Vincenza's owner noticed that whenever she walked on a smooth surface, her legs would slide out sideways and she would do the splits. When she walked her forelegs were dragging, causing her nails to wear down badly.
When she arrived at Mossel Bay Animal Hospital, her symptoms were very worrying. Blood tests revealed little, but a full spinal x-ray showed the cause of the problem: a hemivertebra (vertabra that is wedge-shaped) in the thoracic area of her spine. Whenever she exercised too much the vertebra would shift slightly and pinch the nerves, causing lameness. The real origin is genetic, which an x-ray of her tail shows clearly. French Buldogs and also pugs, are bred to have "corkscrew" tails, which are literally curled up inside their skin instead of sticking out like other dog's tails. This same trait also produces hemivertrabra.
Following the accurate diagnosis by the Mossel Bay Animal Hospital veterinary team, Vincenza was prescribed 6 weeks best rest, anti-inflammatories and long-term medication. She now leads an almost normal life, with her owner just having to ensure that she doesn't leap off high objects and get into rumbles with her much bigger brothers, all of who are also regular visitors at Mossel Bay Animal Hospital.
More info on hemivertabra and this congenital defect:
https://www.ufaw.org.uk/dogs/french-bulldog-hemivertebrae
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