Content
- What is Swimming Dog Syndrome
- Swimmer Dog Syndrome Symptoms
- Causes of Swimming Dog Syndrome
- Diagnosis and treatment of swimming dog syndrome
- Physiotherapy
- bandages
- Nutritional Supplements
- weight control
- Environmental modification and enrichment
Do you have a puppy that cannot walk or move normally? Notice that his attempts to walk resemble a dog swimming? So it could be swimming dog syndrome.
Swimmer dog syndrome, also known as flat dog syndrome, appears in very young puppies and is a neurological problem that causes a reduction in, or even loss of, movement in the hind and/or forelegs.
In this article by PeritoAnimal we will explain about the swimming dog syndrome, what it is, what are the causes, how it is detected and what is the most appropriate treatment. If you want to know more about this topic, keep reading.
What is Swimming Dog Syndrome
The term "syndrome" means the set of clinical signs and symptoms that can result from one or more causes, that is, it is not a disease in itself, but a medical condition caused by one or more diseases.
Swimmer dog syndrome, also called flat dog syndrome or myofibrillar hypoplasia, results from an alteration in the nervous system, namely motor development, in puppies. It causes difficulty in locomotion or even loss of limb movement, causing them to wander or drag their limbs. This syndrome acquires this common designation because the dog, when it tries to walking, makes a movement that resembles swimming.
It usually manifests even before the first month of life, when puppies begin to take their first steps (around the second or third week of life). It is at this stage that the tutor begins to notice that something is wrong with the dog's locomotion.
Swimmer dog syndrome can affect any gender or race, however it is believed that there is a predisposition to races such as Basset Hound, English Bulldog and French Bulldog, Cocker Spaniel, Yorkshire Terrier, that is, in small-breed puppies with short legs (chondrodystrophic races).
Swimmer Dog Syndrome Symptoms
Although we have already mentioned the main symptom, some other possible symptoms of this syndrome are:
- The animal shows signs similar to weakness/weakness;
- Walking and ataxia (incoordination of movements);
- Inability to stand upright;
- Hyperextension of the limbs;
- Permanence in sternal decubitus (sternum and abdomen touching the ground);
- Locomotion similar to the act of swimming;
- Drag wounds;
- Constipation;
- Dyspnea (difficulty breathing);
- Weight loss (they are usually the weakest animals in the litter as they cannot feed).
THE swimming dog syndrome it can affect hind and/or forelegs, however it is more common to affect both hind legs. The prognosis for recovery is more reserved when it affects all four limbs.
When these clinical signs are observed, they raise a lot of concern and doubts for the guardians who live with the dog. However, don't worry, in the following topics we will try to clarify all your doubts and insecurities regarding this problem.
Causes of Swimming Dog Syndrome
The causes can be varied, but it is usually associated with a congenital defect, that is, one that develops during pregnancy. In addition, there are authors who defend the existence of a component:
- Hereditary (which is transmitted from parents to offspring);
- Environmental (after birth there is a lack of stimuli to walk or slippery floor);
- Nutritional (nutritional deficiencies can also lead to this syndrome).
If you also have doubts if there is a dog with Down Syndrome, check out the answer in our article.
Diagnosis and treatment of swimming dog syndrome
Remember that this syndrome does not cure itself, if you do not do anything to help your dog it will not disappear. It is, therefore, a problem that requires regular veterinarian follow-up, since the success of the treatment will depend on continuous reassessments by the veterinarian and his team.
Physiotherapy
THE physiotherapy is the treatment of choice and generally, if started as early as possible in the third or fourth week of life, the animal is left without any sequelae and fully recovers. Daily physiotherapy with 15-minute sessions, several times a day, is recommended in order to increase muscle tone and strength, in addition to stimulating motor coordination. Swimming is also recommended as physiotherapy.
bandages
In some situations bandages are associated to reposition the members. This association presents more satisfactory results when starting at three to four weeks of age, since bones and joints can be more easily shaped and make the therapy more effective.
As a curiosity, the bandages are made with eight-shaped tapes or handcuffs in order to stabilize and maintain the limbs in their normal anatomical position. As the level of growth of animals is exponential, you should regularly change the bandages to accompany this growth.
Nutritional Supplements
It can be associated as a adjuvant treatment with the administration of vitamin E, selenium and/or taurine. A deficit in selenium can lead to reduced growth, weakened immune system or fertility problems.
weight control
Excess weight makes walking difficult and overloads the joints.
Environmental modification and enrichment
The use of non-slip floors can be a simple solution for puppies who are always slipping. Also, see more options for you to enrich your pet's environment and give it a happier and fuller time.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Swimming Dog Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our Other health problems section.