Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Shortened toes on all paws in a 1-year-old Maremma Sheepdog
By Cray, Megan T et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2017·Dr. Megan T. Cray, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Symmetrical brachydactyly in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A one-year-old male Maremma Sheepdog was found to have a condition called brachydactyly, which means his toes were shorter than normal due to abnormal bone development. This affected all the toes on his back feet, making them significantly smaller compared to his healthy sibling. The dog's condition was confirmed through measurements and X-rays. While this case highlights a rare congenital issue, the dog did not show any immediate health problems related to the malformation.
People also search for: dog toe problems · Maremma Sheepdog congenital issues · brachydactyly in dogs
Abstract
Congenital malformations of the canine manus and pes are infrequently reported in the veterinary literature. This includes brachydactyly which is a general term used to indicate the shortening of digits due to abnormal development of the phalanges, metacarpals, or metatarsals. This case report describes isolated brachydactyly in a one-year-old male Maremma Sheepdog affecting all of the phalanges, metacarpals, and metatarsals of digits two through five. This condition was confirmed by determining the length of each phalanx, metacarpal, and metatarsal of the affected dog as well as an unaffected littermate. The affected dog's metacarpal, metatarsal, and phalanx lengths ranged from 50% to 77% of that of the unaffected sibling. Other abnormalities found on physical examination as well as on radiographic imaging are discussed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28636057/