club foot

Question
hi i have got a chihuahua and she has just had puppies one off the puppies foot is all black and its nails are falling off it is only one week old my mum things it is club foot but i am not sure would you be able to tell me what you know about club foot? thanks jade  

Answer

Hi Jade,

Club Foot, or Inverted Foot, is a disorder in which one (or more) foot is turned inward or downward. You should have the puppy examined by a veterinarian, to confirm whether or not this puppy will grow out of the condition. Most of the time the puppy is perfectly healthy and well developed, aside from the affected foot.

Dogs know no self-pity, and they don't have any preconceived notions of what's "normal" or what isn't. This puppy has known nothing else than the condition she was born with, and has no doubt already learned to get around. It may surprise you actually, how active this puppy might be!

Depending on how the foot is positioned, it might help if the puppy was to wear the kind of bootie some dogs with a foot injury must wear. It may not be something that your puppy would ever need, or it could be helpful if it continually irritates the skin around her lame paw. There are also leg braces available, again, it's something your puppy may never need, your vet would be able to tell you if something like this would be helpful.

But like I said, your first step is to have the puppy examined by your vet.
Best of luck,

Patti