Potential Problems`

[Benz]

I am interested in bringing this 6 Mo old corso puppy home, he is AKC certified and I've seen and heard hip dysplasia is a problem in the breed and was wondering if this pup seems to have potntial problems. I see that he has a slight arch on his back and if anyone could put their input in or explain that'd be much appreciated.

 

[marke]

there are very few mastiff breeds where hip dysplasia is not a potential problem ........ pups with strong rears and good movement will be affected by it less .....

 

[Boxergirl]

I think that it's really difficult to tell anything from a picture. You really need to see movement, and even then it's just a guess until any tests are done. And unless he's having apparent issues, he wouldn't be tested yet at that age. Are you getting him from a breeder that has tested hips and elbows? I know that's not a guarantee, but I feel that it's one of those things that should be done before breeding. Is this a breeder that has lines that go back a while an you can see how the ancestors faired in the health department?

 

[mmmcc]

looks like a nice pup on the picture. best is to find parental hip exams if its possible. I believe you can do HIP exam only at age 2 )please correct me if im not correct)

 

[marke]

pennhip will "certify" them at 16 weeks I believe ? the usefulness of the information , imo , is less than what they lead folks to believe , but I think it is still useful …even an x-ray at 7 months is useful information ... I've x-rayed a lot of dog , I honestly cannot remember ever being surprised at what I found out …….. not saying I could grade them by raising them and watching them , hip dysplasia can be a lot of traits that do not affect a dog , at least until they are old ….. I have been somewhat surprised how good a dog was , but never how bad one was , mainly because the breed of dogs I keep have on average pretty poor hip conformation ……. at 6-7 months there will be signs if a dog is going to be functionally dysplastic as a young to mid aged adult …….. I've not seen 6-7 month old dogs with muscular solid straight rears , good rear drive that they used , and symmetrical proper movement break down in their lifetimes ………..

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

He is a puppy who is standing with his rear under him so not really a great shot to base anything on. Having the parents hip/elbow scores can hopefully give you a better chance of having a puppy with issues but nothing is ever set in stone, especially with something that can have environmental components as well. Large breed puppies can also grow front to back at different rates, often times appearing high in the rear or front while waiting for the other half to catch up. PennHip can be done as early as 16 weeks but it is best to wait until at least a year (provided you aren't seeing symptoms of anything worrisome) to get the best indication of joint/socket formation and indicators of what could turn into issues in the future.

 

[DennasMom]

You can get insurance on these pups if you are concerned - get signed up before any vet diagnosis, and also check that the insurance covers genetic issues like hip dysplasia (some specifically call out NOT covering HD).

These big pups are good at getting into things. Denna's had a couple extra vet visits (she sliced her leg on a berry bush thorn, and a year later sliced her food on a broken beer bottle)... so insurance can help there, too.

Or, be "self-insured"... put $100/mo into a savings account for future vet bills. Then, when all goes fine, you'll have a nice next egg for his best bud to use later in life.