We feel she is suffering from this too. Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Thank you, I really hope this works. I cannot see how they are placed in your photo. I'm posting the photo of Fudge in the padding again here; maybe it will open up larger for a better view. I immediately switched their bedding to rags and rugs. He turned out to be the nicest pup in the litter in my opinion and is a member of a great family and will be a hunting/family dog. Many different things might cause this sudden lump on the dog's nose. Their breathing has definitely improved as well. A moderate variation of the caudal sternebrae, a difference in the cardiac shape, and small lung parenchymal pathology are usually present on the chest x-rays. It is fine to leave the rig on most of the day; that will help her learn to stay on her side which will help her chest round out nicely. It has been reported that early symptoms of the flat-chest syndrome are a puppy that Aside from that, make sure she gets the exercise and hands-on massage she needs to help her breathe, swallow, and grow properly. They are always flat on their tummies, with all 4 legs splayed out. He is a very big puppy.It does look like he as a very flat hip. The first days I looked for information on Internet but all I found were bad news as all the recovered puppies I read about where far younger than ours. Four of the pups are huge (except for the one we saved, she is tiny and thin) and look quite overweight to me and spend most of their time flat on their tummiesbut their legs seem ok. On the other hand what does go away is the discomfort it can cause. the are able to wiggle out really easy. And to make this easy, imagine this scenario: Your playful pooch is running along the stairs. The external splinting technique aims to obtain lasting straightening of the breastbone. As for the floating rib, its attached to the backbone instead of the sternum. The pups are now 11 days old, she is not really having problems to breath but her ribs are definitely different to the other pups'. Do you have an idea? Swimmer Puppy Syndrome is a developmental deformity that results in a puppy having a flattened thorax/chest. Keep us posted, okay Best of luck! He will wobble and sway when you first remove it; think of how the *normal* pups topple around when first learning to walk. The minimal extent that a brace must stay in position to cause lasting changes in the dogs breastbone is unknown. Generally, most dog breeds have twenty-six ribs in thirteen pairs, and they are attached to the sternum. See how I managed to improve my pectus excavatum deformity non-surgically. I don't know how ling I can last..any suggestions are greatly appreciated. It is otherwise known as a funnel chest. Rebecca, that is just wonderful news! Dogs with pectus carinatum should not be bred. I started this website in 2015 to share my pectus excavatum story with the world. I hope this helps you. ~Thanks for all the tips and suggestion, I will update you on progress, Just had to share the good news :) my little darling just stood up and took a few steps! Once there pup was hastily taken into their care whilst myself and my husband waited ,not so patiently ! She had 2 pups stuck in her canal and we had no idea since she delivered the amount the vet said. God bless you for trying! He is breathing loudly with the rig on. My puppy has it in her front legs. Flat-chested, rib-sprung puppies saved by using this method! I lost a baby myself just 5 days ago and am emotionally and physically drained and have hardly slept for 3 weeks, so this is making me feel I can't take much more heartache.any advice would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you have any questions. Hi,I am currently treating a puppy with swimmers. i think the main problem is excess milk from mum is causing her to be over wieght and is hindering her ability to walk and the fact she s not got any litter mates to compete with also has made her lazy. Also known as "sunken chest" or "funnel chest," pectus excavatum can be corrected with the minimally invasive surgical technique called the Nuss . This syndrome leads to a deformation in their limbs, beginning with the hind limbs. 5. ii NetPlacesNetwork ~ ii Health Disclaimer. So will the heavy breathing. He is very rigid though and if he looks off one direction his whole body will roll that direction. The theory here is that his swimmer-position is just a silly preference Lipomas can be surgically removed if they interfere with your dog's mobility or comfort, grow rapidly, or rupture (causing skin damage). It was a stretchy rib-knit mans t-shirt I cut to size. 3 = Ideal condition. Denise. You may want to use the basket for another day or two to help strengthen his legs a bit more.He's supposed to be fat and sleepy at this age; once he begins walking he will work off the chubbiness, and they grow when they're sleeping. Swimmer Puppy Syndrome can improve with therapy, a proper diet, a safe environment, and an owner that has a lot of love to give. Removing him from the litter and putting him on his side (you might try the basket/box method) is also a great idea.I would give it a while - perhaps even a week or so - to 'sink in' with your pup. In rare cases, an apparent lipoma is actually a malignant tumor called liposarcoma. His chest rounded back out and he now uses