Why are my dog's back legs suddenly weak, sore, or giving out?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ben. He sounds painful with his struggling to move and crying. He could have arthritis, back pain or a muscle strain. If he was particularly playful yesterday or this morning, he may have over done it and be sore now. Back pain is more common in small breed dogs. It is demonstrated by a reluctance to do stairs, jump on furniture or even the inability to properly use a limb. Arthritis tends to be more common in larger dogs. It is usually a gradual slowing down or stiffness, but can be exeracerbated by hard play. Ben will need to see his veterinarian to determine the source of his pain. In the meantime, keep him quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications. I hope this information helps!

I am very sorry that Manny is having a hard time after his birthday celebrations. It sounds to me for what you are describing there could potentially be an osteoarthritis component to his issues. It is possible that he has muscle weakness, thought as you are noting, it is less likely to appear so quickly. Whereas, osteoarthritis flare-ups can appear immediately following a walk. I would advise the following for you and Manny; Shorter walks more frequently to prevent flare-ups and build up lean muscle mass Cool compresses after a walk on his hips for a few minutes every few hours for the first 24 hours After first 24 hours, switch to warm compresses Adding a joint supplement to Manny's diet such as this one; http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=29218 If he does not return to himself within 48 hours, and really start to improve in the first 24 hours, I would advise taking him into his veterinarian to ensure he doesn't need any changes to his medication, or perhaps adding a long term medication for osteoarthritis.

He could have a torn the ligament in his knee, have back pain, or an arthritis flare up causing these symptoms assuming you didn’t see him get injured. I’m glad you’re taking him in soon. They will feel his hips, back and legs and may recommend x-rays. They will most likely put him on pain medication since he's probably not getting up due to discomfort. Many orthopedic problems can be managed with medications so hopefully with treatment he’ll recover quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care Cooper.

It sounds like Bonbon may have hurt himself, and yes I would be worried since this is not normal behavior. It could also be that he is suffering from arthritis, which can be common in senior dogs. I'd give his vet a call in the morning to have him examined. If he is suffering from arthritis, the vet can prescribe pain medications for him. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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.

This is most likely from a bulging intervertebral disc pressing on the nerves to his legs. I recommend a veterinary exam and spinal X-ray to be sure. Then as long as he’s walking I recommend pain medication, muscle relaxers and I treat these dogs with laser and acupuncture. He needs to rest, no running or jumping and short slow leash walks for three weeks. Usually this will improve with treatment in three to four weeks. He also could rupture the intervertebral disc and become paralyzed. That is a medical emergency and he may need surgery by a specialist so he could walk again. Please take him in soon and get treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Armor.

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!