Puppy who limps

Question
My 7 week old German Shepherd puppy limps.  He walks a bit then his hips give out and he goes down.  He is very lethargic.  He lies around all time.  What could this be?

Answer
My sincere apologies for the delayed response.  I have been battling some health issues and it has set me terribly behind.

Generalized weakness can be a sign of several things including virus, neurological problems, and nutritional defficiency.  The hip involvement raises a couple of possibilities.  German Shepherds are by breed predisposed to hip dysplasia though signs usually show at a later age.  This can lead to pain and weakness in the hips.  Lyme disease leads to generalized weakness and joint problems but again would be more likely in an older dog since the amount of time for them to be exposed would be greater.

I would recommend having your veterinarian examine him, check his hips for malformation, and perhaps do bloodwork based on their findings.

I hope this helps.  Again apologies for the delay.