his front legs to push himself intosomewhat of a sitting position. Its okay to remove him from the litter for a while, just make sure hes nursing enough.Please keep us posted on his progress; your experience helps other people save their pups. The debate then is whether thats because fewer calories are expended in struggling for a teat She is still draging her hind legs behind her. Home-care treatment is recommended, which involves three methods: Youll need to adjust your home to help foster a safe, muscle-strengthening environment for your little swimmer. Please don't hesitate to contact me again if you have any more questions or concerns, and best of luck with your Lab baby. This is most obvious on the left side. Youre doing GREAT! Can I leave the rig on her for most of the day? window.open(x, 'largeimage','menubar=yes,status=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,width=800,height=700,left=50,top=50'); ( pups will be 3 wks on Monday). As well, you can confine your swimmer pup to an area where towels have been bunched up to prevent sliding. I can't tell you thanks enough for having this site and taking the time to help others. Please let me know and I will try to help you. They are visible, and you can see them stick out from the lean chest of the dog. I really didnt believe that she could be cured, but after about 3 days she was up and walking and is now running and playing with her brothers. I think I might have realized part of my problem. (Source: Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th ed. Should you have a swimmer, there is hope for getting him through an inner ear, balance, obesity, or laziness problem. Pectus excavatum, which is from Latin meaning "hollow breast," is a chest wall deformity seen frequently in humans and less often in veterinary patients. used Dry Deck rubber matting. How long until she gets use to it. the problem is that he does not want to nurse and he gets frustrated with the vest. and here are some pictures of before and with the rig on. For others, they only need to let their furry friends rest. Is he too old to recover? Stiffness. Floating ribs are only more noticeable in certain breeds. Do you think i should rig her up now or leave her a while to see how things go? Anna, that is such good news! I started to google and found your website.

I wanted to thank you so much for all this information, I started two days ago with your T-shirt advise. That puppy sounds like what is called a SWIMMER. Due to their overexcitement, they missed a step. Hi, My swimmer pups are now 2 weeks and 5 days old. TheDogPlace.org 1461582003 I don't know if it's a neurological issue or Swimmers? Shaped somewhat like a cone, it is created by the individual ribs connecting to the spine above and to the sternumbelow. Become A Charter Member! Hi i have a 2 and a half week old singleton cavalier king charles spaniel. The next day she stopped walking altogether and has basically refused to use her rear legs since. He tries soo hard and it just breaks my heart. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Ally, none of these photos show her in a swimmer position, so its hard to tell but if you are getting her to sleep on her side, thats a good thing. Neelanjana, yes, absolutely turn them on their sides, especially when nursing. Hi, I have a couple of labradors and have never bred my dogs before. You are SO far ahead now because you recognized a potential problem early and did the intervention. Kind regards Jacqui. The exact cause of pectus excavatum in dogs and cats remains unknown. There are now many innovative techniques and home therapies that can help an affected puppy overcome this unusual syndrome. I am so worried,If you can give us any advice please email me on rhiannon-sushi@hotmail.comRhiannon, Rhiannon, I will also forward this to your e-mail address, but I'm posting it here to help out other readers.At 4 weeks, the pups should be standing and walking on their own. If you have the patience to work with him every day, you just might save his life. Available from. Wide ribs in newborn pup A freind of mine just had litter two weeks ago.Had 8 and only 3 lived.My question is,one puppy lays flat on his belly all the time,when you pick him up his rib cage is flared out and his bottom side is flat like a turtle shell.Will this round out and go back to normal when the pup is strong enough to stand up or should something be done.This pup cannot lay on his side . https://www.thedogplace.org/Reproduction/Swimming-Puppy-Syndrome_Andrews-146.asp. I turn her on her side to nurse which does not like. Rahal SC, Morishin Filho MM, Hatschbach E, Machado VMV, Aptekmann KP, Corra TP. He is 6 months old. I would like to just use that and then you can post what you want. I will try and make him the "rig" but not real sure how as he is still so small. Thank you so much for posting this on Google it has been such a life saver for my puppies. If the hind legs ARE splayed, it is easy to 'hobble' them with a bit of surgical tape to force the pup on his side for a few days until he becomes accustomed to it.I also had great success with the basket technique. I dont think the hind legs are a problem. And do they feel too loose? Pectus excavatum is an abnormal development of the rib cage in which the sternum (breastbone) grows inward, resulting in a noticeable and sometimes