Hi- I have a 5 month old female Bernese Mountain dog I rescued through our breeder. Swim sessions: Hit the pool three times a day. In last 3 weeks he has gone from crawling to almost running. The foam I have on his belly is only about 1/2 inch thick. Poor baby! LabMama, HiSorry its taken me so long to put some pics on here of my little swimmer puppy,but better late than never. Another situation is if the bone is piercing through an organ. The condition is most apparent when I am lying down on my back or flexing my abs. You can't begin correcting him too soon! Noticeable just a few weeks after birth, the front, and hind limbs grow out to the side of the body, keeping the puppy in a permanent swimming position where the limbs can only move in a paddling motion. I really only did the shoe box method for just over a week but for much of the day she was mainly in with the litter. Keep him in the rig until he begins to do all of the above by himself, probably no more than three or four days. Getting him off the chest is more important. All dogs have floating ribs, as I mentioned before. Now he walks with his legs pretty wide spread - will this become normal with time and with the rib cage correcting itself?Pardon my English, it's not my native language.I hope you can tell me something to calm me down :)RegardsAnna, Hi, Anna. his hind legs are laid flat spreading out perpendicular to his body. I guess to get him not to lay on his belly, it has to be thicker so it is uncomfortable. They were 3 weeks on Monday, and still having a bit of trouble walking, so we've just put a rug in their whelping box for traction, and it took about 10 mintues for the girls to really get active and start playing, but the I'm afraid the boy is a swimmer. Also known as "sunken chest" or "funnel chest," pectus excavatum can be corrected with the minimally invasive surgical technique called the Nuss . I'll do what I can to help you. He was so very tense and stiff, and by massaging him I was able to release the muscles and get him to relax into a normal body position. We are forcing him to lay on his side, and are starting to keep his legs together with tape and velcro. Should I continue to try and put him on his side, or will the cosmetic sponges give him enough relief off his stomach?Or do you have any other suggestions?Thank you so much,Crystal, Hi, Your site is so helpful! He rarely ever is on his side both when feeding and sleeping. The last pair of ribs is the floating ribs that bulge out. Available from: Fossum TW, Boudrieau RJ, Hobson HP. Pups should naturally lay on their sides while nursing, so making him do that is exactly the right thing. The syndrome of swimmer puppies is sometimes referred to as Pectus Excavatum, and described by many as " a condition of so-called flat-chested puppies ." Without intervention, and often despite best efforts, they usually die anywhere from two days to four weeks. he will right himself by rolling back onto his belly, thus putting pressure on the chest. However someone who didn't know about his past couldn't see or feel anything abnormal.He now has an owner who has been waiting for a puppy from this bitch for a long time - this was the bitch's last litter (no swimmers before, now a really small litter for a retriever - only two pups) so the owner is happier than ever that he became normal :) And so are we :)So thank you Labmama for your support!Best regardsAnna. Did they break their bones, or are they sick? 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. Stimulate: Those paw pads need stimulation! Once youre familiar with a normal floating rib. I don't even sleep at night so I can make sure they are on their side, since the box is in my room, and they cry and keep me up part of the night anyway. Best 10 Airline Approved Dog Carriers and Crates in 2022, What To Put (And NOT To Put) In A Dog Crate And Where to Place it, What Size Dog Crate Do You Need? Dont let your puppy suffer and live badly. Do not allow her to nurse excessively. I know it sounds concerning, but its not a birth defect. When you remove the rig for washing, you might want to try the box technique or the leg hobble; anything to force him onto his side. Use a length of surgical tape to pull her back legs together into a normal position; this will force her to lay on her side. You're doing everything right by propping him up with the front leg 'rig' and putting him on his side.I think the basket (or box) technique may be especially helpful for you. This should force him to stay on his side but you will need to help him position to nurse and clean him up after potty breaks. Thank you for writing about your swimmer puppy! The basket or box method is easy and effective. What should I do?, But how will I know if my dog doesnt need surgery?, 5 Real Reasons Why Dogs Absolutely Love Bones (2023), 9 Weird Reasons Why Your Dog Sits On Your Chest + 5 Tips, 7 Alarming Reasons Why Your Boxer Is So Skinny (2023), 9 Alarming Reasons Why Your Labrador Is So Skinny (2023). Swimmer puppies tend to develop painful lesions on their bodies from laying in their urine and feces. He sounds like a fine, healthy boy now!As always, please write again if I can help you.LM, Hi,sorry to bother again, he did so well and was standing up in the basket, but he has problems to bring his bag leg up out side the basket. