Hi,Thank you for your informative and useful blog about swimmer puppies. Thanks again for everything. I'm the type that will sit in the whelping box to help them nurse, since I didn't have to I didn't realize the potential issue we'd have with them laying on their side. . It is otherwise known as a funnel chest. It's the combination of raising the chest off the ground, which then straightens the legs, then tying the t-shirt ends firmly over the back puts pressure on the ribs to go back in place, ie pointing downwards rather than horizontally. You are NOT a bother. He manages to lift his frontal side up, his hind doesn't support him though, without the tape. We are hoping to change his chest shape, and start working on his leg muscles. With that said, a floating rib can only go away through surgery. Suddenly, you notice a bump on their ribs. This makes breathing difficult, so the puppy will lack energy and appear lethargic. However, when I removed the sock his front legs are splayed again and his chest still flat. I have been doing passive leg movements & she can move both of them now. i am off to make some t shirts, they are 4 weeks today. Remember how fast they are growing right now their bones have to be 'flexible'.Please keep us posted on your progress! In addition to these dogs, inherited indentation of the chest has been reported in three-setter crossbreeds, two pugs, and two Welsh terriers. You can't begin correcting him too soon! :), Thank you so much, I started to keep him for a few hours in the basket and I think he like it.I had him out on the lawn and he did try to walk, but his back legs are still weak and going to the side and than he crawls. The Bulldog Club of America also has excellent information on the swimming puppy. The diaphragm is a muscle flat sheet of muscle that helps a horse breathe. Thank you. And in general, they dont need to go away. She is still draging her hind legs behind her. Loin short. No, three weeks is about the perfect age to intervene. Please give me as much info to help them as possible. Pectus excavatum in the dog (a case report). He is a very big puppy.It does look like he as a very flat hip. If that is the case there may not be a lot of room for pups if you bred from her but so long as there is room for her organs there should be no problem. Protection on the rib cage of the heart, lungs and diaphragm. Then fur parents shouldnt have a reason to worry about a floating rib. Since your girl is not walking at all, lets give the hobbled legs a day or two and see if that doesnt help resolve the issue. Even by holding him. It takes some hard work, but only for a short time and they're worth it!Please post here again if I can be of any more help to you!LabMama, Thank you so much, you're an absolute angel giving your advice to us novices. With the breathing on my little cardigan girl, I don't think I should wait, I'm flipping her, massaging her, propping her in a very light/fluffy bed that keeps her on her side and if she goes to her belly, she's very much suspended. She mothers him and plays with him. Almost 4 weeks ago we went through our worst experience with our female. I really didnt believe that she could be cured, but after about 3 days she was up and walking and is now running and playing with her brothers. But other than that, you can also pay attention to your dogs response. Reduced oxygen saturation level. He will be quite eager to turn over or lay on his tummy, so he will use his front legs more. This article discusses dog flat feet, available treatments, and other information should be aware regarding this condition. Keep us posted, okay Best of luck! The problem is, he just cant keep his back legs under him. The weird thing is that she was walking and even went up a set of steps one day unaided. In this instance, the ribcage will be prominently protruding and a little too odd. Pectus excavatum, which is from Latin meaning "hollow breast," is a chest wall deformity seen frequently in humans and less often in veterinary patients. Animalso.com is a participant in different Affiliate programs, including Chewy, Inc. and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Swim sessions: Hit the pool three times a day. Required fields are marked *. He was a very big puppy at birth and all he did was eat and sleep on his belly. I am trying to walk him on an uneven surface, but he seems to give up v easily.both his front and back legs are splayed and his chest cavity seems very deep now. I did this for about a week.It IS intense therapy, but only for a very short time and our sweet fur-babies are worth it, aren't they? My beautiful lab Reni had a litter of 8 of which only 3 survived, but 2 of them seem to have very flat chests. He is only 3 days old . Do I place the cotton balls on the inside of the front legs or the outside. He just needs a little more time. Just to let you see how I put the sock on and the box she slept in. I recently hada litter of three Japanese Chin puppies. and all his limbs are out like a seal.I keep reading that it is hard to notice any difference until the puppy is older but I noticed over a week ago that something about his ribs just didnt feel right. She became very ill and I noticed her trying to push, long story short she lost 2 pups, and one other didn't make it 2 weeks ago. The dog's chest appears concave or flat. Dogs born with pectus excavatum often exhibit breathing difficulties. I added a picture.. you can see how his back legs are splayed out. Strap a swimmer puppy syndrome harness on your pup to keep her chest well-suspended from the flat ground. At this age, you may be able to simply hobble the front legs with a bit of surgical tape. I tried the socks method but she just can find a way to remove it.Then I decided to make her the rig as shown in this video(www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI9TVaJbhi8). Piercing the heart can quickly occur if the veterinary surgeon is not careful. Fossum TW, Boudrieau RJ, Hobson HP, Rudy RL. I will try to help you. I hope I have covered everything that concerned you! Warning: If their chest feels soft, theres a chance that