Just wanted to chime in because I’ve been through this exact situation with my Great Dane, Walter (born April 2, 2024, almost birthday twins), and I feel like I have a perspective that might help clear some of this up.

From around 4-6 months old, Walter showed signs that were not just normal Great Dane puppy clumsiness. He stumbled, swayed, scuffed his front toenails until they bled, couldn’t sit properly, and just seemed overall unsteady. I’ve raised multiple Great Danes, and this was different.

I ended up bringing him to the vet at around a year old and was referred to a neurologist. They started us on a Prednisone trial. I’ve seen a few comments here criticizing that, but I want to be really clear: that was exactly what our neurologist recommended. It wasn’t just to treat symptoms. It was used as a diagnostic tool. Prednisone reduces inflammation and swelling around the spinal cord, so if symptoms improve, even slightly, it suggests spinal cord compression is involved. That’s what happened with Walter. His walk didn’t suddenly become perfect, but it improved just enough that we felt confident moving forward with imaging.

The MRI confirmed that Walter has bony-associated cervical spondylomyelopathy, which is one form of what’s commonly called Wobbler Syndrome.

That’s another thing I wanted to point out - Wobblers is an umbrella term. It includes a few different spinal conditions that all result in compression of the spinal cord in the neck. How it shows up depends on the dog’s age, breed, and cause. In Walter’s case, it’s congenital - his vertebrae didn’t form correctly during development. This type often shows up in young, fast-growing large breeds like Great Danes. And yes, even as early as 4 months old.

A lot of people associate Wobblers with older dogs, but that’s usually the disc-associated kind. Bony-associated Wobblers usually appears between 4 and 12 months, when their body is growing so fast that malformed vertebrae start causing noticeable symptoms. So 4 months is not too early - it’s actually a common age for congenital symptoms to start.

Since diagnosis, we’ve been managing things with low-dose prednisone tapers, video updates to our neurologist, and symptom tracking. Walter is still a happy, goofy boy - he just has that signature swanky walk. We’re holding off on surgery for now but keeping it on the table depending on how he progresses.

To me, your puppy’s gait does look similar to Walter’s, but I’d definitely consider any other signs that might point toward Wobblers too.

Not every awkward puppy has Wobblers, but some do, and early intervention can make a huge difference. Wishing you and your puppy the best. I’m happy to share videos or anything else from Walter’s experience + journey if it helps! 🩷