My active dog is losing muscle, especially on one side. What's wrong?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This could be due to arthritis in the back legs, systemic illness such as kidney disease or heart disease, muscle disease, metabolic disease, etc. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Hope so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having her blood tested to see if there are any changes that need to be addressed. 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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ludo. I am not sure about what you mean that your dog has lost 7 legs. As far as his head though, he appears to have significant muscle wasting. This can occur secondary to longterm steroid use, generalized muscle loss due to aging or an inflammatory muscle disorder known as myositis. When the last condition occurs, the dog can have difficulty opening it's jaw. Unfortunately, he will need testing to know for sure. I hope this information helps!

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 am sorry to hear about your dog. It is hard to say without know if your vet did any testing and what the results were. We would worry about things such as diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, protein losing nephropathy, protein losing enteropathy. If you have any information on bloodwork, x-rays, or ultrasound testing done on your dog it may help us narrow possibilities. You can consider doing a consultation with one of our vets if you have this information.

Yes, Pumpkin could be experiencing muscle wastage from infrequent use of his hind leg. It is concerning that he has been limping on and off for a couple of weeks, as limping is a sign of pain in dogs. I would have him seen by a vet first thing in the morning for a lameness exam and possibly x-rays. These tests will help the vet identify what is causing the limping, such as a strained or torn ligament, or a luxating patella among other causes, and can discuss treatment options with you.

If your dog hasn't been using his legs as much due to recovery from the amputation it is possible he has lost some muscle tone. it is best to get into contact with your vet to see if it is now safe to start a rehab or exercise program to help get him back in shape. Some illnesses can also cause muscle wasting or loss of muscle tone, so if you are seeing other symptoms in addition to this, or if it is happening very rapidly it is best to schedule a vet appointment for a complete exam, especially if he seems painful.

Poor Princess! It's important to determine why this is happening in order to be able to treat it effectively. Muscle atrophy in the rear legs can occur due to arthritis, neurologic disease, an injury of some kind, or a metabolic disorder such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism. I would recommend taking Princess to the vet for an exam - he/she can do x-rays, blood work, or other testing if needed to help determine what is causing the muscle loss. Many of these issues are treatable once a diagnosis is made.