Knuckling Over In Dogs – Great Dane Pup Recovers

Karma the Great Dane Pup, Recovers from Knuckling Over Problem

This story on knuckling over in dogs is just a brief overview of causes and factors which may be helpful. A bone-growth ‘irregularity’ issue; wherein bones and muscles are growing at irregular rates due to the nutritional imbalances or deficiencies involved.

Knuckling over is first noticed in the area of the front leg on a puppy, or the growth plate (wrist or carpal) area. The term coined by professional breeders for this condition is knuckling over, and it describes a condition where the front end assembly of the dog, the weight-bearing part of the body, is unable to support the whole bodyweight of the puppy, due to a lack of integrity in the muscle, tendon, and ligaments.

The knuckling over in young dogs is not genetic – it is due to uneven growth patterns between the bone, tissue and muscle. it is caused by dietary imbalances and/or missing micro-minerals and/or minerals that are not available to the body – difficult to assimilate. The condition of ” knuckling over”, can be very extreme, almost as if the legs are made of some malleable material – like rubber! Early knuckling over – less than 8 weeks of age, is not a problem and quite common. This is because the large and giant breeds grow quickly during the early stages of development.

Therefore, getting the right information to help correct the diet, along with special super-food nutrition can be of serious significance to hopefully finish the puppy with “more regular” bone growth patterns.

ALSO, while nutritional considerations are a major factor, related to desired corrections for such issues, there is much information about NOT raising your puppy with the challenge of hard, slippery floor surfaces to deal with. For the best understanding of these matters, please refer to Great Dane Lady on Knuckling Over.