Puppy Legs

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LindzandOliver

Forums Novice
Hi everyone,
I posted a few months ago about my puppy Oliver and his cuddli-ness. I got wonderful feedback and thank everyone for their input. I'm glad to report that he has warmed up a LOT to being held, and will even sleep on my lap now!

I'm hoping to get some input on another concern. And just a note- I am planning to call the vet first thing monday to get his opinion.

So, Oliver is now 6 months old and I've been taking him to the (small) dog park for short visits for about a month now. He's a very active dog- loves to run, is highly social, and he seems to have a great time there. I monitor him very closely and watch for signs that he is ready to go. We typically go a few times a week and stay about 30 minutes.

So, this has happened twice now, and happened this afternoon again, getting me very concerned. He ran around at the park for a bit longer than usual about 45-60 minutes. When he seemed to be slowing down, we headed home, and when I took him out of the car to walk to the house, after his first few steps, he stumbled on his back legs. I then watched him walk up to the house and his back legs seemed very unsteady. This happened once before after a dog park visit, but I thought it might have been a fluke, and we took a couple days off and I watched him closely (and nothing like it ever happened again).

So, now I'm really worried. Do you think he was over-exercised? I thought at this age he could probably handle an hour of play-time, especially since he is so high-energy, but is this a sign that it is too much for him? Could this be an early sign of hip dysplasia? I just feel like the worst dog mommy ever!
 
LindzandOliver said:
Hi everyone,
I posted a few months ago about my puppy Oliver and his cuddli-ness. I got wonderful feedback and thank everyone for their input. I'm glad to report that he has warmed up a LOT to being held, and will even sleep on my lap now!

I'm hoping to get some input on another concern. And just a note- I am planning to call the vet first thing monday to get his opinion.

So, Oliver is now 6 months old and I've been taking him to the (small) dog park for short visits for about a month now. He's a very active dog- loves to run, is highly social, and he seems to have a great time there. I monitor him very closely and watch for signs that he is ready to go. We typically go a few times a week and stay about 30 minutes.

So, this has happened twice now, and happened this afternoon again, getting me very concerned. He ran around at the park for a bit longer than usual about 45-60 minutes. When he seemed to be slowing down, we headed home, and when I took him out of the car to walk to the house, after his first few steps, he stumbled on his back legs. I then watched him walk up to the house and his back legs seemed very unsteady. This happened once before after a dog park visit, but I thought it might have been a fluke, and we took a couple days off and I watched him closely (and nothing like it ever happened again).

So, now I'm really worried. Do you think he was over-exercised? I thought at this age he could probably handle an hour of play-time, especially since he is so high-energy, but is this a sign that it is too much for him? Could this be an early sign of hip dysplasia? I just feel like the worst dog mommy ever!
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My friends sheltie did that a couple times after running dog park. He is a very high energy guy and runs very hard. He will not stop unless you make him.

She never did figure out what caused it.:confused2: Had xrays and bloodwork done. Nothing abnormal. The thought was \ could have been muscle fatigue(lactic acids build up) from running to hard or too long or possible low blood sugar(she gave treats in the car so if it was that it would be hard to no). It only happened twice. He 6 yrs old.

I would have the vet check him out though.
 
Sounds like to much fun (OK so maybe close but not to much). Sca does not jump into his chair as well near the end of the night if we have been going full tilt for a while. For some reason he seems to tire out in his back legs first though they have improved as he ages (about 21 weeks now)
 
I will weigh in here. I think a 6 month old playing non-stop and running full out should only be allowed 30 minutes of this kind of activity. They won't stop when they should. I think what he is displaying is true exhaustion. My puppy who is 6 months runs with all the dogs, and then, when they all come in, she falls right to sleep. I don't know if I would take him to the vet, unless it pursists. Common sense would tell me it's fatigue. Watch and see if it happens at any other time. If he isn't displaying the symptoms when you take him in, then you are up for a lot of tests, when it could be age appropriate exhaustion. I don't run to the vets nearly as often as most, and when I do, it is after I have documented and observed the problem. With my number of dogs it just makes sense.

I would like to take this opportunity to give you all some very good advice about observing your dogs. When you have a dog that you think is sick or "off", ALWAYS take their temperature. I am never without a thermometer. I always have one in my tack box, and in my dog duffle for the hotels. How important an emergency is, can be calculated by their temp. When you call your vet with a real concern, right away tell them what the dog's temp is. It gives them vital information about the severity of your dogs illness. Normal temp would be 100.5-101.5.
 
Terrific advice! I've never actually done it. My first reaction is to go the vet. Ching, Ching!

I'm going to add a thermoeter to my doggie kit.
 
I think my first thought would be that he is tired too. I think you will be doing the right thing by asking the vet about it this week. If the vet is thinking what you are about the hips, it would be the best time to do the x-rays. I hope everything is ok with Oliver, keep us posted.
 
missjenneygirl said:
I think a 6 month old playing non-stop and running full out should only be allowed 30 minutes of this kind of activity. They won't stop when they should. QUOTE]

Great advice, in my opinion. Injuries occur often when we / dogs are tired, as well. I'm convinced that Snap's original soft tissue injury occurred at the dog park when he had just had too much, was tired, and slipped while turning.
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Thank you so much for the feedback. It's alleviated some worries, and I also really appreciate the guidelines for how much exercise he should be getting. I live in a condo building, thus we don't have a yard, so I think I've been letting him run and play at the dog park longer than he should- mostly because I feel like it's his one opportunity to really frolic outside. I will definitely heed the advice to limit his full-out running play to 30 minutes at this age.

I hope these visits haven't caused any long-term damage, and I'm also planning to discuss it with the vet this week. Thank you again everyone!
 
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