My dog's back legs suddenly gave out; why is he slipping?

Hi there. A few things could be going on here with snowball. Hip dysphasia is a possibility, as well as instability due to disk disease or a back injury. She could also have luxating patellas (knee caps) that are getting stuck and she's trying to pop them back in by flinging them out. To know for sure, she would need to see your veterinarian for an orthopedic exam and probably x rays. I hope this gives you some ideas!

Spinal cord infarct and slipped disc (intervertebral disc extrusion) may be most likely differentials considering the description of the signs you provided. This clinical status require and immediate check up and neurological and physical examination. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor Turbena! I'm afraid this is very concerning. Loss of function in the rear legs is most often due to a "slipped" or herniated disc in the spine, but could also be due to some other neurologic problem or illness. This problem needs immediate treatment for the best chance of recovery, so I would recommend taking Turbena to the vet now. He/she can do a complete neurologic exam as well as x-rays or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment right away.

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.

Your dog could have arthritis which makes him unstable. He could also suffer from hip dysplasia (which can lead to arthritis) or have some compression of the spinal cord which can affect the hind leg movement. A vet exam is recommended to check for these issues. Some may improve with anti-inflammatory medication available from your vet. In the meantime, using small throw rugs on the floor (that have grip on the back so they don't move) may help your pup get around on the floor.

It sounds like what you are describing is weakness. Did your pup have a neurologic exam? What we look for is evidence of pain (although this can sometimes be inconsistent in pets), loss of sensation to the feet (does he fail to flip his foot back over when the top of his foot is placed down?), and presence or absence of reflexes. The results of these tests can help to determine if it's neurologic in origin and what portion of the spinal cord may be affected. Although, it can sometimes be hard to differentiate orthopedic from neurologic disease. Plain xrays of the spine are helpful to rule out any bony abnormalities, and sometimes we can see evidence of narrow disc spaces, but ultimately we cannot see the spinal cord, nerves leaving the spinal cord, or the soft tissues. If a neurologic problem is suspected an MRI is often needed. But, there are also some other conditions that can cause weakness that are metabolic in origin (has your guy had any senior lab work recently?) or related to loss of signaling to the muscles (for example a disease called myasthenia gravis) or related to a degenerative process such as degenerative myelopathy. If there is a component of pain detected on exam then anti-inflammatory pain medication may help. If you feel like things are getting worse it would be a good time to have a re-evaluation with your family vet. Another option as well, if a neurologic process is suspected, would be to have a consult with a veterinary neurologist. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I would be worried about Spike. Things that come to mind are a disc that has ruptured into the spinal canal, a fibers clot, a blood clot, a tumor or somehow acquiring an injury. I would recommend to take him into the veterinarian's asap to get him checked out. The doctor may want to do an x-ray or may recommend referral to a neurologist based on what they find. Best of luck with Spike!