were feeding an inferior dog food I'd be doubling if not tripling the ammount of dog food I feed a day, which doubles/triples my poop pick up, and since there aren't any "extras" that the dogs don't need the poops are smaller and less stinky. So, if you buy a 40 pound bag of nutro at 36 bucks, that would last my crew about 1 week, but I but 38 pounds of the Natural Balance L.I.D. spending 54 dollars, the bag lasts me 1.5-2 weeks (mind that i do fast my dogs once a week though)


----------



## MMZero2009

Thanks, I haven't gone yet but I will go today, performanceknls assigned me a food that is chicken oatmeal and lamb, I will be returning and buying the food assigned to me by performanceknls, Tommorrow i am also taking him to the vet for his next vaccinations and I will ask the vet about his leg, I hope it is nothing serious, but I am glad that his other leg is flat on the ground now and it shaped pretty good because he had it a little bent, but it is all good now. I will let you know how it went!


----------



## MMZero2009

Also, what is the difference between the vet clinic and vet hospital? which do you recommend better?


----------



## ranger

gamer said:


> This is why they make diets for Large breed puppies, although i have never fed large breed puppy.


Took my boy to the vet today due to both of his front paws are slightly pointed outwards. He is 5 months as of today, the vet told me to feed him large breed adult food because he is more than likely receiving too much protein. The vet stated the food switch will slow down his rate of growth which is the reason his front paws are slightly pointed outwards... Has anyone ever heard of this, I am not to fond of the idea of slowing down his rate of growth...

He has been on Kirklands premium puppy kibble....


----------



## MMZero2009

Yeah, I went to the vet today also and he told me that this is the 2nd pitbull this week to have this problem and he does not really know of it, he told me it is most likely because of nutrition. But that he will call an orthopedic or something like that to reassure me, he also said my pups tummy looked like it was bloated and to get a stool sample and give it 2 him to be researched at the lab. he got his 1st corona, 1st bordetella, 2nd DHLP, 2nd Parvo

everything came out 2 be 58$, which I think was a little too pricey... because he really did not tell me anything towards my pups leg... other then it could be because of nutrition. As of now I am feeding him blue buffalo with 20% protein we will see how he is doing in a week or so


----------



## gamer

Yup sounds right, it doesnt mean your dog will be any smaller in the end, just wont be in pain during the growth. These are things people really need to think about before taking a medium sized dog and turning them into giant monsters. Google feeding a great dane puppy or mastiff puppy and you will get a ton of information.


----------



## gamer

> Large breed puppies like great danes and mastiffs require a special diet. Your mastiff / great dane puppy should only be fed a high quality ADULT DOG FOOD or a GIANT BREED PUPPY FOOD.
> 
> Do NOT feed your puppy a regular puppy food. Doing so can cause serious bone, joint and hip problems which can be very costly and painful for your dog. These foods have properly balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus, and are lower in fat and protein which allows your puppy to grow at a slower rate, lessening the likelihood that he will develop hip, bone and joint problems. (Don't worry, your dog will still grow to be the same size!) Holistic Select Giant Breed Puppy food has been highly recommended to me by several breeders as the protein and fat levels are optimized for proper giant breed (great dane / mastiff) growth.
> 
> You can click here to read an article on recognizing the bone diseases that can be caused by feeding your great dane puppy the wrong diet. There are other premium dog food brands that I like as well, including Canidae, Solid Gold, The Honest Kitchen, Innova (or any of the Natura brands) and BLUE. You should do your research and consult with your breeder when choosing a food for your puppy. Read the ingredient lists, check the guaranteed analysis, and be sure to watch your puppy closely for any signs of potential issues. Some premium foods can be purchased at large pet supply stores, but for others you may need to look at local feed stores or specialty premium pet food stores.


Great Dane Puppy Care, large breed puppy care - caring for great dane puppies, great danes, mastiff puppy care, GREAT DANE PUPPY CARE



