Over Exercising Puppies: Help, Advice Needed!

[dog geek]

:rolleyes:

I was at the Dog Club yesterday, and met The Sweetest Tricolour CKC Puppy In The World. God he was gorgeous!!!! Would have taken him home in a flash!!

Thing is, almost immediately I noticed he was skipping with one hind leg; and he was not strong in his rear end... So for twenty minutes I watched Very Carefully how he was moving. Whilst chatting about how long he had had his puppy, and how gorgeous the puppy was, and how hard it must be to walk with everyone wanting to pat him!

The pup had great difficulty using his right back leg; he seemed to have trouble from his hips back when walking or running; definitely he was having trouble picking his legs up to 'track' through a step; and definitely there was weakness in his hips.

So I took a deep breath, and decided I HAD to ask his nice young owner "Do you walk him much?"

The answer: "oh yes, twenty minutes to an hour" and after hearing that I am afraid I I was so shocked I didn't even hear the rest of the sentence... Even WORSE, I winced, poor guy - he didn't need that sort of reaction.

He asked (he was a nice guy, he was not defensive or cheesed off at me) how much he should be walking his puppy, so I started to explain that puppies are like kids, they have growth plates that can be damaged by too much exercise yada yada and at the end of about ten or fifteen minutes (after exploring who his vet was, whether he could contact the breeder to check the pup's bloodlines' propensity for hip/knee problems ETC) he was going to ask his vet to look at the pup's hips and knees at the check up his puppy was due for shortly.... oh, and I asked if he knew about Dogz Online (he did - this was where he found his breeder!) and recommended the health and puppy forums to him.

This is not the first time I have seen young dogs moving stiffly at the dog club - I have in a round about way asked about those dog's exercise regimes and yes, their owners do walk them for at a minimum of twenty minutes every day... but this is the first time I have ever said anything about limiting the amount of walking.

The puppy is only just five months old - do exercise-related injuries like this heal, if caught in time? The owner said they had only been walking the puppy for extended periods for a month or so... And, is it a good thing to express my opinion on matters like this??

Edited October 26, 2008 by dog geek

[Gretel]

It sounds like you were quite diplomatic. Good on you for saying something to let the owner know. So many people think they are doing the right thing by their pups and never dream they could be causing damage.

[Nekhbet]

if a pup is not strong in the rear wouldnt that mean it is throwing the weight foreward? no proof this is exercise related famage it could be pre-existing and the exercise is making it worst, or an old play injury that is now affecting the way the dog walks.

vet, if that fails, chiro.

[becks]

I wouldn't say that 20 minutes for a 5 month old puppy is doing to much!

Do you ask if this is all on lead pounding the pavements exercise or off lead in a safe area, going at own pace, run, stop, sniff type exercise.

[dog geek]

Well, the other dogs I have noticed were a Lab and a GSP; the Lab was described as 'too boisterous' by his lovely owner, one of her various solutions to this was to walk him daily, at a fast pace, for two sessions per day of a half-hour each. By the time I first saw him he was eight months old and again it was his rear end that was not working properly...

The GSP was another 'boisterous' dog, and similar routines were in place to tire him out also - he was exercised vigorously with retrieving work and daily forced marches.

Oh - and both these dogs got walks of an hour on weekends!

I do approach getting this information as unintrusively as possible, trying not to interrrogate the owners - the owners of the Lab and the GSP are both conscientious dog owners, but in each case this was their first dog. Perhaps amongst all the information about their respective breeds of dog, the need for lots of exercise was put across well; but the need to delay the vigorous exercise until the dog was older was not absorbed?

[FionaC]

I think it really depends on the definition of vigorous

Mort my GSP is 16 weeks old - today we had a walk of a bit over 1hr .... but it was at a Farmers Market - every 2m we had to stop cause someone wanted to pat him or ask questions about him .... so I don't consider that vigorous for him at all ..... but it engaged both his body and mind which is what he needs

Usually we take him for a 15-20minute walk in the morning and then to the park for 1/2hr or so of fetch/sniffing around/meeting other dog time in the evening, on weekends he gets a bit longer with a beach trip or the Farmers Market ....

We have built up to this level and will continue to increase it slowly as he gets older and as he shows that he needs more, we don't run him ragged until he drops, he doesn't limp or have a lack of strength in his rear end and we are first time puppy owners as well ....

Personally I'd not be offended if someone came up to me and asked me questions about Mort in the manner you've said you did .... this is my first pup and I'm learning as I go so I'll take all suggestions on board.... however suggestions made by someone who was an owner, breeder or experienced specifically with the GSP breed would probably carry more weight than a general comment on the level of exercise for all puppies....that would be logical I would think. In my case if someone made a general comment I'd probably followup with someone with that experience and run it by them before I'd make any changes to Mort routine

Edited October 26, 2008 by FionaC

[Dogsfevr]

There is a fine line between over exercise & lack of exercise.

A young dog lacking in muscle condition is just as likely to suffer damage doing very little.

Dogs still need condition whilst they are developing to hold there body etc etc.

So exercise is very important providing its done correctly .

20 mins for a cavie at that age wouldnt be anything major if its a nice stroll.

If the dog has alimp then that certainly needs to be addressed simply whether it be a an old injury ,hea;lth issue or what ever because an old injury can cause muscle loss

[Garden Girl]

If a pup has been over-exercised and it has caused some damage - is that it - damage done - or is there something that can be done to put things right??

