Swimmer Puppies

by Race Foster, DVM and Marty Smith, DVM
Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.

This article will help you better understand the swimmer syndrome in puppies. If your pet is showing any symptoms or signs of disease, please contact your veterinarian. We want you and your pet to be happy and healthy.

The term swimmer is used to describe a puppy that paddles its 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 its inability to stand or walk by the normal age of three weeks. The puppy will instead lay on its chest and paddle its feet as if attempting to swim in a turtle-like fashion.

What are the risks?

Most swimmer puppies will recover with time. The condition may, however, have an inherited characteristic.

What is the management?

Slippery floors may worsen or in some cases may even cause swimmer puppies. This is not always the case because swimmer puppies are also seen when a rough surface is used for raising puppies. In any event, an affected puppy should be placed on a rough rather than slippery surface.

Puppies should not become overweight as this may further the weakness in the rear limbs. Most swimmer puppies will develop to normal functioning by eight weeks of age if treated early and placed on flooring with good traction.

Since there may be a hereditary component to this condition, dogs who were swimmer puppies would not be optimal breeding animals.