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  #1  
Old July 14th, 2014, 09:12 PM
JonahNovaScotia JonahNovaScotia is offline
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Dog has sloped skull

Hi! So I am new to this forum. I have recently adopted a 5 month old lab/amstaff/boxer mix from South Carolina from a high kill shelter. He had a thorough vet check, as required to travel into Canada. However I recently brought him into the vet and one of the ladies who worked there said " oh you have a sloped head! how did that happen? but you are sooo cute " etc. I shrugged it off not thinking anything of it. When I left I looked at his face and realised...she was right! One side of his skull is more pronounced than the other! Above his left eye his skull bulges out quite higher than the other side. Now I am scared it could be a tumour or some kind of cancer. He also has a few scars on his face, so thinking he may have had a rough start to life, and wondering if it could be trauma to his skull from a blow?? I am making a vet apt asap but need some reassuring!! Thanks!
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Old July 14th, 2014, 10:38 PM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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How does your dog react around people , does he get frighten when strange men or women are around or if you hold anything near his head? You should watch your dog body language and see how he behave in difference situations. It sound like the poor dog was abused if face is scared up.



http://moderndogmagazine.com/article...y-language/415
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Old July 15th, 2014, 07:21 AM
Longblades Longblades is offline
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Most of us don't have regular features and will never be super model material. Dogs are the same. I assume you mean he has less stop on one side than on the other? It's probably nothing to worry about, just the way his head has grown, but if you are really concerned the person to ask is your Vet. As I see you will.

How about a photo for us? Not for us to judge, just 'cause we like to see puppies.
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Old July 15th, 2014, 10:26 AM
JonahNovaScotia JonahNovaScotia is offline
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He was very frightened of my fiancée when we first brought him home, but has warmed up quite well to him he is wary of strange men, which leads me to believe he was mistreated. He gets really upset when my fiancée plays 'rough' with my son, and trys to get between them. It feels like one of the bones , is larger on one side if that makes sense. I personally love flaws on people and animals it makes them unique just want to make sure it is nothing serious!Name:  10372561_646030898808509_8851142094332236453_n.jpg
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Size:  11.1 KB, its hard to see in photos..
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Old July 15th, 2014, 10:30 AM
JonahNovaScotia JonahNovaScotia is offline
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Name:  photo (4).JPG
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Size:  162.4 KB on his left hand side...sorry again it is very hard to see in pics!
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Old July 15th, 2014, 10:35 AM
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Marty11 Marty11 is offline
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He is a beauty. Check out puppy classes with good knowledge of proper introductions to new situations. Not knowing his background is tough. Nice that you adopted a rescue.
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Old July 15th, 2014, 10:42 AM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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In the first photo I can see that he looks timid by the way he is sitting , does act timid when someone is standing over him ? Is his nose running , it look like something yellow is caked onto his nose. I could see the slope in his skull. Have you brought some toys for him to play with yet being part lab I would think he would loves fetching tennis balls. He is a cute puppy , and it will take him time to get use to his new home and environment . It would a great idea to get him microchip encase he get lot and it picked up by the ACO. Black dogs are put down first b/c a lot of people are afraid of them.
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Old July 15th, 2014, 11:31 AM
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What a sweetie!! I think I can see what you're saying about the shape of his skull, though. Might not be due to trauma--perhaps just an abnormal growth pattern. Maybe even something normal that he'll grow out of. Still, it never hurts to get it checked out--if only for your own peace of mind--so I'm glad you're going to have him looked at!

