Why is my dog's paw folding over and losing control when walking?

I recommend to have Nino King examined today. A sudden change in the angulation of the joint could indicate a slipped tendon or subluxation. The vet needs to figure out what is happening. I hope they do so quickly.

Hello, thank you for your question about Bentley. Based on the weakness and symptoms that you are describing it is possible that Bentley may be experiencing some mild pain from arthritis or could have strained a muscle/tendon. It is also possible that Bentley's back could be sore as this usually leads to signs of weakness in the hind limbs; however, this type of injury is much more common in smaller breed dogs. If Bentley's signs are more mild and he is otherwise acting ok I would recommend continuing to monitor him for the next 24-48 hours. If this weakness or soreness do not go away I would recommend having him seen by your veterinarian so that they can perform an examination and look for any sources of pain. They can then discuss the need for pain/anti-inflammatory medications if warranted. Hope this helps, good luck!

What you are describing makes me wonder if Ivy has a problem with her balance or something else neurological that makes her movements abnormal. I would recommend taking some video of her walking and have your veterinarian evaluate them. If she has always moved that way, then there may not be anything to do about it, but if her movement is getting worse, I would have your veterinarian perform a neurological examination to see if there is anything abnormal. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. Thank you for using Pet Coach! My best guess based on your description is that Ben likely has some arthritis in that paw. It is probably more comfortable for him to keep the paw in that position. Any dog that is 12 years old probably has at least a little arthritis. The other option would be a nerve issue in that paw Neither of these things are usually seen as overtly painful. I would suggest that you mention this to your vet at his next exam. It may be worthwhile taking some x-rays. The other thing you could do is start him on a joint supplement like Missing Link: ( https://missinglinkproducts.com/product/canine-hip-joint-coat/ ) If there is some arthritis present this may help. Best wishes!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Without examining Brutus it is difficult to say but he may have developed soft tissue trauma from an injury or injured his bone / carpal joint. If the limping persists for the next 3 days, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at him and take x-rays of the leg to help rule out some causes of the lameness. For the next 3 days I would recommend exercise restriction and keeping him on a leash whenever he is outdoors and discouraging him from jumping up or down on any furniture to allow this injury to heal. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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 always recommend having abnormal gaits evaluated by a veterinarian. If there is anything neurologic or orthopedic (bones and joints) going on, it is better to catch it early. Eli is still growing at 15 months, so there are a number of things that could be going on. I would recommend taking a couple of videos of him walking, so you can show them to your veterinarian during his examination. Sometimes dogs walk differently at the vet, and the gait can sometimes help us pinpoint where to look on exam. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.