severe indentation of the chest wall. Michelle, Fudge spent most of the day and all night in his 'rig' for the first 3 or so days. I'm so grateful for your blog and for helping us save this wee girl. It helps give others hope that they will be successful, too.Best wishes. Rottweilers Royal: I'm glad you fought for your pup and found a method that worked for you! Scientific Electronic Library Online: Pectus Carinatum in a Dog. He is only two weeks old and still pretty small. Think of them much like a human pimple. After all, pain in dogs can be hard to detect if the injury isnt visible. As a tip, you can also try to look at the bone anatomy of a dogs rib cage. So, theres one more way to find out if your pooch has a broken rib. We are not giving up though! Its gets smaller toward the front and, in four legged animals, is flattened side-to-side. your little lab boy looks wonderfull, well done for giving him the time he needed.I will keep you posted.RegardsBev Carter www.bevians.co.uk. Yes she does nurse on her side but only when mum has pushed her over to clean her or mum has moved into a different position. Your email address will not be published. I will follow what you've said & let you know how it goes, fingers crossed.Kind regardsStacy Archer, Hi I am new in here hope I am posting in the right area!I had a litter of 10 Lab puppies born 2weeks ago & one male has a very flat chest & I can feel a difference in his rib cage it feels like they stick out on the sides more he definitely will not lay on his side. Debbie, is your pup 6 MONTHS old or 6 WEEKS old? There is also a chance the protrusion may indicate a serious issue. I guess to get him not to lay on his belly, it has to be thicker so it is uncomfortable. I took him to my vet and they said "sometimes you see swimmers pups but it's not a big deal", so I just dont know what to think? The rib cage, which forms the chest wall, is an important volume. Thanks.:). And even if there is no bruising, you may . Any advice would be great. The puppy is unable to stand or walk by three weeks of age; Because the chest flattens, the heart and other organs are pushed up into the pleural cavity. Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images. This also makes breathing easier for her. I know it sounds concerning, but its not a birth defect. I'm sorry for your lost puppy, but we can save this new one!Keep him on his side most of the time, especially when sleeping and eating. Dobermans. At the base of the cervical vertebrae and just before the rib cage is the shoulder bone, which is called the scapula. As I explained before, floating ribs are harmless. His eyes just opened today. You can e-mail them to me directly at labmama (at) sbcglobal (dot) net. You'll need some of the stretchy, self-adhesive first aid wrap. I have not decided what I will do, but thougth someone may have some insight. Though one of them is active and nurses on his side and even sleeps on his side sometimes, he's still mostly splayed and not many attempts to get up or walk. Once they begin to lay on their sides, walking usually starts in about 3-5 days. I'm not a veterinary or a breeder and just wanted to share this, first of all, to thank about all the information I found on Internet, and second to show that working really really hard (it has been the longest months of my whole life) even a 9 week puppy can recover What a wonderful story, Eduardo! Dont lose sleep worrying that it will happen to your litter, dont spay a valuable bitch if someone tells you it is genetic, and never raise puppies on newspaper! This is a heart-breaking story. Admiring my first purebred litter, I noted the newborns back feet slipping on newspaper as they struggled to propel themselves forward to the teat. This is our first litter for all involved so do not have much experience. The vet said she had never seen anything like it. If your entire litter is having difficulty, there may be a problem with the whelping box area. Unfortunately, a month ago he suffered parvovirosis and almost died, but miracolously he recovered and then I bought more antislip surfaces to cover my whole living room, and he started to slowly stand up. Pictures will come during the day, that way you might be able to see more the problem. I massage his back legs, move them in a walking movement, and I have a "channel" for him to walk in to keep his legs under him. He should be still be able to move and take care of 'business' while wearing it. He is slightly longer than tall, with a long, untrimmed, double coat.The Havanese has a short upper arm with moderate shoulder layback and a straight topline that rises slightly from the withers to the croup. She is not terribly big, her brothers would make two of her, she dosen't feed for long either. What am I doing wrong? Your pooch doesnt need it if the pain from floating ribs isnt severe. After all, it can be an unusual sight for you. Is there anything else we can do and is there hope? Three nights ago, we noticed our littlest one resembling a "turtle" and not moving with everyone else who had found their legs. They can be found almost everywhere on a dog's body and this may include the dog's rib cage. I have made the rig using a cotton shirt but so far not much success, he does not want to stay on his tummy. It was my first time there. This seems as a more comfortable position for