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Hey,

Has he had ANY injuries? even if he didn't limp or become lame? any hard jumps off the sofa, stairs...rough play...anything like that in the last few months?

My first concern would be premature closure of the distal ulnar physis growth plate(s). -in my opinion it doesn't appear to be HOD symptoms at all... HOD is extremely painful for the dog, they run a HIGH fever very quickly, can hardly stand.. The joints would be very swollen and SORE, and hot to the touch.

The great dane lady also "convinced" me to purchase her very expensive HOD kit..which did NOTHING for Charles at all.

Also note that all growing danes if xrayed will show "HOD signs" on the xray..there will be a slight "blurry" look near the bones on the xray. But that actually is NOT HOD. i have been working with an orthopedic specialist who also specializes in giant breeds and their common growth problems.
He told me all of the information that i've listed..and he was completely right. It was only after following his exact directions that Charles is on his way to recovering. But the window for you to correct this closes quickly...especially since he is already 7 months old.

Charles legs started out looking just like Jax. The HOD kit did nothing to help him.. If it were true HOD you would see results within 2-7 days from using the kit.

I would be much more concerned with a bone related growth issue if i were you. (as long as he's not very sluggish, high fever, painful to touch his legs, very hot to touch on the legs, swollen, difficulty standing,etc....I would rule out HOD)

I will tell you my experience.....from different dane forums, i know 4 different people who danes have the same thing as Charles and were all originally diagnosed with "HOD" either from the Great Dane Lady, OR a common vet (meaning..NOT A SPECIALIST)... It was found in later months that it was not HOD at all..but a growth plate issue. OR Vaccine reaction. Has he had any vaccines recently? Specifically Rabies?

Charles had premature closure of the distal ulnar growth plates in both front legs (two specialist have said they believe his to be a genetic defect.) but it can commonly be caused by "trauma" or injury. (even a slip on hardwood floors) growing danes joints are extremely fragile during their rapid growth period.. He may not have even shown signs of pain but could have caused serious long term damage.

I would get him to a vet IMMEDIATELY and get xrays to rule out Premature Closure. (it will be very easy to see on xray...a specialist is not needed to diagnose this..but i would recommend a specialist any way because if it IS closed, they can discuss options with you..time is an important factor. and if it is NOT closed, they will likely have much more of an idea what the problem is)

As far as wrapping...it could give him extra carpal support for a few days. But it's not recommended that you wrap long term because that can actually do more harm that good. -the carpal area will lose muscle support because it will be used to being wrapped and when you remove the vet wrap..the legs will actually be worse. He would likely stand "down on his pasterns" because his wrists would become weak. (think of a human, when they have a cast from a broken arm..that arm is much weaker than the other arm because it hasn't been using the muscles)

I hope this helps a little bit.. i've talked in great detail with Charles specialist about a ton of different disorders and options. If you have any questions i will be happy to answer and help in any way that i can.

Charles legs have started to straighten out and he's doing much better now..every time he grows a bit, the legs straighten out now..

-Tif

Honestly, it looks identical to Charles legs before he had surgery. (and 3 other danes i know of who have had the same condition)

The curve/bowing will get worse every time he grows (if he has the same condition) because the growth plate attached to his Ulnar has fused and stopped allowing the ulnar to grow. Which is causing a tether effect on the Radius bone making it curve because it can't grow straight...

I hope that this is not the case..but, unfortunately it looks exactly like Charles and the other dogs i've seen with the condition. It's not a death sentence though.... it can be corrected.

Surgery is the only option for correcting it if it is in fact premature closure of the distal ulnar. It's a very expensive procedure..$3500-$5000.00 to correct this problem.

Charles has had great results so far and his legs are improving more and more daily. But, his legs will likely never be completely straight. But it will allow him to have a normal pain free life.

If it is the same condition and surgery is not done...he will become lame and painful to walk..and eventually crippled by his front legs. The bowing will get so bad that he will walk on the insides of his feet.. And my specialist said it would cause elbow displasia as well.

I'm not trying to scare you at all. I just want you to know all of the information so that you can prepare for it if surgery is needed. Please keep us updated, if he ends up needing the surgery I can walk you through the procedure and recovery. -It was really tough, but Charles is like a different dog now!! i would do it a million times over again.

wish you luck!!

any updates on this pup?