Sitting position of my Rottie

Hi,

Your site is too good!! Keep it up!


My Rottie is now 6 months old. He is normal except for sometimes he sits in an awkward position. My vet told me that this is due to the smooth marble flooring. Now I have made sure he stays most of the time in rough surface.

Is this a temporary problem or is there any cure? Or will he be okay?

My Vet to give some calcium based intravenous injections into his hind legs.

I keep reading about hip dysplasia in the net. I don't hear any 'click' sound.

Also of late, he has started eating less food. Even thrice a day is a big thing for him. He refuses even royal canine. Sleeps all the time. Can you please tell me if I should be worried?

Is this thing normal?

Regards
Suresh






Hi Suresh
Big dogs like Rottweilers can have difficulty walking, sitting and so on, on slippery floors such as marble, tile etc. It's not good for their developing joints and ligaments and it's good that you are keeping him on rough surfaces (he needs to get good 'traction') now.

Sitting strangely, or lying in the 'frog-leg' position doesn't necessarily mean that there's anything wrong with his hips. In fact, it can mean the opposite. If you've read my pages that talk about hip dysplasia... Hip Dysplasia In Dogs and Canine Hip Dysplasia, then you should have a good idea of the signs to look for.

If your pup isn't showing pain, stiffness, difficulty rising (apart from when he's on slippery floors), a strange 'bunny-hopping' run, or the 'clicking' sound you mention, then I wouldn't assume he's got any problems. Giving extra calcium to these large breeds can often cause way more problems than it solves and I'm not sure I would want my pup to have calcium shots. However, I'm not veterinarian and this is only my personal opinion, your vet is the best person to give advice.

As for his appetite, if he seems happy and healthy other than this then I wouldn't worry about it too much. Puppies go through stages when it comes to eating, and for a while they seem to eat all the time, and then decide they're not really hungry for a while and so on, back and forth. It's normal. At 6 months of age your pup doesn't need to be eating three times a day, twice is enough. At this age they may also be less active than they were as young puppies, and Rottweilers aren't especially high-energy dogs when mature (although at 6 months old your pup is far from mature!)

If you've got any worries about his general health though I'd definitely recommend a trip to the vet for an exam.

Hope this helps some, and I'm happy that you've found my site helpful and enjoyable :o)