My dog's back legs are weak and he can't stand. What's wrong?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am concerned that this is likely due to a neurological abnormality such as a herniated disc which can be a surgical emergency. However, other things are possible. This does warrant a veterinary evaluation as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment. They can then recommend therapy accordingly. Best of luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. What you are describing sounds as though Frankey is suffering from a neurological condition. Without examining him it is impossible to say for sure. He may have a protruding disk in his spine that is compressing the spinal cord leading to this paralysis / weakness of the hind end. I would also be worried that this could be a degenerative muscle disease leading to the weakness. Frankey may need to go on a course of steroids long term to treat this and the condition may not resolve, it may continue to worsen despite treatment. If you are able to get him seen by a veterinary neurologist, this would give you a good second opinion. I hope this helps and I hope that Frankey gets better soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These are general signs that can be seen with a lot of conditions. It could be due to a neurologic condition or perhaps an orthopedic condition causing some kind of pain or discomfort. If this continues, I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to start with a good physical examination and possibly diagnostics to get to the bottom of this so that therapy if any can be started. Have a great day!

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!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Scrapoy! If Scrapoy is having neurologic signs (leg weakness, knuckling, not moving the leg(s), walking drunk) I would worry that he is suffering from a slipped disk in his neck or back. The shaking is common when dogs are in pain and disk can be very painful. I would recommend taking Scrapoy to the Vet today for an exam. I hope this helps and I wish you the very best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to a neurological or orthopedic condition. This could even due to weakness from perhaps getting into something he should not have. For this reason, I recommend that you consider taking him to your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check what seems to be the issue so that it can be treated accordingly. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are a few conditions that can affect a dog's ambulation such as a back injury or an injury to the legs per se. Sometimes weakness in the hind limbs can be caused by things like dehydration. Vomiting can be indicative of conditions such as gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal obstruction, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and treat accordingly. Good luck and have a good night!