Swimmer Dog Puppy Disorder

This disease is caused by a weakness of the adductor muscles tat pull the legs together. The hind legs are usually more severely affected. The disease is more likely to occur in overweight and heavy-bones puppies. It may have a congenital basis. One theory is that puppies are infected by a viral or fungal disease in utero that results in a muscular systrophy of the adductor muscles.
Slippery floors aggravate the problem. You have to keep swimmers on indoor/outdoor carpeting or some other non-slip surface that provides good traction. You should assist a swimmer puppy to stand and walk several times a day. You must encourage him to sleep on his side, rather than splayed out flat. A hobble made from tape, placed from hock to hock or elbow to elbow, forces the pup to sleep on his side. It also keeps the legs beneath him when he stands. In most cases, the condition is self-correcting as the adductor muscles develop and strengthen.