Swimming Puppy Syndrome: What 115 Cases Show About Recovery
In a survey of 115 'swimmer' puppies from 48 breeds, most were walking by about four and a half weeks old. Only three failed to recover.
Written by thecanineledger
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If a young puppy can’t stand, its legs splay out to the sides, or it paddles instead of walking, have a vet examine it. Other conditions can look similar.
Our note: This advice is ours. The paper says other diseases can look like this but gives no owner advice.
In a German-led survey of 115 puppies with swimming puppy syndrome, most could stand and walk on their own by a median age of 4.5 weeks (Rumpel et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2023). Only three failed to recover.
While that’s reassuring, almost all the cases were reported by owners and breeders. No vet examined the puppies for the study.
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1. The condition
What it looks like. Affected puppies can’t stand or walk on their own. Their legs splay out to the sides, and they make paddling, swimming movements when they try to move.
What causes it. The cause is unknown.
2. The study
The puppies. 115 puppies from 48 breeds and 110 litters, reported through an online questionnaire by owners and breeders. Most litters were in Germany, the US, Austria and the UK.
The comparison. The researchers also collected data on 103 unaffected litters.
Videos. Videos were sent for 26 puppies. Two authors reviewed them and confirmed the signs in every one.
Funding. We found no funding statement. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
3. What it found
Recovery. Puppies were free or almost free of signs at a median age of six weeks. Of the puppies older than 12 weeks when surveyed, 97% had fully or largely recovered.
Lasting signs. 15 recovered puppies had mild lasting signs, such as slipping on smooth floors or a wider stance.
Three that didn’t recover. One dog was put to sleep at seven months because it still couldn’t stand or walk. Two others had joint problems.
Bigger breeds recovered faster. Large-breed puppies recovered faster than medium and small breeds.
Physiotherapy. Most puppies had physiotherapy, and almost all owners felt it helped. But recovery time didn’t differ between puppies that had it and those that didn’t.
Our note: Only 8 puppies had no physiotherapy, so the comparison is weak.
4. Which litters
Smaller litters. Affected litters had a median of four puppies, against six in unaffected litters.
Caesarean sections. These were reported more often in affected litters, though overall birth complications were similar. The authors suggest smaller litters and flat-faced breeds may explain this.
Breeds. Golden Retrievers were the most common breed in the study, followed by French Bulldogs. The authors note that earlier reports linked the condition to flat-faced breeds.
Families. Cases clustered in related litters at four kennels.
Our note: The breed counts reflect who answered the survey, not breed risk.
5. What the study can’t tell you
Whether it was really this condition. The authors say they couldn’t rule out other diseases, because many puppies hadn’t seen a vet.
Breeder answers. The authors say breeders “might be biased” when answering some questions, such as about inherited disease.
How common it is. A volunteer survey can’t measure how often it happens.
Our note: The paper doesn’t test floor surfaces or handling, so we leave them out.
6. What we could not verify
| Commonly said | What we found |
|---|---|
| “Swimmer puppies never walk normally” | No. Most recovered, usually by about six weeks old. |
| “It’s caused by the mother’s diet” | Not found. Diet during pregnancy showed no link, though the data were rough. |
| “Physiotherapy speeds recovery” | Not shown. Owners felt it helped, but recovery time didn’t differ. |
Sources
- Rumpel L, Kölle P, Mille MA, Lauer SK, Zablotski Y, Fischer A. A questionnaire-based investigation of the swimming puppy syndrome: 115 dogs. Front Vet Sci 2023. ⚠️ survey, 115 puppies, 48 breeds, LMU Munich. No funding statement found
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