Abnormal clumsy ness

by Ian Thomas
(England)

My baby,with her baby

My baby,with her baby

My baby,with her baby

My baby,with her baby

This is an update to a post I added last. We bought rocky as a puppy not long after getting him home we noticed how abnormally clumsy he was. i took him to the vets who checked for hip displacer, he had blood tests, X-rays, scans nothing.came back all clear.they just said he was just clumsy dog and would probably grow out off it.

Not happy with that conclusion I did a bit of research myself,and came across an article on cerebellar hypoplasia.alarm bells rang rocky ticked all the boxes for the symptoms.i looked on YouTube and although not as severe as some cases it was the same.i took him back to a different vets who diagnosed poor rocky as having cerebellar hypoplasia….

Regret getting him? No way we are just thankful that he came to us and we can take care of his disability.the good news is it won’t get worse , he will sustain his level off clumsiness.

love him any less? No way he is such a brave and courageous dog and a total loyal friend to me and my kids.

hope this article helps with people who have concerns with abnormal clumsiness.

Hi Ian,
Thanks for sharing Rocky’s story with us. To be honest I had never heard of this condition, and did some research to upgrade my knowledge 🙂

From what I could find out online, there is no definitive diagnosis for cerebellar hypoplasia (unless done as part of a post-mortem), just tests to rule out other conditions? I am going to talk to my vet later today and get some more info, but if you could share how your vet reached Rocky’s diagnosis? Real-life experience is better than online research in this sort of situation!

Hopefully Rocky’s symptoms are not severe, and from what you say it seems that he manages life pretty well, in spite of his ‘disability’ and general clumsiness. I’m also glad that he came into your family where you took the time to find out what was wrong, and are making sure he gets what he needs to still live a happy life and still be loved and appreciated.

This us definitely useful info. to have on the site, especially as this is a real-life experience with the condition. So, thanks again for taking the time to share it.

IMPORTANT!!… This condition is pretty rare, and it’s NOT hereditary in Rottweilers, so very few are going to suffer from it.

Also, bear in mind that Rotties are BIG puppies, BIG adolescents and they take a while to get control of their heavy bodies and long limbs. Most Rottie pups are clumsy to some degree… running into things, tripping, knocking things over… this is absolutely NORMAL and in 99.9999% of cases it does NOT mean that there is something wrong with your pup/dog!

I don’t want new owners to panic or assume the worst just because their pup is clumsy. Cerebellar Hypoplasia usually has severe symptoms making it difficult for the pup to balance, walk or judge distances. Plus other symptoms like head bobbing, muscle tremors, high-stepping, falling clean over and so on will also be present.

If you have a pup or dog who acts this way, and who has never outgrown that generalized puppy clumsiness and lack of co-ordination to the point that his quality of life is being affected, it might be worth asking your veterinarian for advice. But, I repeat, this is a rare condition in Rotties.

Thanks again Ian. This is exactly the type of info. that helps other Rottie lovers and owners. Much appreciated. I wish lots of luck to Rocky and your family. Great photos by the way, adorable 🙂

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Feb 14, 2013

Rocky NEW
by: Ian Thomas

Please note to readers rockys condition is very rare.the vet we took rocky to has only experienced this condition three times in the 23 years off being a vet and two off them were cats.so please don’t go rushing your beloved Rottweiler to the vets if it has a stumbles! its a fact Rottweilers are clumsy.as for how our vet came to the conclusion there are a few tell tail sights. Poor balance,wide-base stance and a stiff or high-stepping gait also he sometimes walkers with a foot knuckle.these are just a few off his the characteristics off his disability.our vet also offered us an MRI scan.we opted agains that considering everything rocky has been through.and totally agreed with the vets diagnosis. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Ian.


Feb 14, 2013

Rocky NEW
by: Ian Thomas

Please note to readers rockys condition is very rare.the vet we took rocky to has only experienced this condition three times in the 23 years off being a vet and two off them were cats.so please don’t go rushing your beloved Rottweiler to the vets if it has a stumbles! its a fact Rottweilers are clumsy.as for how our vet came to the conclusion there are a few tell tail sights. Poor balance,wide-base stance and a stiff or high-stepping gait also he sometimes walkers with a foot knuckle.these are just a few off his the characteristics off his disability.our vet also offered us an MRI scan.we opted agains that considering everything rocky has been through.and totally agreed with the vets diagnosis. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Ian.


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About The Rotty lover 2159 Articles
My name is Dr. Winnie. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Duke University, a Masters of Science in Biology from St Georges University, and graduated from the University of Pretoria Veterinary School in South Africa. I have been an animal lover and owners all my life having owned a Rottweiler named Duke, a Pekingese named Athena and now a Bull Mastiff named George, also known as big G! I'm also an amateur equestrian and love working with horses. I'm a full-time Veterinarian in South Africa specializing in internal medicine for large breed dogs. I enjoy spending time with my husband, 2 kids and Big G in my free time. Author and Contribturor at SeniorTailWaggers, A Love of Rottweilers, DogsCatsPets and TheDogsBone