What should I do? Hips concern?

[Redirish86]

Took Siri to the vet this morning . She was 13.8lbs, and was in good health vet was happy. When I asked her about her build however and her hips she said that she's not show quality (which I'm ok with) but that her anatomy is odd in the hips. I'm kind of bummed I don't care if she's purple she's mine but what does it mean? Should I mention this to the breeder? Also, I asked if it would cause problems and she said it's a watch and wait thing could just be her anatomy. She doesn't limp just a fun sulking kind of walk. I tried to take a picture again but she's always moving or laying down lol... Any advice guys?

 

[ruthcatrin]

"her anatomy is odd in the hips" what does that mean?? I think you need to call the vet for clarification of what they're seeing first.

 

[Redirish86]

She said I just called her lol that her back feet are slightly out turned and her hips feel even but seem over sized ... I'm wondering if it's a growth stage a lot of pictures I've found on here look similar but of much younger pups it reminds me of how a dairy cow or a lion looks from the side the back slopes down from the shoulders than goes up to the hips with a dip behind her (huge) rib cage... This is my first EM so I'm use to labs and the like.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Can you get a couple more pictures? A side standing profile (with you on as close to the same level as her as possible), and a standing shot from directly behind her (again, the same level if possible) and a standing shot from above looking down at her? You'll need a helper to help distract her with something yummy to keep her in place.

 

[Redirish86]

Thank you for looking at them. Maybe I'm seeing nothing I don't know...

 

[Redirish86]

 

[ruthcatrin]

Nothing's jumping out at me as BAD. Feet turning out can be a sign of an issue but I'm not seeing anything I'd consider to be an excessive turn out. And she's young enough that yup, she's going to be hitting all sorts of funky growth moments in the near future. I'm sure others will chime in, but nothing's jumping at me.

 

[DennasMom]

I don't see anything - but I'm not really a good person to ask.

How much giant breed and mastiff experience does your vet have?
If it really bothers you, I'd call around and see if there's a vet that specializes in mastiffs that can take a look.

Otherwise... she's really young and has a LOT of growing to do. And, as Ruth pointed out, there can be many 'awkward' phases while growing.
Make sure she's on a good quality food with low calcium and low phosphorus, maybe (maybe) add a little extra vitamin C... keep her lean and turn her loose!

Can you really tell "Show Quality" when they are that young?? I know breeders seem to be able to pick the "best" puppy... but to rule out being "show quality" at that age seems extreme to me.

 

[Dale]

I can see what you vet is talking about. It is slight but if you asked your vet to observe then she should be honest with you. It may be something your pup may grow out of like others have said since the pup is so young. As far as if I would mention it to the breeder I for sure would if I purchased a show quality pup. If I purchased a pure breed pet I would probably even mention it in that case also just to hear what they said. Maybe your breeder has seen this before in there pups and they do grow out of it. If she seems fine and you don't plan on showing your pup and the vet said it was fine then you have a perfect puppy in any case. She is a cute little baby pup.

 

[Redirish86]

She is definitely the perfect puppy. Shes so laid back and sweet which I love. We are feeding her Fromm large breed puppy and she likes it. Does anyone else use this? She eats a ton lol around 3-4 cups a day.

 

[angelbears]

Good looking pup! I agree with Dennasmom seems too young to be saying if the dog is show quality. If you have a contract with your breeder I most certainly would let her know your vets concerns. At this stage I would not be threatening in tone but I would document that there could be a problem down the road. However, I agree with the others in that these pups go through some very weird looking awkward stages.

 

[TWW]

Wait till she hits the dragster stage.
This is when her butt seem to be at the same height as her head and the front legs are much shorter.

EM's go thru some crazy changes, and grow out of them most of the time.

 

[Slinger-girl]

I would definitely mention it to the breeder, so she/he can keep tabs on the situation and also watch the rest of the litter to see if there are any signs of trouble in the other pups. How old is your puppy?

 

[DMikeM]

Appearing to be slightly cow hocked in large breed puppies is normal at many stages of growth. In greater or extreme cases it may indicate hip problems like dysplasia. With pups that have cow hocks you should not confine them to a crate for long periods or let them walk on slippery floors. Get her out in the dirt and sand and let her climb on rocks and small objects, even climbing UP stairs is good. Always help a young mastiff down stairs.
Good diet with balanced low Calcium and Phosphorus content is critical to correct this issue.

Your pup only appears to be slightly hocked and I don't really see a narrowing of the hips (watch for that). So she could grow out of this pretty easily.

 

[Redirish86]

I feel a lot better about it... And I swear it changes daily ... Shes so happy go lucky and mellow!

 

[DMikeM]

Even if it is just cow hocks that does not mean the dog will be crippled or not be able to have a normal life.