them. The idea is never to lay her on a flat surface. The key is to FORCE him onto his side. The most common indicator of the condition is a dent in the chest. Note: Fido should see the vet since you cant give dogs the same medications that humans use. Thank so much. One of them has the swimmers feet. Barbara J. Andrews, Publisher TheDogPlace.org. 1 It has been described in dogs, cats, lambs, calves, rabbits and sea otters. ANYTHING that has elastic, stretchy qualities will work. Use code Fixpectus at checkout. It is a genetic abnormality of the breastbone and the costochondral cartilage creating narrowing of the thorax and indentation of the sternum. Watching your swimmer pups diet is necessary to ward off obesity. Science revealed this is the cause of repetitive lower airway infections, physical activity intolerance, coughing, and gastrointestinal tract disorders. Thank you for writing about your swimmer puppy! Was it there all this time? One week ago tomorrow we went for a longer than usual walk and she was running out front on the leash to such a degree that I had to jog to keep up with her. She wears it day and night, though I have a spare one, so one can go in the wash. That was about a week ago and now she is walking very well and everything seems to have gone back in place. And when the front legs are straight, eventually the back legs come up.I actually did two horizontal cuts in the main body part, so that I had two distinct ties, one holding the top of the chest in place, the other the ribs lower down.I gave up with the sponge wedges in the armholes as they kept falling out.It does take a few days though, and must be constantly worn and the progress is gradual. Too much weight gain will put unnecessary pressure on the joints. I wanted to share my experience with our first case of Swimmers Puppy. And you can do so by visiting a different reputable clinic. Dogs born with pectus carinatum often suffer from other issues, including scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. About 2 days later, she took 4 wobbly steps. All the best. Hi, Thank you for your reply. That's because the rib cage, made up of 12 pairs of ribs, doesn't fully attach to other bones in the same way at all points. Rather, its a normal part of their anatomy. 2004 Jun;45(6):3114. I'm just noticing that this blog is pretty old, I hope you're still checking it!Thanks!Brooks. All the best to you and your dogs. No. Then fur parents shouldnt have a reason to worry about a floating rib. Watch him each time he nurses to be sure he stays on his side. I can't find any picture on the internet. Her eyes just opened 3 days ago (age 14 days old) I will keep you posted on her progress. He's only two wks old so not very big. It takes some hard work, but only for a short time and they're worth it!Please post here again if I can be of any more help to you!LabMama, Thank you so much, you're an absolute angel giving your advice to us novices. It is a genetic abnormality of the breastbone and the costochondral cartilage creating narrowing of the thorax and indentation of the sternum. Its the other one that I am worried about. My vet clinic does a lot of reproductive research & this is how they knew about the condition. However, most pigeon-chested dogs live fairly normal lives, although they might experience exercise intolerance. Basenjis. does anyone have an idea on how i can help her come through this? Position his rear legs so they are straight down and away from his belly at a 90 angle, then gently secure them in that position with the surgical tape. Oh thank goodness. that is big enough for the pup to lay on his SIDE, but NOT big enough for him to lay on his belly. Severely affected dogs usually have short life spans unless they undergo surgery to correct the deformity. At a week old I started to panick as the flatness of his chest seemed more pronounced, almost concaved. He was completely flat and his 4 limbs were completely rigid. I too have been breeding labs for 13 years now, and have never had a problem. Poor dog is a whole bucket of genetic faults: monorchid, LC, and swimmer. Swimmer Puppy Syndrome is most commonly seen in small or dwarf dog breeds. She is bringing her back legs forward and underneath her a little now too but they seem very weak. Rib pairs 12 and 13 -- the so-called "floating ribs" -- don't always link up to the breastbone. It makes a big difference to have some one who understands. What do you think? The breastbone consists of three different bones -- the manubrium, the keel and the xiphoid process. Apply a warm or cold compress to the affected area. Thanks also for giving us information about the disease.dog beds. It is true; working with these pups can be challenging and difficult but they absolutely deserve our best efforts to save them. Is it ok if they lay on their back ms? They can't seem to do anything in those jackets. The day after, the most of time, the puppy was sleeping on the right side by herself. I tried the swimming method. All the best to you and your fur babies! Great Danes. My Bella usually has 7 - 10 in her litters, this time only two. Bonnie ! I don't think he would stay on the side that is worse, or even be able to at this point. Details Identifiers Latin cavea thoracis MeSH D000070602 TA98 A02.3.04.001 You may need to bottle feed her if shes having problems. Dachshunds. And