1286. The lab retriever puppy has a painful swollen shoulder

3 days after purchase, the 2-month-old lab retriever's left shoulder swells. Why?

This case was seen by Dr Daniel a day earlier, when the owner complained of the $2,500 pup being unable to bear weight on the left fore leg. The shoulder was X-rayed but no fractures were found. The "growth plate" was abnormal.

On Day 2, I spent some time talking to the owner and videoed the puppy whose elbow is now swollen. Blood would have gone down from the shoulder to the elbow now, in my observation.

"It is best to get a veterinary check up after purchase," I advised. The gentleman had purchased the last of the litter from the private home breeder.
"He said he did not want to sell as this is the last puppy left," the owner showed me a video that the breeder had sent to his mobile phone.

The short clip showed this puppy climbing up the playpen fence and jumping down from the top of the fence to meet the dam.

"The pup landed on  his left front paw which is hidden from view," I said to the owner. "This could be the evidence that he had injured his shoulder which swells 3 days after purchase since you said that the puppy was walking and running about normally during the day of purchase."

The owner kept the puppy and it appears to be bearing weight on the left fore limb when I phoned 3 days later.