I dont think I've over-exercised my pup but to be honest I'm not really sure and now he has something going on with one of his back legs and I'm hoping its not because I've been a terrible mother.

[Crest_Fallen]

We take our 13 week old chinese crested for walks down to the park - about a 10 minute leisurely walk and then he runs free with my goldie while my son plays on the play equipment. Then of course another 10 minute walk home. I hope this isn't too much for him. But if we didn't go for walks he would be zooming around the house 100miles per hour anyway.

[dog geek]

Well, now I am REALLY concerned!!

At the 'informal dog group' last night, I saw an absolutely magnificent Rhodesian (sp?) Ridgeback puppy, seven month old - and with back right knee not working properly! This is a show puppy, but that is all I was able to find out about him - too busy keeping an eye on my Afghan in case he buggered off - but he was skipping almost every step he took on that leg.

So - now I really need to know: will that sort of thing heal, if it is brought to a vet's attention?

[Nekhbet]

depends what the problem is and what you term 'heal'. Some things require rest, supplementation and physio, others require surgery if they have damaged growth plates or fractured bones. Even then I would be cautious and extend the 'puppy exercise limit' a couple of months longer to ease the body into adulthood.

I treated my Dogue like a puppy until he was 18 months old and liftd him into the car, helped him out (no way was I carrying him out hehehe) and never took him on long extended walks. He also visited the chiropractor and was on a giant breed food.

yes they can 'heal' but seriously if a 7 month old ridgeback has a knee not working what the hell is it doing it dog club - I would tell them to go home and not come back until that pup has seen a vet. That dog should be confined and taken to a GOOD vet who knows the breed or large/giant breeds ASAP.

I really wonder about dog owners today.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

The "tire them out to keep them well behaved" piece of advice is really REALLY pervasive, and is often given to people who have large dogs in that loopy adolescent phase of their lives. There are so many "authorities" too that it takes your average dog owner quite a while to sort out the bs from the useful stuff.

Still, if a dog is limping I guess there are two possible scenarios. Dog is injured or has some other problem and owners are clueless, or dog has a condition that is already being managed. I admit it's usually the former.

I try not to be offended when people ask about our dogs, even if the question or comment is clueless (usually it's "your dog is really skinny"). It at least demonstrates some concern.

In the scenarios described by dog geek in the past I have tried to strike up some rapport and then ask about it, usually something direct but delivered politely and in a non-accusatory way such as "have you had that back leg looked at?". I try not to diagnose, as Nekhbet says it's possible it's been over exercised but it's also possible it has any number of other conditions.

Also, if you are used to looking at dogs, things that would not be obvious to an average dog owner really stick out. People often honestly just don't see skipping and favouring. Earlier in my show career one of my young dogs was kicking in one of his back legs as he gaited. An experienced terrier man spotted it, and said "get that dog to a chiro". As soon as the chiro had seen him he was right as rain. I don't know how long it would have taken newbie me to spot it tho', especially as I was the one holding the lead. Without it being pointed out I suspect it would have taken some time.

Edited to fix spelling.

Edited October 26, 2008 by anita

[dog geek]

That is interesting, Anita - what was causing the problem with your boy?

So - the consensus seems to be (correct me if I am wrong) that it is appropriate/caring to carefully ascertain the owner's awareness of the dog's apparent knee/whatever problem, and direct the owner to have it checked by a vet??

And that it is better to get these things early, to have a better/cheaper chance of fixing the problem?

And the damage to growth plates is likely going to require surgery; or it could be a fracture, or luxating patella, which also require serious vet work?

... the Ridgie was not at the Dog Club per se, just at an informal gathering at our local offleash oval... and I would certainly hope that someone at his next show/show training would point out his problem to his owner...

[SkySoaringMagpie]

It was carefully explained to me what was wrong and I've forgotten!!

[dog geek]

Oh, no! You caught my Alzheimers!!

[Tonymc]

May well be genetic and not over exercise at all. Tony

[scroogy50]

I have had great results with my dogs from visiting a chiropractor after the vets just perscribed medication to treat the pain but not the cause. My dogs now have drive in their back legs which they were almost dragging before and they are reaching forward with front legs where they had a slight limping and they are much happier, me too! It was explained to me that they needed adjusting because they were walking incorrectly due to pinched nerves. The guy I came across in Brisbane who travels quite a bit from what I know is fantastic - pm me for details

[Jed]

If you watch a puppy/young dog, he will run for a little, and then rest. If he is loose in a large area, he will initially run, then trot and walk. And he will also lie down and rest.

It seems to me that nature intended dogs to exercise like this, because this is what they do if they are loose.

If you take a small puppy for a 20 minute walk, which is too far and/or too fast for him, in his excitement and enthusiasm, and wish to be with you, he will walk with you. So you have no idea whether the exercise is too much for him or not.

I counsel my puppy buyers against long walks. Cavaliers generally get enough exercise on a regular house block.

As to way that dog is - could be LP, could be an injury, such as back or hip slightly out of joint, could be caused by over-excercising. A good vet or a chiropractor could diagnose what the problem is. Vets are inclined to diagnose ALL cavs as having LP, which is not the case. Although some do have it. And it is often good to see a chiro, particularly when there is accompanying muscle weakness. Some vets blithely say "genetic" when it is not, but a chiropractor can remedy any damage.