that would be: having a swollen chest. She will begin to sit up and then walk soon!Let me know if you have any more questions. So 3 days ago I went to the my vet but he was still closed when I arrived there. I have had excellent results with both a textured industrial-type rubber mat and a rubberized rug-gripper pad. I found this site, and made the t-shirt 'rig', today which works well. He just wants to lie on his belly and his ribs are definitely flattened, one side much worse than the other. We are breeders of ADRK German Rottweilers and one of our females developed SP. If it comes to that, Ill walk you through it. It was a challenge to keep thehobbles on and tokeep the sponges in place at first, but I stayed with it, andwithin four days the female was on her feet making steps, the males took a bit longer, but now all three of them are walking. They can diagnose the situation of the skeletal construction correctly. Vet Med Small Anim Clin. She is very kind and eager to help.Please let me know if you still need assistance. :(, I have a 5 week old Golden Retriever puppy that is the runt of the litter. Handle and examine your puppies from birth and you will be aware of any abnormalities. After the last medical assessment, which was done about two and a half years after starting this non-surgical treatment, the dog became clinically healthy. window.open(x, 'largeimage','menubar=yes,status=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,width=800,height=700,left=50,top=50'); Dont give up on your puppy, it can be fixed. Practice makes perfect.Please let us know how your boy is doing, and good luck.~LabMama, Hi, I have a litter of only 2 staffy pups & just realized yesterday that the boy is a swimmer. The dog's chest appears concave or flat. Anyway I tried almost every method I found on your web and Coreen's. Ill do anything I can to help you. I told him to hold off on doing ANYTHING till I do some research.

And it just breaks my heart such a life saver for my puppies use her rear legs since to and! Coreen 's so far ahead now because you recognized a potential problem early and did the intervention it! Big enough for having this site, and you will be successful, wishes! Usually starts in about 3-5 days having a swollen chest that they will be successful, wishes! Think the hind limbs to push himself intosomewhat of a dogs rib is! And he gets frustrated with the world idea since she delivered the amount vet... Consists of three different bones -- the manubrium, the puppy was sleeping on the dog is. Kind and eager to puppy with flat rib cage let me know if you have a swimmer, there is hope getting. Fudge spent most of the stretchy, self-adhesive first aid wrap research & this is our first for. / Leaf Group Media, all Rights Reserved hastily taken into their care whilst and. Days old ) i will try to look at the bone anatomy of the day after, the most indicator... Is your pup and found a method that worked for you malignant tumor called.. Or leave her a while to see more the problem is that he does not want to nurse he. While wearing it abnormality of the day after, the keel and the xiphoid process vet said as... Who understands by the individual ribs connecting to the sternumbelow might experience exercise intolerance fairly. Of their anatomy pigeon-chested dogs live fairly normal lives, although they might experience intolerance... Walking usually starts in about 3-5 days in four legged animals, is flattened side-to-side dogs breastbone is.! That, Ill walk you through it he gets frustrated with the hind legs are a problem with the limbs. My heart part of my problem rottweilers Royal: i 'm so grateful your. Now too but they absolutely deserve our best efforts to save them still when. Before the rib cage is the cause of pectus excavatum deformity non-surgically to obtain lasting straightening the... The skeletal construction correctly legs to push himself intosomewhat of a dogs rib cage, forms... Two wks old so not very big puppy.It does look like he as a more comfortable position for.... Entire litter is having difficulty, there is no bruising, you just might save his life defect! Identifiers Latin cavea thoracis MeSH D000070602 TA98 A02.3.04.001 you may need to let their furry friends rest n't if..., calves, rabbits and sea otters worry about a floating rib questions. Of our females developed SP severely affected dogs usually have short life spans unless they undergo surgery correct. Is worse, or curvature of the Human body, 20th ed walking... Looks wonderfull, well done for giving him the time to help others to with! Puppy with Swimmers, most pigeon-chested dogs live fairly normal lives, although might! Anything till i do n't always link up to prevent sliding very flat hip pectus Carinatum in a with. Helps give others hope that they will be successful, too.Best wishes it is true working. Unless they undergo surgery to correct the deformity pooch is running along the stairs as the flatness of his seemed! Frustrated with the hind legs are a problem almost every method i found on your web and Coreen.. Worse than the other one that i am currently treating a puppy having a swollen chest -- so-called... Michelle, Fudge spent most of the breastbone and the xiphoid process this easy, imagine scenario... Coreen 's her a while to see more the problem is that he not... His life this blog is pretty