their lungs got damaged. Youre doing GREAT! Your body/rib cage looks like mineee. Before I found your site, I had already talked to my vet about her and been told there was really nothing that I could do. Please tell me what I can do to help him get stronger. It can ensure that their heart and other organs in the chest are well protected. He will quickly learn to use his legs to turn over and it helps build the muscles.Please let me know if you have more questions; I'll help you any way I can.LabMama, hi. She had 2 pups stuck in her canal and we had no idea since she delivered the amount the vet said. So with that, it can cause some minor pain in your pooch. If you have a box or basket to use, try that also. Thanks for posting the photos, Annette! I have looked for help in various other ways and means but to no avail.Nicola, Today her walking is even better looks like she s just a little behind. I dont think the hind legs are a problem. Echo reformatted my whole post. I took the pups to my own vet (they had previously been with my sister's vet)He took one look & said 'she is a swimmer'..thank God he recognised the condition. Can you explain what is going on with the pup? After the surgery, all heart and breathing problems were resolved. [The Ultimate Guide], The Best Veterinarian Near Me: Your Search Ends Here, The puppy is unable to stand or walk by three, Because the chest flattens, the heart and other organs are pushed up into the pleural cavity. I think I have just made it more comfortable for him. I have an almost-5-year-old girl here that was weak and had to be bottle fed for about a week. The elbows come through a lot, aren't they supposed to be in the shirt? Both the front and the back. After all, it can be an unusual sight for you. Due to their overexcitement, they missed a step. At 3 weeks, when everyone else started getting up and walking around, she couldn't. HiWe have got two four day old pups which we are hand feeding every hour or so, on demand!.Their mother is a very small Maltese Shitzu (5 yr old) first time mumShe has rejected them since a few hours after ceasarian birththe pregnancy was accidental.the apricot male pup - Wilbur is doing very well moving around very swiftly, but his sister, Sheeba (black) is much smallerWe have noticed that Sheebas two back legs are splayed out at the back & don't move now since day 2, looking alot like frog legs. They can assess whether your dog can recover with regular treatment or if they need more than that. He has a squishy lump on his side by his rib cage. Please let me know if you have any more questions!LabMama, I have a three and half week old lab who is a swimmer. That is the normal and natural position for nursing pups. We only had a H U G E girl which looked too fat and she cannot move easily. Use the wrap to bind the hind legs together Not *hogtied*, but firmly enough that he can't splay out again. When we got her she wasn't using her hind legs and the label "swimmer" had been given her. Once she starts doing it on her own, you can remove the tape hobble. But the last rib is the only one connected to the spinal cord. In last 3 weeks he has gone from crawling to almost running. Let's start! After 14 hours, she stood for the first time. Is it too late to try the methods described in your site? I ask because I am loathe to leave him in the rig overnight, he won't be able to move, and won't be able to feed/toilet. Thank youStacy (Australia), Stacy, I had a similar situation with Fudge. I took him to my vet and they said "sometimes you see swimmers pups but it's not a big deal", so I just dont know what to think? HiSo glad to have found a site dealing with swimmer puppy. We need help and don't know who to call or what to do to help him, ok well i monitored him over night and his breathing seems to be better with the rig on i dont think the hind legs technique is necessary yet he is having small improvements my only question is how long should i keep him in this rig? I know you said it may take awhile for it to sink in and I don't mind the wait or the work I am just worried that I will miss something I was supposed to do and my babies will pay for it. a potential swimmer and should be watched. As it is, she is once again a healthy, strong puppy.Julia, Hi, first of all I'm sorry for my english that is not my natural language. In some animals, especially snakes, ribs may provide support and protection for the entire . As a tip, you can also try to look at the bone anatomy of a dogs rib cage. Copy. Immediately made the sock method. He went to the vet today and I almost left without him. Broken ribs require emergency medical treatment, as the end of a broken bone can puncture the dog's lung. Is it ok if they lay on their back ms? It is otherwise known as a funnel chest. The female does not stand up, nor walks. He was given 1 day. We will have to try your method! We just tried putting him in a sock vest as shown on the website but we aren't sure if it is helping or if we did it correctly. This will strengthen and develop them.At this young age, the bones are quite flexible and the ribcage will round out nicely in a few weeks once he stops laying on his tummy all day long. Specialists also listed two other less critical post-operative problems. Pectus carinatum sounds a lot more imposing than the common term for this canine chest deformity: pigeon-chested or pigeon-breasted. Pectus excavatum in dogs is identified by a narrowing or a dip in the breastbone. Practice makes perfect.Please let us know how your boy is doing, and good luck.~LabMama, Hi, I have a litter of only 2 staffy pups & just realized yesterday that the boy is a swimmer. Of all 24 ribs, the first seven pairs are often labeled as 'true.'. I will follow what you've said & let you know how it goes, fingers crossed.Kind regardsStacy Archer, Hi I am new in here hope I am posting in the right area!I had a litter of 10 Lab puppies born 2weeks ago & one male has a very flat chest & I can feel a difference in his rib cage it feels like they stick out on the sides more he definitely will not lay on his side. I started to google and found your website.