> What To Feed Your Great Dane What you feed your dane is as important as how. More than a list of approved foods to stick to Heartland Great Dane Rescue encourages you to learn what to look for in a high quality kibble. Pet food manufacturers change formulas, names, prices, ingredients all the time. What is good today may not be good tomorrow. Top 3 things to remember...
> 
> 1. Feed your dane a high quality ADULT dog food. Foods right for Great Danes should have approximately 23% protein and close to 12% fat or less.
> 
> 2. Puppy food should NEVER be fed to a Great Dane, even as a puppy. Great Dane puppies grow for 2 years, and if fed puppy food or growth formula foods your puppy will grow too fast. Expedited growth causes numerous joint and bone problems in pups.
> 
> 3. Danes do not need as much food as you think. 2 cups a feeding, 2 feedings a day is a good place to start. If your dane is still hungry increase a half a cup at a time. Danes are very prone to Bloat, a condition that often leads to stomach torsion. This is a very serious, often fatal, medical condition in which the stomach actually flips over on itself. Feeding smaller meals of easily digestible ingredients found in high quality kibble recipes as opposed to larger amounts of fillers, and low quality additives found in most supermarket brands is recommended as the first step in avoiding this dangerous condition.
> 
> But, HOW TO TELL THE GOOD FROM THE BAD?? Price?	Well if you are paying $15.00 per 40 lbs of food can quality nutrition be expected? Nope. BUT It's not just about spending money, even high dollar brands can include many fillers and low quality, even harmful additives. We have picked two foods in the medium price range of $25.00 for 40 lb bag to compare. One is high quality the other is not. Luckily, the kibble bags themselves hold the key information you need to make a good choice. Once you know what to look for, you can pick a high quality food, in a price range you choose, and know what is going into your Great Dane.
> 
> Here we go! Reading Kibble Labels GUARANTEED ANALYSIS What it can tell you&#8230; This is on the side or back of a kibble bag and it's a rundown of the percentages of basic nutrition in the kibble. This is where you should go first to determine if the food you want to buy is right for your Great Dane. There are a lot of percentages listed, they can come into play when a Great Dane is ill or aged. For now, we will concentrate on just two, Crude Protein and Crude Fat. Crude Protein should be around 23% for your Great Dane. Lower is better. Great Danes are not high action dogs, they have low metabolic function, too much protein can cause health issues with bones, and heart. Especially for the first 2 years.
> 
> Any food that has High Protein, Hi-Pro, or Pro in the name could be too high in protein for a Dane. Check the Crude Protein numbers to make sure. Agitation, high activity, failure to focus, separation anxiety can all be due to a high protein diet in any dog breed. If your dog ,dane or no, is having issues with these problems a lower protein food can help.
> 
> *A Note about Puppies and Protein. Puppy food is extremely high in protein, other dog breeds may need it for their short growth period, but Dane Pups grow for a full 2 years so they do not. Slow, steady growth with a low protein ADULT dog food evens out growth spurts, lowering the chances of many bone and joint issues like, HOD and Pano. Your puppy will get to its full size, slow and steady, with good health on an adult formula kibble. Crude Fat should be around 12% for your Great Dane.
> 
> Not all foods you consider will have this level of fat so you may have to go with up to 15% but try max out there. The higher the fat content the more likelihood of loose stool. Danes need fat. They do not maintain a constant fatty layer under their skin like other dog breeds and their coats are thinner. So they need a steady fat content just to regulate their temperature. They also burn a higher percentage of fat than other dogs, so for good brain health do not skimp on the fat.
> 
> INGREDIENTS LIST What it can tell you&#8230; The ingredients list is also on the sides or back of the bag. Ingredients are listed according to weight and quantity. The first ingredient is what most of the kibble in the bag is made of. If the first ingredient is a grain or NOT a recognizable meat sources to you, STOP! Try another food. Grain being the first ingredient means your looking at a grain based food. Grain based foods are simply ground, boiled plants sprayed with vegetable oil or rendered meat fat. For Great Danes, a protein ( meat based diet) is best.


Feeding Your Dane: Heartland Great Dane Rescue, Inc. How to feed, What to look for in a Great Dane Diet. How to read a dog food label to buy a high quality diet.


----------



## performanceknls

58 sounds right for an exam and vaccine I know but it is expensive taking care of dogs! lol It does not surprise me the vet had no clue what was going on, it really is hard to find a vet who knows medically or nutritional problems outside of what they are taught in medical school. I have a great vet but he had to do a little research to find out what was wrong with my pup. I was already told by a few breeder friends what was wrong but I wanted to make sure so I went to two different vets. Should have saved my money and listen to my friends who have dealt with this before but my vet called an orthopedic vet and talked to him over the phone (free for me to get a second opinion) and that vet confirmed the pup was knuckling over due to a lose ligament and growing too fast. I did follow up with an ortho vet to make sure it was safe to work her after it fixed it's self and he gave her a clean bill of health. Find a good vet I know it may be hard but I would not go to a vet who was also my friend's groomer...... that sounds a little backwoods to me  Stick to the diet plan and you should be ok and you will see a huge difference in 3-5 weeks.

Now this happened to my pup who is a small gamebred dog and full grown is 35lbs, I have seen it happen now to other dogs of similar size and to bullies. The dogs I have seen have ate great food and some ok food the common factor was the growth of the dog was too quick for what ever reason. I do no think this is really bully related but I think there is still much to earn about why this effects puppies and of different breeds. Again I have seen this with a few breeds not just pit bull type dogs.
At least you got her vaccines and hopefully a deworming done! Oh if he took a stool sample to be sent off and still only charged you 58 that is SUPER cheap! I just got that done with my vet who is reasonable and my bill was over $80.


