Why is my dog weak, shaking, slow, and not using her back leg?

Shasta is experiencing two very different issues that may not have anything to do with one another unfortunately. In terms of hind end lameness, the most common causes of this are traumatic injuries, inflammatory conditions (arthritis / tendinitis), infectious diseases, tick borne diseases, nutritional deficiencies, clotting disorders, and certain cancers. As for diarrhea, the common causes of this include dietary indiscretion, inflammatory conditions of the GI tract, pancreatitis, parasites, infectious diseases, immune-mediated conditions, and certain types of cancers. To address either of these issues if they have been occurring for a significant period of time, both blood work and imaging modalities would be needed. This doesn't sound like an emergency or anything, but if either of these problems has been persistent I would consider making an appointment to have Shasta seen sometime soon for a work-up. Hope this helps and that Shasta gets well soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Lameness can be caused by a number of things. Unfortunately, in this breed, ACL injuries are common and are typically due to degenerative changes with the ligament (if this is a back leg lameness). Also, if this is an ACL injury, there is a > 50% chance that the opposite leg will be affected by the same problem down the road. On the examination with the veterinarian, they will check her knee joint and see if there is an instability called a cranial drawer or a tibial thrust. Both of these manipulations help confirm the suspicion of an ACL injury. Most of the time, an ACL injury requires surgical correction to fix. This can be discussed further with your veterinarian once diagnosed. This may not be an ACL injury and may be osteoarthritis or hip dysplasia causing discomfort. I would recommend x-rays of the affected leg. If this is a front leg, there are other possibilities such as arthritis, a bone fracture, infection, ligament injury, elbow dysplasia, etc. I would definitely get Bliss on a joint supplement along with omega 3 fish oil. I typically recommend Dasuquin and Welactin for supplements, which can be found online quite easily. 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. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!

This sounds like a medical emergency and you should have Puddin seen right away. The potential cause for her signs are a slipped disc in her back causing pinching of her nerves going to her back legs (Intervertebral disc disease), trauma, spinal infection, a spinal tumor or a toxin. The veterinarian will want to perform a through exam and localize the pain. They will also check Puddin's neurologic function which will help to determine if her signs are due to a spinal problem. If her signs worsen and she can no longer walk on her back legs, she may need an MRI or surgery. Please have her seen, good luck.

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.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Although Mya is still eating, drinking, and having normal bathroom habits, the shaking and lethargy is a concern. Shaking can sometimes be an indication of pain or discomfort in dogs or can be a symptom of certain endocrine diseases. I would recommend having her seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. In this case, it is very hard to say for certain what is going on with Mya without examining her first. A veterinary exam would be a good place to start so she can be evaluated head to tail. Your veterinarian may recommend blood work and/or x-rays be run on Mya as well to help determine a diagnosis. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Shaking or muscle tremors, difficulty walking and seizures can be a sign of neurologic disease in the brain. There are many infectious and inflammatory diseases that can cause signs like these. Severe liver disease or low blood sugar could also cause neurologic signs. I would recommend seeing your veterinarian if you have not already had Bobby examined. They can check blood work and may recommend testing for some infectious diseases. Often referral to a neurologist for an MRI and sampling spinal fluid is necessary to get a diagnosis, but there may be some treatments your veterinarian could recommend before more testing.

Hello, sorry to hear about Flash. This could indicate anything from primary orthopedic or even neurologic injury. Common orthopedic injuries include injury to the cranial cruciate ligament or hip dysplasia. Common neurologic injuries include a slipped disk or a narrow lumbosacral joint. Both of these conditions are best diagnosed with a thorough orthopedic and neurologic examinations. In the interim, he should be kept quiet with no running, jumping, or rough housing. Alternatively, pain could also be associated with abdominal discomfort particularly in dogs that have pancreatitis. If Flash develops any vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite then he should be screened for pancreatitis by your veterinarian. Please have Flash seen by his veterinarian this coming week or sooner if he is not wanting to eat, drink, or is acting lethargic. Hope this helps and best of luck.