Nigredo may have HD

So I've been enjoying the company of Nigredo these past few days. He's my new puppy. He's all kinds of mutt but thought to be some kind of Lab/BC cross.

Anyway, I started noticing weird things. He often stands with his hind legs close together. He trips up quite a bit as well while darting about. His back feet are pointed outward and he "frog sits" 100% of the time.

Because of his enormous feet, the vet did a preliminary test for this yesterday with his exam. He rotated his hips yesterday along with his initial exam and said he didn't feel or detect any problems, he also put Nigredo down and looked at him walk around and said he didn't see any problems. He said that X-Rays are the only way to truly tell if he has HD though.

The thing is, he doesn't get up slowly at all, and he is always trying to jump up on things. He can even get up on high things such as beds at only 15 weeks. He NEVER stops running and playing either. He doesn't tire at all.

Could he have HD, or is he just a goofy puppy? He's going for a vet follow up and parvo/bordatella/giardia/lepto/rabies shots/boosters on the 26th but just asking everyone here. I have heard that HD is rather uncommon in mutts, but not impossible to get. He's a Lab mix so it's certainly possible.

If he has HD, the shelter will cover any treatment as part of their health guarantee on the puppies they adopt out, but of course HD has long term effects. Any advice?

Nigredo sounds like a typical goofy 15 week-old puppy to me, Myra - so if I were you I would stop worrying, at least until he goes back to the vet for the shots and follow-up. xx

Dillon has mild HD the best thing is to give him plenty of gentle exercise to build up the muscle I was told not off lead running all the time a good lead walk to make them walk controlled is best for the muscle build up Dillon is doing just fine. He did have water treadmill treatment as he lost a lot of muscle due to resting when we though he had cruciate problems which in the end he didn't.
X-rays are the only way you can tell but remember he is a big dog and they can be very uncoordinated at this age and for quite a while while growing. In Bernese you cannot really say they have come together till at least two years old physically. You may find the same for your puppy he sounds like he is going to be a large boy.

Myra, my last dog has hip dysplasia and she lived a perfectly healthy life until she dies aged 15yrs. I was always told to keep her on the trim side and not let her carry extra weight.

Having said that, I think Nigredo is probably just a 'goofy' (as you called it ) puppy who is still not fully co-ordinated. One of my two is the 'clumsiest oaf' you could meet. He often trips, is still terrifying to watch going down the steps to our garden and is just generally 'all legs'.

I really wouldn't panic! You are probably being ultra-sensitive at the moment having just got a new pup, and after your past experiences recently just want him to be perfect ..... which I'm sure he is.

Meant to also say that if I were you don't let him jump up on beds, into cars etc etc, as this is the time that he will damage himself as his growth plates won't have matured and can easily be damaged for life. No excess stress should be put on his joints while he is so young.

Yes, thank you. He tries to jump on everything. He almost never makes it and ends up just bumping into the side of the couches etc. I do my best to discourage this, but it doesn't always work. I guess I'll have to manually make him get down.