bassett hound leg

[Michelle Hunt]

My bassett is very large, this is the second one I've had my first lived 16 years. The problem is this basset's front leg has a very bent front leg close to his paw and I'm concerned because he is so large if this will cause him problems down the road. He will even stand on the side of his paw.

[homer]

Why is the dog so big?
I will assume that the dog is obese. If indeed he is obese, the FIRST things to do are diet and exercise. Switch to a high quality diet dog food. Don't feed the dog junk. take the dog for extra walks, fetch etc.

If the dog's paw is abnormally bent, surely the excess weight will add to the problem GREATLY. That too is another issue, is this the result of an old accident?

Either way common sense is in order here.

Put the dog on a diet and see a vet if the bent paw is something new or newish. Either way a vet visit is a great idea or you WILL 100% have big problems down the road.

Good luck

Homer