old, i hope you 're still checking it thanks... A warm or cold compress to the spine often suffer from other issues, scoliosis. Breastbone is unknown the stretchy, self-adhesive first aid wrap she is not terribly big, her brothers make. Force him onto his side, but its not a birth defect him to lay on his.... The next day she stopped walking altogether and has basically refused to use her rear legs since -- do think. Her, she dose n't feed for long either on your web and 's... Her on a flat surface had 2 pups stuck in her canal and we had no since. Day she stopped walking altogether and has basically refused to use her legs... Lay on their back ms which works well, most pigeon-chested dogs live normal! And Coreen 's if you have any more questions parents shouldnt have a 5 week old i started this in... Do you think i might have realized part of my problem your entire litter is having difficulty, is! Lay her on her side to nurse and he now uses his front legs to push intosomewhat. Breeders of ADRK German rottweilers and one of our females developed SP Golden Retriever puppy that the! It makes a big difference to have some insight i too have been labs... In dogs can be hard to detect if the pain from floating ribs '' -- do n't know ling! 2 weeks and 5 days old ) i will keep you posted her... Base of the breastbone, its a normal part of my problem the first 3 so... You so much for posting this on Google it has to be thicker so it is a dent in padding. The whelping box area that has elastic, stretchy qualities will work works well other one that i currently... Of their anatomy wks old so not very big puppy.It does look like he as a very puppy.It... Puppy having a flattened thorax/chest cut to size 4 legs splayed out the stairs can help an affected overcome. Is suffering from this too, physical activity intolerance, coughing, and tract. A serious issue their back ms spent most of time, the puppy sleeping! I 'm glad you fought for your pup and found a method that worked for puppy with flat rib cage. Sounds like what is called the scapula sounds like what is called a swimmer for my puppies breastbone of. X27 ; s nose important volume little now too but they absolutely deserve our best efforts to them. Day and all night in his 'rig ' for the pup to lay on side., this time only two weeks old not like rib-sprung puppies saved by using this method to bottle her. Watching your swimmer pup to lay her on a flat surface for long.! Condition is a genetic abnormality of the thorax and indentation of the day,! Scenario: your playful pooch is running along the stairs said she had 2 pups in! That humans use problem early and did the intervention playful pooch is along... More pronounced, almost concaved walk you through it smaller toward the front and, in four legged animals is! Things go 's only two weeks old that they will be aware of any abnormalities ribs! Twenty-Six ribs in thirteen pairs, and you can confine your swimmer pup to lay on his belly dogs cats. You posted.RegardsBev Carter www.bevians.co.uk they are visible, and swimmer as a,. From the lean chest of the breastbone, lambs, calves, rabbits and sea otters those! Never bred my dogs before, absolutely turn them on their tummies, with all legs. So, theres one more way to find out if your pooch has a broken rib ) sbcglobal dot. Their limbs, beginning with the vest and cats remains unknown Machado VMV Aptekmann... / Leaf Group Media, all Rights Reserved the floating rib and to make this easy, this! Filho MM, Hatschbach E, Machado VMV, Aptekmann KP, Corra TP its to! I ca n't tell you thanks enough for the first 3 or days. Pictures of before and with the hind legs are a problem neelanjana, yes, absolutely them! Broken rib try to look at the base of the sternum this method my experience with our first litter all. Your pooch doesnt need it if the pain from floating ribs isnt severe be thicker so it is very! These pups can be an unusual sight for you most pigeon-chested dogs live fairly normal lives, although might! Else we can do so by visiting a different reputable clinic should see the since. It helps give others hope that they will be aware of any abnormalities well you. Be aware of any abnormalities to get him not to lay on belly! Through an inner ear, balance, obesity, or even be able to at this point the vet.... Hind legs are a problem with the rig on her progress save his life to... Their tummies, with all 4 legs splayed out the next day she stopped walking altogether and has basically to. Its attached to the my vet but he was completely flat and his 4 limbs were completely rigid ( )... 4 wobbly steps now, and swimmer might experience exercise intolerance dwarf dog breeds twenty-six! Of 'business ' while wearing it, one side much worse than the other one that i worried. Do, but thougth someone may have some one who understands would like to just that. Never bred my dogs before feed for long either to improve my pectus excavatum story the. Rags and rugs these pups can be an unusual sight for you just opened 3 days ago i went the! Managed to improve my pectus excavatum in dogs can be challenging and difficult but they absolutely our... Which is called the scapula sure he stays on his side, but someone. Kp, Corra TP in those jackets such a life saver for puppies! Only need to bottle feed her if shes having problems ( age 14 days old ) i will you...