# 8 day old swimmer pup



## krb (Oct 16, 2011)

Rather certain one of my 8 day old pups is a "swimmer". Vet agrees (via phone conference).

Will hobbling really have an effect on a dog that does not even walk yet? If so-books all say hobble back legs but vet says front! Thoughts?

Also-any other suggestions? Considering a sock or t-shirt. Will do real water swimming tomorrow if warm enough. Any other ideas that have worked for you?

Are keeping her on her side as much as possible. Put carpeting in the whelping box for less slippery surface.

Anyone have luck with anything at this young of an age?


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## krb (Oct 16, 2011)

SERIOUSLY???? 70 people looked and NOBODY has a reply???


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I think you need someone who has experienced it so you have a very limited pool of folks to pull from. 

SERIOUSLY??-sounds like a bit of an attitude for someone asking for help.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

One - it's Friday night, people are out doing stuff. 

Two - In six years of being active on this board, this is the first time I've seen a post from a breeder about a swimmer pup, so not very likely going to have a whole lot of people that have experience with this. 

Three - you posted on a Friday night about a little-known condition probably unknown to the majority of people and got upset because after only 30 minutes there were no responses?

SERIOUSLY?


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## Kaity (Nov 18, 2009)

Google it. Seriously.


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Maybe some of these will help. FWIW there are other methods mentioned besides taping. First time I've heard of this, just did a quick google. 

My Swimmer Puppy

HOW TO Treat Swimmer Puppy Syndrome

Swimmer Puppies (Pectus Excavatum)


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Actually she posted the 9th...but I saw the question and don't have any experience with that issue so did not reply.
I'd 1) google it and 2) take the puppy in to your vet for advice.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I would post in the Breeder's section or ask the mods to move this thread.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Never heard of it.


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## nitemares (Dec 15, 2005)

Just from googling I found a lot of "cures" from it, the simplest being make the puppy nurse lying on its side. it is posted in the last link Twyla posted.


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## GSKnight (Oct 18, 2011)

I thought they meant the dog liked to play in the water, which was remarkable for an 8 day old. Shows what I know.


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

Castlemaid said:


> Three - you posted on a Friday night about a little-known condition probably unknown to the majority of people and got upset because after only 30 minutes there were no responses?


Actually it was three days, not 30 minutes. 



> I thought they meant the dog liked to play in the water, which was remarkable for an 8 day old. Shows what I know.


Me too, never heard of it.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I have heard of it, but don't know about what to do to 'correct' it..

SERIOUSLY, instead of asking 'us', talk to your vet and see what HIS suggestions are


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Why don't we back up, welcome you to the forum and let go if this?
.
I too,took offense at the attitude portrayed in the SERIOUSLY post and reacted, but am hoping you were/are just grasping at straws and very emotional about the topic because it is one of your puppies.

I hope you find the help you need for the puppy as it is a very uncommon condition.I have heard of them making it to adulhood and doing just fine if you can get it under control to readjust how those bones develop, but I have no experience with it.

Realize that this is also an internet forum and people are more to willing to help with suggestions when they can but nobody gets paid to look up answers for other folks with their dogs...they rely on their own experiences so even with posts that get a lot of responses, you should look at them as personal insights...things to discuss with your vet or a trainer....

You can use search tools as effectively as anyone else.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Part of the problem was that you posted this in the general puppy section instead of in one of the breeder's forums. It has now been moved to a more appropriate forum.

Hope you were able to find some answers.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

A litter a friend of a friend had several years ago were almost all "swimmers".....they all came around and were fine....I do not remember what/how they were treated....I ***seem*** to remember that calcium was involved somehow and that diet had to be changed for mom???? I would have to do some googling myself - like I did a few years back....

Lee


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

The only thing that I know about the condition is.....the problem can (most of the time) be reversed.
It is a condition that can be prominent in "over fed" small puppy litters.
Puppies that continually feed on their stomachs "risk" the chance of this condition.
They should be fed on their sides and their front legs should be "hobbled".....it allows gravity, weight and growth to try to reverse the "flattening and widening" of the puppy's rib cage. **This is all that I have heard on this condition*.*
I knew a Rottie breeder who had a litter of only 3 pups.....1 became a swimmer.
This is how she reversed the condition......and it lived a perfect, normal life.
Perhaps looking on forums of other breeds, and asking for info can also help.....like Rotties, Bullies, etc...
Best wishes!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

In Winifred Strickland and Jimmy Moses' Book The German Shepherd Today, there is a section about swimmer puppies and what to do, how to tape the legs to force the puppy to use the legs to propel him. I think it was the front legs you taped, but I can't remember now.

I second getting advice from a vet, or maybe another breeder who has dealt with the situation.


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## KLCecil (Jul 1, 2010)

Ok, I literally just dealt with this with a friend's litter about a month and a 1/2 ago. I GOOGLED IT when I noticed something was off and came up with “swimmer puppy”………We took a sock and cut holes in it and put stuffing on the outside of the legs in the sock making his front legs come together so that he could no longer lay on his stomach but was forced to lay on his side also mom was removed from the box for a couple of hours at a time, temputure was dropped and things were placed in the box for them to crawl over. He did get better but going and visiting the pup at 9 weeks I could see that there was something neurologically wrong with him but otherwise seemed healthy, he was just shaky and seemed "behind" in development.


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