Easty westy?

[ewinston]

Jacks two front feet really stand outward and I once saw it referred to as easty westy. I was wondering if this is a condition that could cause him problems later on. I also wanted to know about his cracking. When he wakes up in the morning he will stretch and you can hear his bones crack. If he lays down for a long time throughout the day he will wake up , stretch, and crack. I always thought this was no big deal. I walk him everyday but if I skip a day or two I notice it is worse. He is 17 months.

[CarolB]

See if you can take another picture of him without anything on him. I can't tell if it's coming from his pasterns or from his elbows which look like they are out as in elbowing out. I would give him a glucosamine supplement as the cracking isn't normal. If it's arthritis then exercise probably is helping him. He would get stiffer from laying around.

[Mongo]

Carol?
How much "popping" is excessive?
I am curious because this topic is on another thread.
I hear our Dane "pop" occasionally after a long nap and I believed it was just part of being a giant breed. Like being aware of every burp and fart. seriously.
I mean, you can hear it easily, as oppsed to the same noises in a Beagle.
With old arthritic small dogs who hips are going, when you check them, you keep your hand on then when checking rotation so you can feel "grinding" you may not be able to hear and the dog may not consider painful.

I would agree this OP has legitimate concerns with a poorly structured joint, but is popping in a correctly structured athletic dog a source for concern?

(my knees pop but work just fine)

[CarolB]

Carol?
How much "popping" is excessive?
I am curious because this topic is on another thread.
I hear our Dane "pop" occasionally after a long nap and I believed it was just part of being a giant breed. Like being aware of every burp and fart. seriously.
I mean, you can hear it easily, as oppsed to the same noises in a Beagle.
With old arthritic small dogs who hips are going, when you check them, you keep your hand on then when checking rotation so you can feel "grinding" you may not be able to hear and the dog may not consider painful.

I would agree this OP has legitimate concerns with a poorly structured joint, but is popping in a correctly structured athletic dog a source for concern?

(my knees pop but work just fine)

I don't believe popping is part of being a giant breed. I've had alot of danes over the years and this hasn't been a problem with any of them. As you age that popping in your knees might well be arthritis.

[Fawnaquin]

As you age that popping in your knees might well be arthritis.

My hips, knees, elbows, back, etc all pop ocasionally, especially if I've been sitting or have lain down for a while and I'm too young for arthritis . Sometimes I think it's just your joints being a little stiff from maintaining the same position. Riley occasionally pops when she streches but I doubt there's anything wrong with her. As long as there aren't any other symptoms or signs of pain, then I don't think there's anything to worry about.

[Saravilla Danes]

Hello!
If a dog's hip joints crack or pop, it can be a sign of hip dysplasia. Not a definite thing, but something to have checked out.
Fondly,
Mimi
Saravilla

[ewinston]

Here is a pic of Jack's feet. Sometimes when he stands it does look worse then this....his feet will be pointing exactly east and west. Just wondering if this may be causing or may cause problems in the future.
About the cracking, it happened a lot more when he was younger. I thought it might be because of the growing, but I feel that he isn't growing anymore so it is not so bad. Now it does not happen as often but when it does it is when he wakes up in the morning, lays down for a long time, or just during a stretch. He is a very active dog and doesn't seem like he is bothered by anything.

[CarolB]

He has very weak pasterns and his feet are flat instead of standing up high on his toes like he should be. This could be genetic or it could have been caused by improper nutrition when he was a pup. I don't know. He's stuck with the problem at his age.

[MyDaneBaby]

I would definately cut his nails, having them that long can have an impact on how their feet sit. ie if his nails are long his paws are tilted backwards to accomodate them.

Plus what Carol said.

[ewinston]

LOL...I know!! When I saw that picture I really did laugh...this is the longest they have EVER been. We have an appointment with the lady in town to cut his nails because she does a great job. When we tried to get them cut the lasat time the ladies didn't even cut them enough and it was really chaotic.
I think the problem with his legs could definitely be in his genes or the breeding because he was basically a rescue. He is really small and for the longest time I thought that he might not be a full Dane.

[SirMuttleyCooper]

I was the one who posted before about excessive popping. I talked to my breeder (the dog who is having this issue is the blue in my sig, and not mine so I don't know her full background) and she recommended glucosamine/chondriton plus MSM for her. To define "exessive" she could be sitting there, after being active, and turn her head and pop. Everytime she stands up (not just occasional, but every time) you hear it. She also was seeming to be slow to sit and she is only 1.5 years old. The supplements have greatly helped her and has reduced the popping a lot. And she is still an active pup.

Also, my male dane is "small" (33", ~120# at 1.5y), but he's no where near done growing! He has not grown into his paws or head just yet! Yours could be from a slower maturing line. Just a thought.