Why does my 5-year-old dog wobble when standing or bending down?

I am sorry tootsie is having a hard time. My concern would be arthritis, possible back disease, neurological issues or infection. I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian for a good exam to check her back and back for pain. I would recommend limiting her excercise and not allowing her to jump until she is checked out. Hope that helps.

Poor girl. The fact that she is wobbly and running into things, means that this is likely neurological. I would definitely have her seen by your vet right away for a thorough examination and brief neuro exam to see if we can find the underlying cause for this. One common cause for these types of sudden neurological symptoms in older dogs is vestibular disease, which can be caused by an inner ear infection, a brain tumor, or idiopathic (no underlying cause found). Idiopathic vestibular disease is the most common one we see and typically can improve on its own within a few weeks time with supportive care through your vet. I hope that things work out well for your pet Molly moving forward. Best wishes and take care!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Samantha. Her behavior sounds abnormal and I can see why you are concerned. Toxins are a common cause of a dog walking wobbly or falling over. I would question all family members to ensure no one is missing anything and there was not evidence of her chewing something up. Other causes of her signs could be weakness from joint pain, a neurological problem or even a heart condition. If her signs persist, she will need to see a veterinarian this weekend. German Shepherds can experience pain in their lower backs that will put pressure on their spinal cord resulting in an unsteady gait. I hope this information helps and that she continues to act normal for you. Good luck!

From what you describe it sounds like there is definitely something wrong with Theo's musculoskeletal or nervous system. I would go back to the vet and have them examine him again, you could video how he crawls around the floor to show them. It would be good to have his legs and spine xrayed in case there is a fracture somewhere. Because he is a young dog there is the possibility that he has a condition from birth. If it was simply pain or even a minor injury I would expect the pain medications to have helped by now.

Sadie may be having a bulging or ruptured disc issue in her back. She needs to be seen by a veterinarian immediately because the sooner this issue is addressed the better chance she has for a full recovery. Disc disease is very painful and can result in paralysis if not treated. Depending on the severity of the disease Sadie may just need prescription medication and rest or if the condition is more severe she may need surgery for a full recovery. Please remember there are no safe over the counter pain medications for dogs so you will need to have these prescribed by a veterinarian. Again, the sooner Sadie is treated the better chance for a full recovery so please take her to see a veterinarian right away. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and hope hope Sadie gets the care she needs to make a full recovery!

A condition called Coonhound paralysis (Polyradiculoneuritis) is a very likely possibility here or even a toxin ingestion that affects the nervous system. Coonhound paralysis is a nervous system disease that causes these types of symptoms (rear limb ataxia). It can be caused by eating raw chicken, recent vaccination, exposure to a raccoon, or even an immune medicated disease. I would highly recommend taking Banjo to your local vet right away to get him looked at. An ER vet visit is certainly warranted here if your regular vet is not currently open so that he can get seen quickly and testing done. If this is indeed this condition, there is no specific treatment, but he has a good chance of spontaneously improvement over several weeks. I do hope that Banjo's condition improves soon! Best of luck moving forward. Take care.

This presentation and the fact that he is Dachshund are strongly suggestive of a intervertebral disc disease. Possibly a disc extrusion (slipped disc) has affected him. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!