Extra large pad

by Judy Glaude
(Woonsocket, RI)

Hi,

My 8-9 month old Rottie was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her right hind leg, due to this, I’m told, is why her pad on her right leg is not formed properly.

She now has a limp and favors it.

My question is, could this be harmful to her? What would you suggest I do?

I’m very concerned, she also limps more frequently as she is getting older.

Thanks so much for your feedback.

Judy & Molly

Hi Judy
I wish I could give you the answers you need, but this is a question for your vet I think. It’s not something I’ve ever seen, and it’s impossible for me to say whether there is more damage than is visible, or how it may affect her as she gets older I’m afraid.

If she’s limping then there’s pain or discomfort there, and it may be that there is something that can be done by your vet to help eliminate that. As Rotties are big, heavy dogs, she may experience more difficulty as she grows due to the extra weight that leg will have to carry.

However, at this age many pups are a bit ‘out of proportion’ due to their rapid growth, and this may be making the situation a bit more difficult for her, and it could be that as she matures and her body stops growing and becomes more ‘balanced’, that she will learn to deal with this problem and compensate better.

Rottweilers have a high pain threshold, and often don’t show signs of distress early on, so I’d definitely suggest that you have your vet examine her and give you his expert opinion. You need to know if there’s anything to be concerned about, and how to help her as much as possible.

If you’d like a more professional ‘take’ on this, you could also try an online veterinarian. This isn’t a suitable option for emergency or acute problems, but in your situation it may give you some more, valuable, input.

If you want to try this option, visit my Ask A Vet A Question page.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that everything works out just fine.

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