Does this look wrong?

SarahSassy

Am just curious if people think somehitng looks wrong with the pups hips when he sits.. He has always sat this way and we just thought it was cos his legs were so gangly.... My uncle said at the weekend it didnt look right. Has been been to the vet a lot lately and while he had sore hips after a fall he thought he was ok in general but we didnt ask him about the sitting thing as we had considered it normal. he is 6 months and doesnt appear to be in any pain. We had put it down to him trying to stop himself sliding on the wooden floors. Any ideas?

dublindogcare

I have seen a few dogs that sit down in certain ways that we may think looks strange......but no one can really call to be honest , this is really one to ask the vet!

peasant

looks a bit strange alright, as he seems to be sitting right on his bum, with the legs somehow just "arranged" for balance.

Most dogs sit right on their hind legs, with the bum hardly touching the ground

tk123

I thought it looked ok? He may be just at the bandy stage like our guy lol! He has a ikea football that now looks like a rugby ball from him sitting on it!

SarahSassy

Yeah he does sit right on his bum and use the legs for balance...

cruizer101

Looking at the pic I reckon it could just be gangly akward puppy.
Just curious would he sit the same on say carpet or some other not that slippy surface, also have you tried while he is sitting to squeeze his legs in to what would be more normal, see if he minds or if they just go back out again.
Personally I wouldn't be too worried but only really a vet could say for sure.
Lastly, he is an adorable looking dog

star-pants

Agreed, the vet should know if they were sitting off at all.
Our dogs (Lhasas) sit on their fanny, for want of a better explanation with one of their back legs sticking out.
If you check them out here and here

Vegeta

It looks like a lab yeah?

Any decent working lab will have his hips checked and eyes tested and scored at a young age as they are 2 very common problems with the breed.

He looks to be sitting oddly and poor hips are a known issue with the Labrador breed.

Gorgeous looking pup but I'd keep a really close eye on this and hopefully it's just a personality trait and nothing serious

Santrypad

star-pants wrote: »

Our dogs (Lhasas) sit on their fanny, for want of a better explanation with one of their back legs sticking out.

Well described Star pants

lorebringer

One of mine sits like this and always has, she's now 4 years old and has no hip or joint problems at all. She also splays out on the floor with "frogs legs" and generally has reasonably flexible hips. If you are worried about your pup (which, by the way, is a cutie!) ask your vet to have a poke and prod at his hips. Because of his breed you need to be very aware of hip and joint issues but if he is not in any discomfort and is bouncing around like a normal pup there shouldn't be too much to worry about.

Discostuy

I would have thought it looked funny if my two didnt sit exactly the same way

I used to think it was weird, but its just how they sit...weirdo's

Also they do find sitting on wooden floors very awkward, as they slide so easily.

And then sometimes they just sit whatever which way their bum falls

Cinnomen

I wonder if its the wooden floor, the reason I say is we have laminate and my dogs legs sometimes go like this, do you have some carpet he can sit on and you can see if its the same?

SarahSassy

lorebringer wrote: »

She also splays out on the floor with "frogs legs" and generally has reasonably flexible hips.

Yeah he always lies like this too (see attached at 11 weeks).. He did hurt himself a couple of weeks ago and had to get pain killers for his hips but he was sitting like this since he was a small pup (attached at 8 weeks - first night home) and I didnt think anything of it...

Thanks all for your kind words... He is a treasure..

Discostuy he has started 'lounging' like Koko in that photo - its so funny...

Ok well I wont rush with him to the vet but will get it checked out again when we next bring him. Vet had looked him over in Dec and said he was in good nick so hopefully....

Jules

When he walks, and please don't laugh, does he walk like John Wayne?

lrushe

My Spitz sits right on his bottom with his back paws completely off the ground:), it looks weird but their is nothing wrong with his hips. I'd be more worried if he walked strange ie. he walked with a swaying motion, that could be a worrying sign. My Rottie is going through an arkward stage at the moment, she's all legs, I just keep a close eye on her as she's growing and fingers crossed she is ok so far!

SarahSassy

Jules wrote: »

When he walks, and please don't laugh, does he walk like John Wayne?

His torso seems to move more than his hind legs when he is walking... Will get it checked out.... Now I am worried.. His legs do look so spindly compared to his body so I had always assumed he was growing into himself.

lrushe

SarahSassy wrote: »

Emmmmm strange question but I dont think so... Actually I dont know...

I think she is referring to the swaying motion dogs with hip problems display!!!

lrushe

SarahSassy wrote: »

His torso seems to move more than his hind legs when he is walking... Will get it checked out.... Now I am worried.. His legs do look so spindly compared to his body so I had always assumed he was growing into himself.

lrushe wrote: »

I think she is referring to the swaying motion dogs with hip problems display!!!

That does sound a bit worrying, I'd have it checked out by a vet. But then again he could just be having a growth spurt and so he looks a bit all over the place. Still if you have him check it will put your mind at rest.

SarahSassy

lrushe wrote: »

That does sound a bit worrying, I'd have it checked out by a vet.

When we brought him to the vet for the 1st time in Dec (another vet prior) he told us he was one of the finest labs he had ever seen and he breeds them (only quoting him and seeing as I did not gie birth to the pup myself I am not being smug about it )....

Will keep an eye and bring him in the next few weeks once the other injury has passed...

lrushe

SarahSassy wrote: »

When we brought him to the vet for the 1st time in Dec (another vet prior) he told us he was one of the finest labs he had ever seen and he breeds them....

He is a beautiful dog, no doubt, but hip problems don't always initally show up, especially in a young pup. Was his parents hip scored, do you know their score?? Again there might be nothing wrong with his hips and he's just going through a growth spurt which is making him look a bit arkward!:)

Blueprint

I've read that they don't usually officially diagnose hip dysplasia until a dog is 18 months or so, as dogs are changing so much all the time before that and it's impossible to tell if there's anything wrong before that.

If you're worried about his joints, it can't do any harm to give him a glucosamine supplement.

A vet check never hurts if you're worried though, if only to stop you from worrying!

SarahSassy

Blueprint wrote: »

I've read that they don't usually officially diagnose hip dysplasia until a dog is 18 months or so, as dogs are changing so much all the time before that and it's impossible to tell if there's anything wrong before that.

If you're worried about his joints, it can't do any harm to give him a glucosamine supplement.

A vet check never hurts if you're worried though, if only to stop you from worrying!

Ok and now my next silly question.. Is bog standard glucosamine whats needed or is there a special animal version? This is my first pup and I am trying to do all as well as possible hence the 50 million questions. My OH has had dogs all his life but is away at the mo so I am annoying strangers instead

Jules

Best bet, and i mean no disrespect to anyone here, but bring him to your vet and do not leave till you get the answers you are looking for. Glucosomine, i can never spell that word, is a great, but it won't help if there are already issues. But it will help with other joints. He could just be a bandie puppy, labs are like that. At times all legs and tail and no direction!

Please say he is insured!

SarahSassy

Yep insured

Jules

\0/ Excellent, well done you!

But as i said, i would bring him to the vet and do not leave till you are happy or if he cannot help you, ask for a referral to a specialist.