Pls let us know what the vet thinks--and more pics, pls!
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Old July 15th, 2014, 11:31 AM
JonahNovaScotia JonahNovaScotia is offline
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Yes he had a doggy cold in the first pic--that pic was taken at the shelter in SC. He was fostered there until his cold was cleared up He was neutered,micro chipped etc. at the shelter. Believe it or not he was on the PTS list at only 4 months . He has such an amazing personality, just a bit timid, but he is doing sooo much better and settling in well.
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Old July 15th, 2014, 11:46 AM
Longblades Longblades is offline
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Aww, what a sweet little guy. Take it easy, give him lots of support and love and he may very well overcome a lot of his timidity. How long have you had him? It takes a while to adjust to a new place and new people. Our ESS rescue was four when we got her and it was a year till she was over submissive urination with strange men. She never was completely sure of men, especially strange men, but she outgrew her fears and became a pretty well balanced dog.

I think I see a bit of lopsidedness in his head. Other people who borrow my sunglasses have complained one arm is higher than the other so I'm not quite perfect myself. LOL.

And yes, he might have a slight wow in his skull from birth. My sister had to torture her baby because he was very large and his head had been turned to one side in the womb. Doctors had her place him at regular intervals with his head turned the other way so his neck muscles would even out and the poor kid cried and my poor sister cried too. He was a forceps delivery because he was so large and has outgrown the forceps marks left in his baby skull from that.
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Old July 15th, 2014, 02:13 PM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JonahNovaScotia View Post
Yes he had a doggy cold in the first pic--that pic was taken at the shelter in SC. He was fostered there until his cold was cleared up He was neutered,micro chipped etc. at the shelter. Believe it or not he was on the PTS list at only 4 months . He has such an amazing personality, just a bit timid, but he is doing sooo much better and settling in well.
Ok, then that may be why he look timid ,he was not feeling good, I think I notice the left side being a little sloped when I looked closer . It could be a birth defect . I am not sure what PTS sand for. He I bet once he feel more settled in and get use to his new home he will be just fine. My dog was shipped 3,000 miles and he had a cough when I got him and had to be on antibiotics for 2 months before the vets knew what was wrong with him. [I] had Marty over 2 years now and he will still hide when he want to left alone. I think he was abused .
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  #12  
Old July 15th, 2014, 02:56 PM
JonahNovaScotia JonahNovaScotia is offline
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Oh sorry PTS- Put to Sleep. He was @ a high kill shelter on death row, and his time had run out. I will update everyone after vets apt. Calling to make one tonight, I tried calling last night but couldn't get through!
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Old July 15th, 2014, 06:59 PM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JonahNovaScotia View Post
Oh sorry PTS- Put to Sleep. He was @ a high kill shelter on death row, and his time had run out. I will update everyone after vets apt. Calling to make one tonight, I tried calling last night but couldn't get through!
My dog came from California and dogs are put to sleep in 5 days or less. My sister black lab got picked by the ACO and my sister was told they would keep her dog for 5 days she went to pick him on the second day b/c she did not have car and her dog was already dead. My poor sister was sitting on the floor crying . California threat lost dogs horrible , my dog came from a kill shelter in California . Great I would love to hear what the vet think about your head .
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Old July 16th, 2014, 05:25 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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But she does have a condition called a wry mouth, where one side of the jaw grows a different length than the other (pic: http://germanshepherdhome.net/forum/...azzjawnose.jpg ). It was a horse person that was able to recognize what it was. So maybe there is something about the skull where that can happen too.

I did take her to a chiropractor for evaluation, it the jaw was crooked. I could tell she felt a lot better after an adjustment, but she still has that wry mouth. (looks like there is a chiro in Nova Scotia: http://animalchiropractic.org/avca-doctor-search-5.htm ).
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  #15  
Old July 16th, 2014, 07:22 PM
JonahNovaScotia JonahNovaScotia is offline
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That's interesting maxalisa, Jonah also has a slight underbite. His bottom lip sticks out sometimes its pretty cute! still waiting for an appointment, my vet is always packed. There is a chiro in Nova Scotia, I know a girl that takes her beagle there!
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  #16  
Old July 17th, 2014, 02:43 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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My girl has an underbite too

If he checks out at the vet, definitely consider a chiro appt - it made my girl feel a lot better!
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