The term 'swimmer' is used to describe a puppy that paddles their legs much like a turtle, but is unable to stand. A puppy should be standing and walking by three weeks of age. As a result of weak muscles in the rear limbs, swimmers are generally unable to stand at the normal age.
What Are the Symptoms?
The only symptom of a swimmer puppy is their inability to stand or walk by the normal age of three weeks. The puppy will instead lay on their chest and paddle their feet, as if attempting to swim in a turtle-like fashion.
What Are the Risks?
Most swimmer puppies recover with time and management strategies at home. However, the condition may have an inherited characteristic. Since there may be a hereditary component to this condition, dogs who were swimmer puppies would not be optimal breeding animals.
What is the Treatment?
Swimmer puppies are treated supportively at home. Slipper floors may worsen a swimmer puppy's condition, so it is generally best to provide them with plenty of traction under their feet. Fake sheepskin rugs or foam pads covered with towels or blankets are great options.
A veterinarian commonly places carefully made tape hobbles around the puppy's hind legs to provide additional support to help them stand. These hobbles must be adjusted intermittently by the veterinarian to accommodate for growth. Hobbles are only needed until a puppy is able to stand and walk on their own.
Physical therapy generally entails creating a tunnel for the puppy to walk through several times per day at home. A tunnel can be made with a fake sheepskin blanket on the floor and towel-covered cinder blocks to make walls that are just wide enough for the puppy to walk through. The puppy should be encouraged to walk through this tunnel several times each day.
Swimmer puppies should not become overweight, as this may exacerbate the weakness in the rear limbs. If treated early in life and placed on flooring with good traction, most swimmer puppies develop normal function by eight weeks of age.