My pug's legs are weak, and he's barking and crying. What's wrong?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Snickers. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian again. The hindlimb problems should not be related to his recent anal gland expression. The condition is worrisome though. He may be experiencing advancing joint disease that is leaving him to be very weak in the back legs. The collapsing and splaying is likely painful for him. He also could be experiencing a neurological condition from a bulging or ruptured disc in his back. This can be a very serious situation as the weakness has the potential to become paralysis. For this reason, he needs to be seen as soon as possible. Keep him quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

I would avoid picking up Tobi in this manner until we figure out what is going on. It sounds like when he is putting all his weight on his hind legs/pelvis. He probably either has some arthritis or nerve/disc pain causing the discomfort. I would recommend taking Tobi to your veterinarian for an evaluation and X-rays so you can determine what is causing the pain. He may also need some pain medication as well. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Have Hopper examined by your veterinarian. Spinal x-rays may reveal arthritic changes that could cause low back pain and home end weakness. Pain management, physical therapy, swim therapy and/or cold laser therapy may all be options depending on the diagnosis.

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.

Hello, sorry to hear about Paddy. It sounds like Paddy may have a back or neck injury either from a slipped disk or a inflammation. I would recommend restricting his activity and not allow any running, jumping, or rough housing as this can exacerbate any injury until you can see your primary care veterinarian. Monitor for any worsening signs of weakness in his back legs and if you see any of these then have him evaluated sooner. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Rafiki could have an issue with his kneecap that has caused it to pop out of the normal spot it's in. This is not uncommon in small breed dogs. It can make them prone however to tearing a ligament inside the knee. If this continues or becomes a recurrent problem, meaning it gets better then comes back, I recommend he get checked out by his veterinarian. Do not give any medication at home as it could be very toxic to dogs. You do not need to restrict his activity unless the limping persists for more than a day. In which case you should have him checked out by his veterinarian.

This is most suggestive of lower spine injury. This is not uncommon in older dogs, where the vertebral canal, or intervertebral disks can pinch the nerve. Treatment is possible depending on the cause of this, so I recommend taking Bandit to the vet for an evaluation. They should be able to identify the cause of this and at-least get him started on medication to relieve pain and hopefully the mobility and incontinence issues. I hope that helps and all is well with Bandit.