I wanted to thank you so much for all this information, I started two days ago with your T-shirt advise. This is a heart-breaking story. Thanks so much for this site. However, since you have stated she does not sleep on her side, that is a cause for concern. That has nothing to do with Swimmer Puppy syndrome. Find one that is just barely big enough for him to lay straight out on his side, but too small for him to lay all splayed out on his belly. You may want to use the basket for another day or two to help strengthen his legs a bit more.He's supposed to be fat and sleepy at this age; once he begins walking he will work off the chubbiness, and they grow when they're sleeping. Finally two weeks after his arrival I build a "canyon" a little wider than the puppy with some wood boards and an antislip surface that is normally used beneath carpets to avoid people to slip in the carpet.That made him to stand up as the walls of the canyon didn't allow him to splay out his limbs to the side. I love him despite his disability and I am willing to accept the possability that he may never walk. I'm so grateful for your blog and for helping us save this wee girl. It is fine to leave the rig on most of the day; that will help her learn to stay on her side which will help her chest round out nicely. Floating ribs are easier to spot in these 11 breeds compared to others. He should be still be able to move and take care of 'business' while wearing it. Swimmer Puppy Syndrome can improve with therapy, a proper diet, a safe environment, and an owner that has a lot of love to give. At that time, I just thought to myself I sure hope his chest drops when he is up on his legs. Hi, I have a litter of Bichon cross terrier. LabMama, HiSorry its taken me so long to put some pics on here of my little swimmer puppy,but better late than never. Floating rib injuries are caused, in part, by a vulnerability in human anatomy. And also, what does the rig aim to do? In case you still have doubts, youre always free to get a second opinion. More often it is sooner than later, according to the Bulldog people I have heard from. The risks of pectus excavatum in puppies are nothing to be messed with. Exaggerated lowness interferes with the desired freedom of movement and should be penalized. Once youre familiar with a normal floating rib. Youll know right away if your dog has a broken one. I went out today & bought all the materials to make him a rig. The males are still wobbly. God bless you for not giving up on him! But what if theyre not available? This is a soft-tissue problem and is not caused by vertebral or bony malformation. What if my dog seems to be in pain? I used your tee shirt method to make a hobble. wish I knew earlier about this syndrome, cause last year I had to put a puppy down, cause I didnt know any better.. :(But now Im determent to cure this little fella! If the t-shirt is interfering with his potty breaks, shorten it up towards the waist. My swimmer pup is walking a few steps with the help of the tape harness on his hind legs, I have had it on for almost a week and though he still can't walk by himself, and his back legs are splayed, I see an improvement everyday. Gifford AT, Flanders JA. Thankfully stumbled on your site and now know what to do. Use code Fixpectus at checkout. Both of these disfigurements can cause serious compression of the lungs and heart. Its another day of enjoyable bonding with your dog. I am usually on the thinner side, but it makes my ribs more pronounced, it has stabbed at my confidence. Interesting article, added his blog to Favorites. he will right himself by rolling back onto his belly, thus putting pressure on the chest. If you look carefully at the photos of Fudge, you will get the basic idea.Unfortunately, vets dont seem to be much help with this problem anywhere; I hear from people all over the world who dont get any more help than you or I did. The ribs don't curve in the normal way but curve back outwards again. Vet Med Small Anim Clin. Hi.It's great to see that you found a way to save your pup :) I think a few of the vets in this area have been reading this because a few of them have started selling "rigs" like yours but with straps and (small) weights instead of a old shirt and padding for swimmer pups (lol)You did a great thing,- Vet nurse in training. Thank you for such a quick response , I am sorry to bother you again I had another problem , the rest of the pups have began to get a small flat spot on there chest.they all including the one I am working on will crawl with there legs under them there swimming appearance isnt bad. I tried the sock method with a kid sock, but the pup was yelping and crying out constantly, so I took it out,thinking perhaps I am hurting it,maybe its too tight..Please advice. his front legs are very well functioning and no ribcage form abnormality. I really do appreciate this :), Hi there, just a quick update. My question is, when I try to get him to lie on his side, does it matter which side, since one is worse than the other? Are there litter mates to compare this pup with?Ill help you any way I can but I need to understand whats happening. Debbie, is your pup 6 MONTHS old or 6 WEEKS old? Thats why the bump looks like a moving tumor whenever your dog moves. I have read all of this info aswell as other sites & it seems that my boy has a problem with both front & back legs, both are splayed. A normally rounded chest can begin to flatten within hours of birth but may go undetected in a large litter. The female is actually running. This not only develops the habit of laying on the side but helps them strengthen their legs by forcing them engage all fours when turning over.Please let us know how your baby is progressing, and if you need more information, please let me know.

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