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Chihuahua puppy breaks its legs!

6K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  glenn 
#1 ·
I'm trying to find information. I don't have a dog, but wish I did. (Not enough room.)
A lady friend recently acquired a small puppy from the pound. She said that there was reason to believe that he had been abused (and he's such a cute puppy!)
Only a few months old and at the pound they mentioned that he came from one of those puppy-mills. Happy for a couple of weeks and one day I get the news that Bentley has jumped off her bed and BROKEN his right leg. Both bones in the foreleg and she takes him to the vet, they operate to install pins and he's in a cast for over a month. This is terrible and she goes above and beyond in her devotion, taking time off work to care for him, even taking him to work (an office) in a basket to safeguard him from further injury while he heals. Finally the cast comes off and the news is joyous to everyone! He's going to be OK!
Then a week later her sister comes to visit from the U.K. and she's holding Bentley who then jumps out of her arms to land on the floor and breaks the other front leg! She freaks out, is devastated, but at least has medical insurance this time, so its not as bad as it could be (eyes rolling.)
Now the first incident could be just rotten luck or some random element getting in the way, but this happening the second time suddenly makes this information more like DATA. All of that running around and 2 broken front legs almost in exactly the same location seems to indicate that only those bones are somehow weakened. Initially we both wondered if Bentley hadn't already been injured before she got him because the Chihuahua seems to be a fairly rugged little dog, but it happening a second time like that indicates a possible genetic problem, pointing back to the "puppy-mill" operations and how they might have known that Bentley had this problem through some sort of inherited defect. Well, nobody knows anything about that, but now its time to ask around and find if there's anybody out there who had noticed this or even heard of this defect, or if we should just treat it as a mystery?
At least in this case out of all the possibilities of bones to break only those in the forelegs have done so. It would be a real comfort to know that this was the extent of it, or if the poor little chap will need to be watched carefully, like he's made of glass. This is not how a dog's life should be!
Please advise. If you know of anything like this it might be helpful! Thanks! =D
 
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#3 ·
Thank you for that, but they've already done what I guess is the most comprehensive testing including blood-work to test for any disease or signs like vitamin deficiency and nothing has come back on any of that. I'm not sure how far into the genetics a vet will go, but they must know about what happens when over-breeding for some particular trait is done. In this case it could be the heavier shaggy coat, a beige-white color.
Suitable precautions have been taken, but might be completely unnecessary!
>>Where are all the magic bullets when you really need one?
 
#4 · (Edited)
Part of it could be some kind of bone deficiency. But a chihuahua is a little dog and a jump from a tall height could have the potential for injury especially if its a puppy.
I'm glad he's ok, and I hope he gets better soon.
As Chas touched on, if your friend hasn't already it would probably be a good idea to invest in some doggy stairs for her bed and couch (depending on how high up the couch is) to keep him from jumping from to high of a height.
 
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#6 ·
Sabina88: I think the surgeon gets a pretty good idea when he's operating but he's said it all looks normal (except for the breaking part...) They've probably tested for bone-density.
Its a mystery. I've built a nice ramp for him to use.
Laco: They seem so sturdy! (Except when they're not.) I'm hoping that its confined to the bones of the forelegs. If that's the case then two breaks and two repairs would be the end of it.
 
#7 ·
Little dogs are so delicate! I know someone who has a pug who dropped her when she was a puppy and she broke her leg from that. I also know someone who has an Italian greyhound and were soooooo careful about him being on furniture when he was a puppy because they're known to leap off and break legs. And then they brought him to a dog park and he broke his leg anyways playing with a bigger dog. My 6 lbs terrier has stunned herself falling off of the bed (but luckily no injury).

There could be something wrong, but if you get a little dog, you need to be prepared for their fragility!
 
#8 ·
revolutionrocknroll: That just goes to show you what I know!
I figure they have 4 legs, are closer to the ground and more stable so there's less to go wrong.
If this happened in the wild it would mean certain death, so that problem would fix itself the way it has for millions of years. That's one way of looking at it, but it doesn't take that little personality, that small loving creature for anything of value which is just wrong.
I'm all for life!
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#9 ·
If this happened in the wild it would mean certain death, so that problem would fix itself the way it has for millions of years.
It's really important to realize that there is no "in the wild" for most domestic dogs. Natural selection is what takes place "in the wild". Most domestic dogs have been selectively bred by humans for quite some time.

There are sort of "wild" dogs, most often referred to as "pariah dogs", that are populations thought to be directly descended from the original "proto-dogs" that diverged from the grey wolf sometime around 15,000 years ago. These are true feral dogs that have never been selectively bred by humans. I know there are populations of true pariah dogs in several places in Africa, some in India, and some in the Middle East. There are also feral dog populations in places like the Caribbean or many South American countries that are the result of escaped dogs from European settlers, and tend to have breed mixes that reflect this. These aren't true pariah dogs because their ancestors were selectively bred by humans some generations back, they just aren't being selectively bred anymore.

Any "Chihuahua" has been selectively bred for traits associated with that breed for quite some time. To my knowledge the breed traces back to Mexico prior to the arrival of European colonists. I would bet that natural selection has had nothing to do with that breed for at least a century, possibly longer.

In terms of breaking legs- I'm not super surprised. A healthy, typical chihuahua puppy could easily break both legs in a fall. That they broke in the same place isn't surprising, either. My guess is it has something to do with where the growth plate is. Unfortunate, but definitely a reality in small breed dogs. They're very fragile.
 
#10 ·
Moonstream: You're right. Of course there's nothing for dogs like "the wild" in that sense, but if there was no medical attention to repair something like a broken leg it would still mean death.
I had always considered the chihuahua to be a fairly hardy type of dog, not really having the experience to know more. It pays to consult with experts and I'm glad I did! Thank you.
 
#11 ·
That he broke his legs jumping down from a height isn't all that surprising. Toy breed puppies tend to be more known for that. Their bones are very small and more easily broken then a larger breed, and a jump that's not that high for a larger puppy is extremely high for a toy puppy.

Their could be something else going on though, do y'all know if the puppy mill was breeding what is known as "teacup" Chihuahuas? If they were then the puppy could have gotten a double whammy. Teacups are ill breed puppies that are known to have a host of medical problems due to the bad breeding and extra small size. One of those problems is a tendency to have very fragile bones. Miniature And Teacup Chihuahua Information
 
#12 ·
Rain: Sorry, NO information on that but good to know for future reference!
The puppy Bentley, (now World Famous for his amazing ability to break his little legs) is happily recovering and everyone is hoping that will be the end of these mishaps. But just in case, the nice lady who is his best pal has restricted him from getting higher than a couple of feet from the floor... at least until those little bones grow and become stronger!
 
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