One of the puppies from a current litter I have has something I've never seen in my 9 yrs of breeding ~ it's chest bone (sternum) is very flat and the rib cage is flat and splayed out to the side, almost making her appear turtle shaped. When I place her on her side, you can really see the ribs coming out. She is not getting her legs under her to start 'getting' up on her front legs to begin pushing herself up into sitting position. She can crawl around with effort, but I am worried, very worried about what this is and this puppies future. Any breeders that can give me an idea would be appreciated. I will take her to vet Monday

****ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS/HELP REGARDING HELPING THIS PUPPY WITH APPARENT SWIMMER'S LEGS/SYNDROME IS EXTREMELY APPRECIATED***

It sounds as though you are describing a swimmer puppy. Since you are noticing this early on, you should be able to correct this. Sometimes the low-key ones, particularly if the dam pushes away bedding, lie comfortably flat and eat and eat but don't lie on their side much. You should be able to search on this forum and on the web for methods. Joan and a couple other people had good ideas. On babies this young, I would put him on his side and also on cone foam for footing, maybe gently "bicycle" him upside down on his back or hold the tail, when he's right side up, to help him motor along on all fours, lifting the rear slightly with the tail, maybe supporting the belly the first few days with another finger. Sometimes they have a bit of birth trauma and take a while to "unsquish," and a gentler vet chiropractor can help with that. I doubt that I would hobble him. I would NOT go to the vet with this puppy yet!

Years ago an idiot vet convinced people that a 6 week old swimmer puppy walked funny because he had "hip dysplasia" and took x-rays to prove that the puppy had no bone on the ends of its femurs. Hello, didn't he know that it was cartilage at that age?!?! He recommended euthanasia for this supposedly dysplastic puppy but the loving novice breeders refused to do that. He came into rescue and we made sure he had good footing, grass, etc. rather than just a slippery crate pan. I placed him a month later, he became a great family pet and ball chaser, living into his mid teens a happy boy.

Some lines are more prone to swimmer puppies. Sometimes it is just a one-time thing.

Years ago a champion yellow boy did quite well, I think BOS, at Westminster in heavy competition. He was reportedly a former swimmer.

Ok, THANKS SO much!!! I've heard of it, but never had one or really knew what it was! I will definately be doing research to help this puppy get up and going so it can live a normal, happy life with it's family who is eagerly waiting the day she comes home with them. There were only 3 of them, delivered 18 hrs after 1st stage labor began and yes, she is a very laid back puppy that does not need to work hard to get a plentiful supply of Mommy's milk.
Thanks so much Charlotte ~ I will not take her to the vet as this sounds like what I'm dealing with. I knew there would be a breeder out there that would have the knowledge to be able to help me ~ heartfelt thanks for taking the time to write to me and let me know these puppies can go on to live normal happy lives with some help that I will be able to give her

Charlotte ~ BTW, who is Joan?? Sorry I don't know

Joan is forum poster Joan McInnis, Tulgeywood Labradors and cheerleader of those trying to find the genetic test for epilepsy in Labradors and other dogs.
Please use the search bar above using the Keywords "swimmer puppy." Nancy Hope Love also had wise words.

At this point I would discourage the puppy from laying on his tummy - any time you walk by the whelping box, put him on his side - prop him up with toys/rice socks/etc. on either side to keep him put. He might complain, but if he's full, he'll eventually fall asleep with you holding him that way. I have hobbled several puppies - starting about that age as the rest of the litter is on their feet (mostly) by then - soft hobbles, only on when you're around to monitor. You have to encourage the legs - both front and rear - to be placed next to each other, rather than splayed out. Good luck and let us know how he does!

Another thing that helps - make the whelping box "lumpy bumpy". You can put folded or bunched up towels under whatever you line the box with so that they have hills and valleys which forces them to use their rear legs to get around. Kind of like speed bumps. A smooth, flat environment encourages swimmers.

