Hi all. I just took back a girl from a pet home, 10 months old. She has slightly dropped pasterns now, I believe it's from being over-crated. She's a very nice looking girl, has great potential, and I'd like to try showing her once I get her in better shape. She has beautiful temperament, and is gorgeous in every way, but her gait is awful with her floppy front feet. Is there a way(yes, she is not crated anymore and getting plenty of exercise playing with her littermate in a large run)to get her pasterns back to where they should be? I've put her on Omega 3 supplements as well as Glucosamine. Thanks in advance.

I read something in Pat Hastings book about Vitamin C but I dont' know if 10 months is too old to make a difference...

Yes, Vitamin C and put their food up to where they have to reach it while eating. I was able to correct this is a pup just about her age. It took me a few months but it came around. With a good quality food and exercise time as well.

Pat Hastings unequivocally says to change dog foods if you have a dog that is down in the pasterns. Fixes the pasterns.

I had a couple of pups in a litter have this at about 8 weeks. They were on Eukanuba puppy. Switched them to Pro Plan, and it was unnoticeable in 2 weeks. I have used pro Plan ever since, and never had it again.

Karen from Samphire and I had a very lovely yellow dog that had the same problem. Standing still he was beautiful but as soon as he moved his floppy front feet make him look horrible. Karen did everything and we waited and waited and it didn't get any better. I would like to say that there is hope, but from our experience it didn't get any better. We finally had to place him in a pet home sadly.

Thank you everybody for your responses, I'll post an update in a few weeks.

Can you tell me how old this dog was and how long you tried before giving up? What all did you do to try to help him?

Do you think it might have been the higher protein in Eukanuba than Pro Plan?

I've always used 24%- 28% protein for adults & pups. I found Eukanuba was 30% or more years ago.

I start my pups on adult food at 3 mo. now and do not see dropped pasterns.

OP, I would try the Vit. C, it can't hurt. She's young enough to try it.

I would trust what Pat Hastings suggests after seeing her seminar @ Potomac. I already had the Puppy Puzzle but seeing her in person was a different, positive experience.

How hard is it to change foods? Someone suggested Pro Plan, so if you're not on it, try it. I don't use it especially since their shredded scam but would switch to it if needed b/c they're back to the original formula.

Sorry for another post, I didn't see this when I posted.

This is 1 of many Labs. I am not being critical but what else did you do besides wait? You said Karen did everything, what is everything? Did you change foods, use Vit. C or do anything else suggested or not suggested in these posts that you can share?

I was successful twice with Vit. C & food changes beginning at 6 mo. of age. One of my girls is a finished CH. and has been critiqued as floating on air in movement. The other has both majors but still needs several singles. She moves almost as well as her half sister. You would never know either had dropped pasterns as a pupsters.

I'm sorry your yellow boy didn't work out.

I have used PPP old chicken and rice formula just for the above problem. Saw noticably improvement in about 6-8 weeks If I remember correctly. I had a girl with the same problem at about 5 months of age. She eventually moved correctly. I have decided to stay w/ the food since, and have had no issues whatsoever.

Years ago, when I was raising Dobes and Borzoi, and had a pastern problem (quite frequently) we used di-calcium phosphate for a while, and it straightened them out. I have recommended it, on occasion for a few Labs, and seen results. It has to ge DI-calcium.

Lambert Kay has cherry flavored tablets.

JMHO

I like to see the puppies that tend to be "down in pastern" running on gravel; they have to really use their toes and associated tendons to move on gravel and I feel this helps strengthen those "floppy feet" and pasterns.

I can check with Karen if you like to find out exactly what she did, but I know there were suppliments, resting then buildig muscle with road work, food change.....vet visits.

He was I think about a year and a half?

Road work on a dog with weak pasterns will only break them down more. Free exercise on varied terrain which includes woodlands, water, beach and gravel works best. Feeding them up high enough so that they have to pull up on their tip-toes also helps.

Well you've all given me hope! Like I said, I'll update in a little while. How much vitamin C is recommended?

My vet says 350 mg. Any more than that and the body flushes it out.