My rescue greyhound puppy drags paws. How can I help him walk better?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could potentially be due to trauma, infectious or neurological. If you are able to, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do without know for sure what this could be. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. You could take him in your house and make sure he is cage rested in case this is an injury and see how he does with cage rest.

Hello. This is most likely just due to how the puppy developed in utero. Hopefully, with time, the legs will strengthen. You can very gently manipulate the legs, doing range of motion exercises, but it would be best to have your veterinarian examine the puppy & show you the best way to help this little one. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

He could be smaller from lack of muscle. He may also be painful from his back which could cause him not to eat well so he isn’t growing normally. I recommend an exam with a Rehabilitation veterinarian or a veterinary acupuncturist. They are trained to treat dogs with pain and paralysis. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for GT.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry for your concerns with Brian. These are pretty significant signs for a relatively young dog. I hope he has been seen by your veterinarian to determine the cause. If the underlying reason for his difficulties have been thoroughly investigated, & exercise in not contraindicated, then walking is always good. Keeping Brian on grass, walking with a harness rather than collar, or using a lift assist vest would all keep him from injuring himself. Supervised swimming might be beneficial, as well. You might talk to your vet about a certified veterinary rehab. specialists in your area. All the best to you & Brian.

That is not normal for pups recovering from parvovirus. I recommend an evaluation with a rehab veterinarian if there is one in your area. They can give you exercises to strengthen the rear legs and determine if it’s from a back or leg problem or just weakness from the diesease. The sooner you get him up and standing and walking the better since the muscles and ligaments need weight bearing and movements to get stronger. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Rambo.

At this age dogs usually suffer from painful arthritis of the hips. The pain makes them use their hind legs less and therefore the muscles atrophy. You should take Ryder to your vet for an exam, and mention the weakness in the hind legs. Your vet can prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication which will help with pain and should make Ryder more happy to get up and exercise. This will train his leg muscles and it will be much easier for him to get up and walk.

Thanks for using PetCoach. If she is slipping on floors, ToeGrips are sometimes more helpful than booties. https://toegrips.com/ If it is pain or weakness sometimes acupuncture can make a world of difference for senior dogs. Please be sure that you find a veterinarian that does acupuncture in conjunction with her current medications. If it has not been done X-rays to try to localized the cause of her problem can sometimes help determine the best therapy. (Ie back or hips or knees or all?) Best of luck I hope this helps.