My puppy has a short toe. Will it cause mobility or health issues?

Question

Hi ! I recently noticed that my 2.5 month old Golden Retriever puppy has a short digit toe on one of his hind legs. The toe has not grown at all, as opposed to the adjacent digit toe. I guess he has congenital brachydactyly. I am worried about him. What Ishould I do to ensure he doesn't face any issues in his mobility or health due to this? Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 22 days old

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

It is hard to say if Rufus has congenital brachydactyly without seeing at least a photo of the toe. My guess though is that is the most likely cause based on your description. I highly doubt this is going to cause him any mobility problems and it should not affect his health in anyway. It is hard to know how short the toe will end up being until he is full grown. The shorter the toe ends up being then it is more likely he will have a joint/mobility issue. Honestly, I wouldn't give it a second thought if he was my dog. I would not put him on any joint supplements until he is an adult (like 11-12 months of age). Just make sure he is on a high quality diet and then when he is about 1 year old you can start a prophylactic joint supplement. I like this one by Missing Link but I don't know if you can get it in India. ( https://missinglinkproducts.com/product/canine-hip-joint-coat/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

My puppy has a short toe. Will it cause mobility or health issues?

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