I seem to specialize in swimmers lately as my lines get more bone it seems. I tape the back legs as early as I first notice it. I use masking tape (painting kind), go around one back leg about 1/2 way up, leave about 2 1/2 inches tape between the legs and go around the other leg bringing tape over itself in the middle. Change every 3 days or so.

I hold swimmer pups on their side a lot on my lap. I also gently turn to side when they are sleeping as I walk past the whelping box - several times a day.

My last litter had 2 swimmers - perfectly fine now at 8 weeks. Almost every litter in the past 3 years has had a swimmer for some reason. All my swimmers have been normal by 4 weeks old with the above approach. All the best! My swimmers have such great people oriented temperaments from all the holding on their side on my lap :) They look like a pancake at first, but their rib cage does become normal once up and walking with the help of tape epecially.

I should have added once I had to also tape front legs to connect with back legs. So first regular "hobble" of back legs about 2 1/2 inches apart and then a connecting tape from front to back leg on each side just so back legs couldn't go straight out behind pup.

Thanks to the poster who mentioned that flat surfaces in whelping boxes cause this - I have changed my surface a few years ago to flat and have more swimmers, so you've helped me for next time also.

Ditto whats been said here. I use a rolled wash cloth up against the pup's belly when I roll him on his side - I do this whenever I see them starting to go to sleep -just tip them up on their side and push the rolled wash cloth up to his belly. also the lumpy-bumpy whelping box floor is a big help too - when pups are awake I put the swimmer up on the lumps and he has to work his legs to move about. Rest assured you will have success. :>)

http://www.blueknightlabs.com/swimmerpup/index.html
This really works !!

Works EVERY time :)

Guess every time except here. I always have a rubber backed mat as the floor covering in my whelping box and still have swimmers:(

Sorry, but "more bone" has nothing to do with a puppy being a swimmer.

Be advised that there could be a genetic element in producing more than the rare case of a swimmer. It is also important to determine whether this is a case of pectus excavatum.

The swimming puppy syndrome is an uncommon developmental abnormality observed primarily in certain chondrodystrophoid dogs with the syndrome appears to be most common in those dogs that have short legs and wide thoracic cavities. The English Bulldog, Basset Hound, and Scottish Terrier arc especially predisposed to this syndrome.

The cause of the syndrome is unknown, although various undocumented theories have been formulated. These include altered neuromuscular synapse function, improper or delayed myelindin of peripheral nerves, slow muscular development, and ventral horn dysfunction (neuropathy).

Thanks so much to everybody who helped me with my big swimmer puppy!!! She is doing wonderful as it took only a few days of working with her by recommended suggestions of keeping her rolled onto her sides (and sometimes back) using rolled towels placed under the fleece bedding. You could really see how this forced her to really use the muscles she had not been using. Took her about 2 days to really getting rolling...literally and now she has caught up to her 2 sisters!! I appreciate everyone's help and am so grateful as I see her walking across the fleece 'carpet' and floor!!
BTW, I did do a little bit with the rubber backed rug at the beginning of her attempts to walk and did definately help to give her traction, but once she was up and walking ~ didn't really need it anymore!!
Thanks again!!!

I had swimmers in one of my first litters. In the next litter, I noticed the early potential symptoms... Don't know if they would have become swimmers, but I started putting speed bumps in the whelping box, putting the pups on one side when mom was on the other. The motivation to get to mom is too strong for a speed bump to slow them down! They all developed normally. Once I stopped being so OCD making the whelping box bedding smooth and flat, I never saw the symptoms again. Don't know about the above listed causes, but apparently in mine it was simply making sure the puppies developed the right muscles to walk.

Reminds me of when my kids were babies, I noticed that some little kids had a habit of walking on their toes instead of normal heel-toe. Invariably these were kids who as infants spent long hours in one of those rolling walkers. By pushing themselves in the walker so much they developed the muscles to walk on their toes, and even when the walker was gone they stayed on their toes.