----------



## FloorCandy

What area are you in, I know a great ortho vet for a consult if you are near Baltimore.


----------



## MMZero2009

Wow lol, i guess I got a deal lol, he told me he would send it in the lab for free also. The clinic got 7 reviews and all of them were 5 out of 5 lol... so that is why I picked him, he was a really old man around his 70-80's lol, but he knew what he was doing, it just puzzled him when he saw the leg. Deworming I don't know if he did, I am not too sure about that, but when i bring in the stool sample I am pretty sure he will know what to do next right? how many deworms does the dog need ?


Floor candy i live in San Diego,CA lol i am far from that place


----------



## performanceknls

How is balls doing?? It's funny that we were talking about this one of my puppies is starting to knuckle over and I noticed it a few weeks ago and I put him on adult food but then went back to puppy when it looked like it corrected it's self. I should know better this is the age where he is really growing so I am going to put him on the blue buffalo for a while and it will clear it up. It is not as bad as your pup at this point and we got it early so it should correct quickly. No surprise there his mother had when she was a pup.


----------



## max

Hello, this is my first post in this website. I have a pitbull puppy (Max) and he's 10 weeks old. I also notice he has knuckling over. After reading this thread I will start feeding him adult food with low protein. I too am wondering how is balls doing? Did you need to splint his legs? if I splint max's leg how tight does it have to be?


----------



## coppermare

Amazing, I'd seen this once in a yearling colt but did not even imagine it existed in dogs! BTW the yearling that was like this looked like the poor pup on the website this thread directed the op to. It was horrible looking, his weight on his knees! This particular yearling was given protein shots to (make him grow fast and big) and then dumped for someone else to "fix" what they caused.


----------



## Rudy4747

My little brother had a bully that had this problem but it fixed its self. Now I have been told that is a little common in the bullies.


----------



## max

here is a picture of max.


----------



## Angie

MMZero2009 said:


> Yeah, I went to the vet today also and he told me that this is the 2nd pitbull this week to have this problem and he does not really know of it, he told me it is most likely because of nutrition. But that he will call an orthopedic or something like that to reassure me, he also said my pups tummy looked like it was bloated and to get a stool sample and give it 2 him to be researched at the lab. he got his 1st corona, 1st bordetella, 2nd DHLP, 2nd Parvo
> 
> everything came out 2 be 58$, which I think was a little too pricey... because he really did not tell me anything towards my pups leg... other then it could be because of nutrition. As of now I am feeding him blue buffalo with 20% protein we will see how he is doing in a week or so


$58? That's actually really cheap (well at least where I come from: Saratoga, CA which is in the bay area) For check ups here go for 45+


----------



## Moya101

*my dog has this problem!*

Hi, I was just trying to do some research about this problem, because my 8 week old Bull Mastiff/ Dane has this exact same problem. Did you ever find out what was wrong? and if it effects them? Please get back to me ASAP I am terribly worried.


----------



## billory

There really is nothing wrong other than he is growing fast and his calcium to phosphorous ratio is off. A $15 bottle of mineral supplements from your vet will fix him up in a few days. The condition is called "rickets". Don't worry he will be fine. Oh yeah feed him "Chicken Soup" large breed puppy formula. Very good mineral content. I have been through this twice with American Bulldogs.


----------



## ames

Moya101 said:


> Hi, I was just trying to do some research about this problem, because my 8 week old Bull Mastiff/ Dane has this exact same problem. Did you ever find out what was wrong? and if it effects them? Please get back to me ASAP I am terribly worried.


You should start your own thread so people can ask you questions directly and you can respond and not on another issues thread



billory said:


> There really is nothing wrong other than he is growing fast and his calcium to phosphorous ratio is off. A $15 bottle of mineral supplements from your vet will fix him up in a few days. The condition is called "rickets". Don't worry he will be fine. Oh yeah feed him "Chicken Soup" large breed puppy formula. Very good mineral content. I have been through this twice with American Bulldogs.


I thought it had more to do with protein than minerals but I have also never heard of it to be called rickets. I thought it was knuckling, is rickets just another term?


----------



## Bturner124

Hello, i have a 4 or 5 week old puppy with a problem a little similar , I got a puppy from some guy off of craigslist , he's an American pitbull and they told me he was 7 weeks old. But they lied , I found that out when I went to the vet. When I went to the vet they told me it was a birth defect , he was probably in the breeding ring , he limps a little and his leg goes outwards when he walks. I payed 100 for him. It was 80 to get the xray but they said they couldn't really do anything for him, they told me that it's possible he will be okay and his arm will straighten out (will probably still limp, but his arm won't be bowed out) if I feed him the good dog food. They said it doesn't hurt him, if you have any more questions you can contact me at [email protected]


----------

