Why Don’t Pitbulls Have Webbed Feet?
First of all, let’s talk about that word “Pitbull.”
In the United States, Pitbulls are in fact not recognized as a distinct breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC), which is still the worldwide standard of dog registries.
Because of this, many Americans end up using the term Pitbull as a catch-all word to describe many different dogs with short legs, big heads, and large mouths.
However, the United Kennel Club, or UKC, does recognize the American Pitbull Terrier as a breed and has established breed standards for it.
According to those standards, Pitbulls should not have webbed feet. This is because, historically, Pitbulls have not been bred to be water dogs.
Webbed feet exist in breeds that were bred to swim through the water very quickly, like Poodles and other water dogs.
Their webbing acts as a paddle, the same as a scuba diver’s flippers helping them move through the water more quickly.
Pitbulls, who were bred for hunting and eventually sport fighting, gained no advantage from webbed feet, so breeders did not work to instill this characteristic in them.
While it is true that some amount of skin does always stretch between the digits of their claws, that does not constitute true “webbing.”
Just look at your own hand with your fingers stretched out and you will see a similar amount of skin stretched between the crevices of your fingers, but that does not mean that you have webbed hands.
Webbing is a very specific, particular characteristic that only a few breeds of dogs have, and Pitbulls are not one of them.
Why Does My Pitbull Have Webbed Feet?
It is possible that you are confusing the slight webbing that all dogs have between their claws with proper webbed feet.
However, if you are sure that your Pitbull has full-blown webbing between their claws, there are a couple of reasons for that.
Because there is no breed standard for Pitbulls in the United States, most Pitbulls are a hodgepodge of different genetics.
There are some dedicated breeders in the United States who are working to preserve, adhere to, and gain recognition for Pitbull breeding standards in the United States, but those breeders and dogs represent a much smaller minority of the “Pitbull” population than mixed breeds and rescues.
There is a good chance that the Pitbull you adopted from your local shelter or even if you purchased a puppy from an affordable breeder that your Pitbull has the genes of other breeds of dogs in it.
Many dogs that look like Pitbulls are actually crossbreeds. If a Staffordshire Terrier, for instance, mated with a Labrador, the resulting puppy could end up looking very much like a Pitbull. Because Labradors have webbing and Staffordshire terriers do not, it is possible that all, some, or none of the puppies in the resulting litter could have webbed feet.
It may be worth getting a genetic test done on your Pitbull to find out if they have any genetic predisposition towards webbed feet.
You can even pick up one of these DNA testing kits for your dog off of Amazon these days. The results will give you a breakdown of the breeds that your dog has genetic makeup for.
If your Pitbull is crossed with any of the following breeds, there is a good chance they will still look like a Pitbull but may have webbed feet:
If you have a Pitbull that has webbed feet, hopefully, it is simply an interesting genetic quirk resulting from your dog’s unique genetic background.
However, it is possible that your Pitbull’s feet are webbed as a result of a genetic disorder that has left their claws fused together, leaving what appears to be webbed feet.
It may be that the extent of the genetic mutation or abnormality begins and ends at your dog’s feet. Having webbed feet is a mutation, one that can crop up even in humans without causing other negative symptoms.
However, sometimes webbing is just the tip of the iceberg.
Many times, this webbing is associated with other formative or developmental issues, commonly scoliosis, cleft palate or lips, or other malformations of the bones.
Your Pitbull may be more prone to degenerative bone issues like hip dysplasia or luxating patellas too.
It is important for you to know that this is not true webbed feet. Webbed feet do not cause these issues.
Instead, the appearance of webbed feet often happens in conjunction with these other issues as a result of a more pervasive disorder.
The next time you are at your vet, point out the webbed feet and ask them what they think about it.
Probably, it’s just a genetic quirk but if it is joined with other symptoms, it may be an indicator that something else is up.
Is Having Webbed Feet Dangerous For My Dog?
Dogs with webbed feet enjoy various advantages. However, they can also be dangerous to their health. Dogs walk with their toes, so having webbed feet can lead to limping and some health conditions. Here are some health conditions that can occur in dogs that have webbed feet:
In some cases, dogs with webbed feet have a cleft palate. Usually, such dogs also have genetic abnormalities. In normal dogs, their mouth roof is stuck together, leaving no blank space. However, if a dog has webbed feet, instead of their mouth roof being stuck together when they were an embryo, their feet became stuck instead.
The tibia and fibula are the two bones in the lower part of your dog’s legs. They are situated at the back of their leg. These bones are linked to the premature closure of the growth plate. The same gene responsible for webbed toes may also cause the fusion of the tibia and fibula. Shortened tibia and fibula is very dangerous for your dog as it can cause limping and bone fractures. Fortunately, this condition can be corrected with surgery.
If your dog has scoliosis, its spine bends to one side instead of straight. If you want to know if your dog has this skin condition, run your hands through the back of your dog. You can also verify this by checking how your dog carries its weight. Scoliosis is usually associated with limping or difficulty in walking. If this condition is left untreated, your dog can become permanently paralyzed. Since webbed feet and scoliosis are caused by spinal and bone malformations, it’s not surprising that dogs with webbed feet are prone to have scoliosis.
WHAT KIND OF “PITBULL” DO YOU HAVE?? – A QUICK BREAKDOWN OF THE PIT TYPE BREEDS
Have you ever tried to spread your dog’s feet and see the thin layer of skin connecting each toe?
Well, it’s because of “the webbing.” A lot of people have certified that their Pit bulls have webbed feet, but do all Pit bulls have webbed feet?
Do Pit Bulls have webbed feet? No, Pit Bulls do not have webbed feet. They have connective tissue between their feet but that can’t be classified as webbing. Every dog breed has some form of tissues which tends to connect their feet so they can float in water.