Michele (Michele) asked 3 years ago
English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints Question
Hello Dr. Kraemer,
I am concerned about my 18-week old puppy loose joints. In these videos, you can see that his rear legs look loose and wobbly.
We have put rugs down since he arrived, but our floors are slippery and I wonder if sliding around on them while he was 10 and 11 weeks old created problems.
I also wonder if our play was too vigorous for him; we have suspended those games and any walks (which were not lengthy but did involve a somewhat steep incline).
Can you tell me what you see -- is there a problem here?
We live on the island of Madeira, Portugal. At this point, I think our puppy is too heavy to travel under an airplane seat, and he cannot travel in cargo... So unless we charter him a flight, or fly a surgeon here, we are limited in remediation efforts.
Thank you for your help.
Dr. Roy Kraemer Staff answered 3 years ago
Answer for English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints
Dear Michele, I regret learning about your puppy's loose joints and unsteady gait. The beautiful surroundings of Madeira must surely provide a wonderful life for him.
English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints FRONT LIMP
The first video you sent me goes by too fast, but there is a noticeable limp (lameness).
From that video, I suspect a front leg(s) problem in addition to what you described as a hind leg “loose joint.”.
English Bulldog Puppy LOOSE JOINTS BONE OSIFICATION
When a bulldog puppy is born, his bones and joints are incomplete; they are mostly cartilage that has yet to mineralize or ossify.
BONE GROWTH PLATES
Your puppy's axial bones, forming the hip, knees, and hock joints, have growth plates that only fuse at the age of one.
These open growth plates facilitate growth and bone lengthening throughout the puppy's maturation process.
Therefore, it is not uncommon to notice "loose joints" during this growth phase.
Wobbly Loose Joint Bulldog Puppy / NEUROLOGICAL
Bulldog puppy wobbliness can also be associated with neurological problems, the most common of which are various forms of bulldog and French bulldog vertebral malformation such as
- spinal Bifida
- hemivertebra
Limping Bulldog Puppy
NEUROLOGICAL DRAGGING:
Dragging, wobbling, or misplacement of the legs is often linked to nerve damage.
PAINFUL LIMP
Limping is typically an expression of pain, commonly regarded as an orthopedic issue.
English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints ORTHOPEDIC PROBLEMS
Many bulldog puppies suffer from orthopedic problems, even at a very young age.
Examples are:
- Hip Dysplasia
- Hip Subluxation
- Medial Patella luxation
- ACL Injuries
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Panosteitis
- OCD
BULLDOG PUPPY ELBOW DYSPLASIA:
Bulldog elbow dysplasia is the most common underlying orthopedic problem for front leg limping in English bulldog puppies.
Pain & Limping as well as disuse muscle atrophy and joint effusion is usually associated with bulldog elbow dysplasia
BULLDOG PUPPY FRONT LEG LIMPING:
The common causes for puppy front leg limping are:
BULLDOG PUPPY PANOSTEITIS:
seen in growing bulldog puppies, it can present in one or more legs during growth, pain is usually associated with the bond diaphysis, and often the puppy also exhibits flu-like behavior (fever, lack of appetite)
BULLDOG PUPPY OCD:
Osteochondritis dissecans is a bone inflammation due to bone ossification problems with an avascular cartilage residue. The shoulder is a common sight for bulldog OCD, but it can be found in other joints such as the hips and knees
BULLDOG PUPPY TRAUMA:
Bruise or fracture including fractures to the growth plate (there are 5 types named salter fractures.
BULLDOG PUPPY HIND LEG LIMPING
Common causes of puppy hind leg limps are:
BULLDOG PUPPY HIP DYSPLASIA:
Though hip dysplasia is common in bulldogs it usually will not be associated with pain, nevertheless, hip dysplasia and hip luxation can present as “loose joints” and wobbliness.
BULLDOG PUPPY MPL:
Bulldog and French bulldog medial patella luxation are very common; they can present early in life as a mild degree (grade 1-2) but also a more severe degree (grade 3 and even 4). The mild degree is often subclinical and the sesamoid bone luxation could be viewed by the owners as a “loose joint” or wobbliness.
A more severe case of bulldog puppy MPL can be painful, leading to a noticeable limp.
BULLDOG PUPPY ACL:
Bulldog and French bulldog anterior cruciate ligament injury, tears, and raptures can present in various forms of abnormal gate or walk depending on severity and degree of pain.
BULLDOG PUPPY OTHER HIND LEG LIMPING
- Bulldog panosteitis
- OCD
- Trauma: like above bulldog's front legs limp
Answer for English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints DIAGNOSIS
NEUROLOGICAL EXAM
You should see a veterinarian for a full physical, lameness assessment, neurological soundness, pain analysis, range of motion, palpation, etc.
BULLDOG PUPPY ORTHOPEDIC & NEUROLOGICAL IMAGING
- Radiographs
- MRI
- CT Scan
- Arthroscopy
LOOSE JOINTS AND WOBBLINESS RADIOGRAPHS:
Radiographs should be taken for bulldogs exhibiting loose joints, wobbliness, limping, dragging, etc.
X-rays are critical, many of the wobbly loose joint bulldog conditions described above can be diagnosed with simple radiographs.
BULLDOG PUPPY LAB SCREENING TESTS:
Includes
- CBC
- Chemistries
- Fecal
- Urine Analysis
BULLDOG PUPPY GATE ANALYSIS
A gate analysis that can provide empirical data on your bulldog puppy's weight-bearing of each of the puppy's four limbs (see video).
English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joint PREVENTIVE CARE
WEIGHT
Keep your bulldog lean, obesity can exasperate both orthopedics and neurological conditions
DIET
Adhere to nutritious and balanced puppy dog food.
Bulldog Puppy Healthy Supplements:
Bulldog puppy supplements provide the ultimate preventive health and therapeutic care.
Example are:
See our economic bulldog puppy therapeutic bundles HERE:
Bulldog Puppy NSAID:
You could try a short course of doggy non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ("doggy aspirin"), if the symptoms dramatically improve then the puppy's condition is likely associated with inflammation and pain. I don't recommend using OTC aspirin.
You should get a prescription from your vet for a an NSAID that is formulated for dogs.
Bulldog Puppy Stem Cell Therapy:
I have treated and therapeutically implemented stem cell therapy for various bulldog orthopedic and neurological conditions, For more information, please read the respective pages HERE
You are welcome to send me more videos, diagnostic imaging, lab tests, and Dr. notes
Best of luck
Dr. Kraemer, Vet4Bulldog
Recommended by Owners Approved by Bulldogs
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