Michele (Michele) asked 2 years ago
English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints
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.
Roy-k Staff answered 2 years ago
Answer for English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints
Answer for English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints. Dear Michele, I am sorry to hear about your English bulldog puppy’s loose joints and wobbly walk, the beautiful island of Madeira must be a great life for him
Answer for 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 VS. WOBBLY WALKING
LOOSE JOINTS BULLDOG PUPPY
When your bulldog puppy was born his bones and joints are incomplete, they are mostly soft cartilage that yet to mineralize/ossify. The bones have a growth plate that remains open providing for the growth and lengthening during the puppy maturation process. The bone plates will fuse at around one year of age. Therefore during that growth phase, English bulldog puppies or French bulldog puppies “loose joints” are not uncommon.
WOBBLY BULLDOG PUPPY
Bulldog puppy wobbliness is often associated with neurological problems, most common of which are various forms of bulldog and French bulldog vertebral malformation such as spinal Bifida, hemivertebra, etc.
LIMPING BULLDOG PUPPY
Limping is usually a manifestation of pain, this is usually considered an orthopedic problem. In contrast to limping, dragging, wobbling, or/and misplacing the legs is often associated with nerve damage
English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints ORTHOPEDIC PROBLEMS
BULLDOG PUPPY FRONT LEG LIMPING
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 OTHER FRONT LEG LIMPING:
- BULLDOG PUPPY PANOSTITIS: 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 exhibit flue 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
BULLDOG PUPPY HIP DYSPLASIA:
Though hip dysplasia is common to 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 is 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, and Trauma like above bulldog front legs limp
Answer for English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joints DIAGNOSIS
BULLDOG PUPPY ORTHOPEDIC & 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
LOOSE JOINTS & 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.
OTHER IMAGING: MRI, CT, ARTHROSCOPY, BONE SCAN
BULLDOG PUPPY lAB SCREENING TESTS:
Includes CBC, Chemistries, Fecal and Urine screening test
BULLDOG PUPPY GATE ANALYSIS
A gate analysis that can provide empirical data of your bulldog puppy weight-bearing of each of the puppy’s four limbs (see video).
English Bulldog Puppy Wobbly Loose Joint HEALTH, PREVENTIVE & TREATMENT
Bulldog Puppy Healthy Weight :
Keep your bulldog lean, obesity can exasperate both orthopedics and neurological conditions
Bulldog Puppy Healthy Diet:
Adhere to nutritious and balanced puppy dog food.
Bulldog Puppy Healthy Supplements:
Bulldog puppy supplements provide for the ultimate preventive health and therapeutic care. Example are:
- BULLDOG PUPPY MULTIVITAMINS: Bully Multivitamins Formula
- BULLDOG PUPPY JOINTS & BONES: Bully Advanced Total Joints
- BULLDOG PUPPY IMMUNITY & ANTI INFAMMETORY: Bully Fish Oil JOINT-IMMUNE-SKIN
See our economic bulldog puppy therapeutic bundles HERE:
Bulldog Puppy NSAID’S:
You could try a short course of doggy non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (“doggy aspirin”), if the symptoms dramatically improved then the puppy condition is likely associated with inflammation and pain
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 on my website.
You are welcome to send me more videos, diagnostic imaging, lab tests, and Dr. notes
Best of luck
Dr. Kraemer
“An Ounce Of PREVENTION Is Worth A Pound Of CURE”
*This guide was compiled courtesy of Dr. Kraemer, a “MUST READ” manual for any current or future bully owner