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post through our independently chosen links, which earn us a commission. The vets here are not much help with Swimmer Syndrome either, unfortunately. Add some chicken or beef broth to the food to moisten and provide extra flavor. The Rib Cage and Dog Weight. In this condition, the chest narrows on one side, resulting from deformed cartilage connecting the sternum to the rib's end. There are other possible causes for her lameness that could be ruled out by an x-ray and/or physical exam.Does she lay on or sleep on her side? After finding your blog I made her a foam vest and made sure she spent as much time as possible on her side. And these dogs are the ones with longer bodies and have short coats, such as: Floating ribs are easier to spot in these 11 breeds compared to others. The signs were there, but.Your pup sounds just like Fudge. If his legs are very stiff, like Fudges were, try massaging them to relax the muscles once or twice a day. The front legs are better, but he can only drag himself around with them. Overview. Sign up and discover how you can improve your physical and mental wellbeing once and for all. I used normal foam and made it a bit thicker. I did try the sock and t-shirt methods, but somehow its not satisfactory, as I think I am not getting it right. You are doing everything right! The following are the six most commonly used treatments for concave chest deformity in dogs. It is a normal thing and sometimes a congenital effect. A moderate variation of the caudal sternebrae, a difference in the cardiac shape, and small lung parenchymal pathology are usually present on the chest x-rays. Thank you so much for the response! Due to the length, the last rib can only attach to the spine. The idea is never to lay her on a flat surface. All my babies are up and they sleep on their side now sometimes. Is it ok if they lay on their back ms? Nevertheless, a study has registered the hereditary occurrence of inverted chest deformity in littermate dogs. I feel angry at the irresponsible breeder who left him in a box on the street to die. How can you prevent the swimmer puppy from turning into a walrus with permanently flattened chest? One of the biggest causes of a one-sided protrusion is a broken rib. Just to let you see how I put the sock on and the box she slept in. They will progress rapidly. If the legs are always splayed and he NEVER lays on his side, I'd call that Swimmer Syndrome. Thank you so much for loving dogs enough to put your information out there for others to benefit from. It was a stretchy rib-knit mans t-shirt I cut to size. I put him in the sock for about 2-3 days with a foam padding on his chest and by the end of the 3rd day he was very sick, couldn't breathe and had a grayed out tongue. Havanese Standard . Denise, what wonderful news! This really helps. Swimmer Puppy Syndrome is most commonly seen in small or dwarf dog breeds. They are extremely big (4 kilos at 4 weeks of age), so we separate them from their mother during the night to make them loose some weight. I am so happy to have landed upon this website! If he is trying to sit up and/or walk, what you are doing now should be the help he needs.I would expect him to take longer to progress because he was allowed to languish for so long. Joe, Im very happy to hear the puppy is doing well! They are economical and can be afforded by any dog owner. The sight can be alarming and leave you confused. Puppy x-rays are the most commonly utilized diagnostic imaging method in the veterinary industry. I am massaging her and am now thinking about hobbling her hind legs as these are very weak, the front ones just stay straight out in front of her but the back ones are really floppy and go straight out behind her or to the side, but I know she can use them because when I put her on her side she puts up an enormous battle to get back to her belly. More often it is sooner than later, according to the Bulldog people I have heard from. 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? Using the self-sticking first aid tape is great because it wont stick to the fur and you can cut it easily for length and width.How is your pup doing now? I am over the moon and want to thank you for all your suggestions without which I would not have known what to do. The local vets don't seem to have much idea about this problem and think it will go on its own. If his littermates wiggle and squirm but one pup lays limp, there is cause for concern. Dog Crate Replacement Pan Plastic Tray for Cage Kennel 36" - NEW. I found your website at 3 1/2 weeks. 4. It helps give others hope that they will be successful, too.Best wishes. Rottweilers Royal: I'm glad you fought for your pup and found a method that worked for you! They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax. But other than that, you can also pay attention to your dogs response. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Dogs born with pectus carinatum often suffer from other issues, including scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. Shes pretty much on schedule for taking her first steps. If your boy is sleeping on his side, he's on the road to full recovery. The female is actually running. If the hind legs ARE splayed, it is easy to 'hobble' them with a bit of surgical tape to force the pup on his side for a few days until he becomes accustomed to it.I also had great success with the basket technique. 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. The human rib cage is made up of 12 paired rib bones; each are symmetrically paired on a right and left side. } Additionally, frequent coughing, heart murmur (loud sound of the heart that you can hear), or cyanosis (blueish discoloration on the dogs legs) can be noticed. She seem to drag them behind her. Also we have them on a concrete slab. also extremely sanitary. Copyright ? So, theres one more way to find out if your pooch has a broken rib. Each pup will need his own box. They are maturing normally but their body functions are not. The pups are four weeks old right now. I was wondering if you could explain to me a lil where to place them. Besides the congenital inclinations to the deformation, some environmental forces may also play a role in provoking pectus excavatum. I was told he had a hard time going up stairs when I picked him up on 10-17. When feeding and sleeping, I 'd call that swimmer Syndrome either, unfortunately for your pup and found method... Biggest causes of a one-sided protrusion is a normal thing and sometimes a congenital effect to be thicker it! Physical and mental wellbeing once and for all sight can be afforded by any dog owner thicker it... Organs of the spine it ok if they lay on their sides while nursing so. Sign up and discover how you can improve your physical and mental wellbeing once for! Worked for you in last 3 weeks he has gone from crawling to almost.. 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