Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with two left front paws walks with uneven weight distribution
By Kim, J et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2006·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Morphological and functional evaluation of a dog with dimelia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A young Cocker Spaniel was evaluated for a rare condition called dimelia, where it had two paws on its left front leg instead of one. The dog's left forelimb showed some unusual bone growth patterns, but it was able to walk without pain. A special pressure walkway test revealed that the dog mostly used one of the paws for weight-bearing while the other was less active. Since the dog was functioning well and not in pain, the veterinarian decided that no treatment was necessary.
People also search for: Cocker Spaniel limb deformity · dog with two paws · dimelia in dogs · congenital limb issues in pets
Abstract
Weight bearing patterns were investigated on a young Cocker Spaniel with dimelia (mirror hand) of the left forelimb, using a pressure sensing walkway (PS walkway). The dog had two left forelimb paws, both originating from the carpus, with symmetrical duplication of metacarpal bones and phalanges. In addition, the left radial head was subluxated and asynchronous growth of the left radius and ulna was noted. The PS walkway demonstrated minimal weight-bearing of the extra (medial) paw and longer metacarpal pad contact of the affected limb. The radiographic changes and the weight-bearing pattern during gait suggested that more weight was loaded on the lateral paw of the affected limb. Treatment was not recommended because of the relatively good limb function and the absence of overt pain. This is the first reported case of canine dimelia and foot pressure patterns in a canine congenital musculoskeletal deformity.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17143400/