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When getting your first Basset hound you should be aware of potential problems that can occur in puppies and young dogs. Bassets growth plates (the cartilage between the leg joints) are not sealed and are very delicate. If you allow your puppy too much play, especially with adult dogs, running or climbing in the first 6 to 8 months of their life you could experience this condition.
If the puppy has been allowed too much activity you will start to notice a slight limp, then as time goes on the puppies leg will start to appear deformed. This means that the growth plate has been damaged on one side and this has caused the leg to stop growing on the damaged side only, while the undamaged side will continue to grow. Your vet will more than likely refer you to a specialist veterinary hospital where they will perform an operation to hopefully correct the problem.
This is done by damaging the healthy part of the growth plate to stop the leg growing, then they cut out a triangle from the affected leg bone and new bone will grow and hopefully fill this gap and straighten the leg. They usually attach an external fixater to support the leg, the puppy will have to have this on for approx 6 to 8 weeks, at which time the puppy should be kept quiet and only allowed to go outside on a lead and should be supervised at all times.
At 6-8 weeks the leg is x-rayed and if the vet is happy the way the mend has progressed, the fixater will be removed and you then have the task of gently exercising the puppy to build up the muscle in the leg again. If this operation is not done then the puppy will grow up deformed and possibly be in a lot of pain. It is also best to catch this condition early while the bones are young and will heal quickly.
More information on this and many other conditions can be found at the Canine Inherited Disorder Database
