Re: Will bench legs lead to joint problems?

In Reply to: Re: Will bench legs lead to joint problems?
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Posted by:  Leslie Hemsing
Posted on:  January 31, 2003 at 19:26:00

: : Hello,

: : Someone recently told me that dogs with east-west legs are most likely to develop joint problems later on in their lives coz they are putting pressure wrongly on the legs. My JRT has bench legs at the front, this is the same as having east-west legs, yes? I was wondering whether this is true? If so, then what about breeds that have these kind of legs naturally, like the Basset Hound or Dachshund? Won't they all be affected? Is there any way I can avoid having any problems in the future?

:
Response:

: Dear Celine,

: You are correct -- bench legs are the same as east-west legs. :-)

: To my knowledge, the main issue with bench legs is that form can interfere with function with regard to a JRT's ability to work underground. I am unaware of any research that shows that a JRT with this conformation is likely to develop joint problems.

: Regards,
: Leslie
:

Response:

Hi, Celine,

I had a terrier with very benched legs in front, and I consulted with several vets about him numerous times. One thing I learned first and foremost from each vet was that dogs with legs like mine had were more prone to arthritis and joint problems. I was told that they'd seen a few Bassett hounds who had to be put to sleep due to their legs when they were otherwise still healthy dogs, but they were too large for owners to carry everywhere and could no longer even take themselves outdoors when they had to go to the bathroom and were obviously in pain due to problems with their legs. I remember a Bassett in my neighborhood that was like this. He was a wonderful dog, but had an awfully short life. I also had a good friend in highschool whose dog was put down due to his legs. He was quite overweight and I can't remember clearly what the situation was, only that my friend cried about it for several days because her dog never had the chance to grow old. That dog got really moody and snippy because he was in a lot of pain.

The best way to prevent any problems is to keep the dog as fit as possible. Extra weight on a short legged dog can take years off their life because of the added stress on the joints, just as the Bassetts and Dachshund I mentioned. Being larger dogs, they had a harder time supporting their overweight bodies.

There are a lot of breeds out there that people developed while stressing either forms of dwarfism or giantism and these breeds are always going to be the quite likely to develop significant health problems. Benched legs are a form of dwarfism and Great Danes are typical giants.