my mums dog gave birth today, all was going well until puppy number 5 came along, one of her back legs seems to be set wrong, the joint closest to foot seems to bend the wrong way??? She's a little smaller than the other 4 but they are all males so could explain size difference, she's lively and eating fine, everything else with her seems fine, just wondered if anyone had experienced this with a pup and if so what was the outcome, should she be pts or would it be viable to try to save her, get it fixed and home in a pet home, my parents are heart broken as they bred to keep a bitch back and this little one is the only girl

I have messaged you, with more information I may be able to advise phone number given

I'm no expert but I'd be inclined to get the vet to have a look.

Hello, I would ask a vet to check her over. She may be o.k. as a 'Family Pet' also spayed at the correct age. Hope all goes o.k.

As the person hasn't contacted with more details I will say that sometimes like with human babies the pup gets squashed in utero and the ligaments pulled so the pastern is turned on itself. 

As long as the limb itself and the joint are not malformed, massaging into correct position several times a day, and constantly putting the foot in correct weight bearing position when pup at milk bar, will be curative if this is the problem. 

Remember a pups bones are little more than cartilage.

I had this happen in a  litter I bred long ago and the pup was fine, and recently heard of another breeder who had one like this, she kept hers and the pup is a fine healthy and sound 20 months old.

The vet in both cases predictably said wait and see offering no real advice.

Always have your vet take a look, and advise.   I have to say a lot of this depends on the breed and how, should the deformity not be able to be corrected, he might manage as an adult.   We had a Basset with a malformed front leg/paw and as the majority of the weight of this breed is taken on the front (and this deformity clearly wasn't going to be able to be corrected) both me and my then vet decided his future was pretty bleak, so he was quietly put down - this was a C.Sectioned litter and we were at the vet when this was immediately noted.   With a back leg problem, and depending on whether it can be helped, your puppy may well have a good chance of living a happy life.   Hope so.

21 years ago, we had a puppy born with its back legs folded inwards across its belly(like if one folded their arms across their body). We expected the vet would say to pts but he never & with gentle manipulation after a short time(no more than 2 weeks) all was well. We kept her & her movement was correct & her litter were all fine. In this particular instance it was part of being cramped inside the dam & nothing more. We called her after the vet..even her pedigree named gelled with his name....
My advise would be seek advise from an experienced vet whom you trust.

Now that is how the pups I mentioned of were but just one back foot, and like with you they were right by the time they were getting on their feet, and eyes open.

When Hetty was born both her front legs were bent under so she was knuckling as she crawled, the vet said to wait and see and just gently put the legs in the right position, he thought it was just that she had been squashed in the birth canal as she'd been a singleton so labour had not started and we had to have a C-section. It took a few days but they did straighten up and though she's a little easty-westy with where the feet point, she walks perfectly normally.

This is really common and they will turn themselves around before there a month.