My dog's back legs gave out suddenly, then she was fine. What happened?

What you are describing sounds like it may be seizure. This can happen at any age from getting into something or having a change in their nervous system or brain. At her age, it is safest to have her checked by a vet to make sure there are metabolic reasons this was started. If it is a seizure then there is medicine they can start to help prevent further ones and control it

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. With the intermittent nature of the symptom you are describing and that it happens every 2 or 3 months, this could be a neuromuscular disease, neurological condition, back problem or a heart condition. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Storm so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. This sounds very suspicious of a seizure. The average age of onset of seizure activity for epileptic dogs is from 2-4 years of age. Since this is a first time occurrence...or the first that you have witnessed....you may have to wait and see if it happens again. It may help your veterinarian if you can video the episode if it happens again. It is always a good idea to have your veterinarian examine her to make sure there are no other problems and discuss the possibility of seizures. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry that happened to your dog! It's always scary to see them disoriented. Based on what you've reported, I suspect she may have experienced a seizure. It sounds like she recovered without complication as they often do. My personal dog has epilepsy so I've seen this many times. I would record the symptoms and date on your calendar. I would consult with your veterinarian and report her symptoms (not an emergency unless she experiences another episode today). Your vet can perform a thorough exam and recommend any other diagnostics to make sure there is nothing obvious that needs treatment. Depending on what they find and if she has more episodes, appropriate treatment can be recommended.

Yes, this sounds like seizure activity. Unfortunately at her age if she is just now starting to have seizures that is not a good thing. Seizures starting at her age are usually indicative of an underlying brain lesion. I would recommend you take her in to your vet for an examination and some bloodwork. In the meantime, monitor her closely and if it happens again I would video tape the episode so you can show it to your vet. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Lily.

Shaking or muscle tremors, difficulty walking and seizures can be a sign of neurologic disease in the brain. There are many infectious and inflammatory diseases that can cause signs like these. Severe liver disease or low blood sugar could also cause neurologic signs. I would recommend seeing your veterinarian if you have not already had Bobby examined. They can check blood work and may recommend testing for some infectious diseases. Often referral to a neurologist for an MRI and sampling spinal fluid is necessary to get a diagnosis, but there may be some treatments your veterinarian could recommend before more testing.

Hello, sorry to hear about Skittles. There are certainly several things that can cause dogs to have problems moving their legs. What you're describing however, seems to be more likely associated with an injury to her back. Most commonly in dogs, they may "slip" a disk which causes compression to their spinal cord. There are other injuries that are not compressive such as an swelling due to autoimmune disease in the spinal cord, a stroke to the spinal cord, or a fibrocartilagenous embolism which is more associated with larger breed dogs. Again their are other possibilities such as if she sprained a muscle or hurt her knees. Due to the concern for a potential back injury, Skittles should be evaluated by a veterinarian promptly to ensure she does/does not have a back injury. There are 2 options if she does have a back injury, you may elect to treat conservatively with strict rest and at home medications for 4-6 weeks or you may elect to have a neurologist evaluate her. The neurologist may then recommend an MRI and surgery based on the MRI. I know this is a lot of information to understand/explain so shortly but I would start off by having her evaluated by your veterinarian soon. In the interim, keep her quiet and rested, (no jumping, running, rough playing), make sure she is urinating and defecating, and keep her low to the ground. Best of luck and hope this helps.