My Maltese won't walk. Could it be age, joint pain, or illness?

It sounds like Bella may either have a problem with her heart causing her to tire easily or she may have a problem with her lower spine causing her to be painful in the back end and her legs to sway. Unfortunately neither of these could be diagnosed with blood tests. Radiographs or even advanced imaging such as echocardiography or MRI would be needed to determine what might be going on here. You may want to consider a consultation with a veterinary neurologist and/or cardiologist. You can find one in your area on www.acvim.org.

Poor Bella! I'm so sorry that she is having this problem. We most commonly see Legg-Perthes disease only affecting one hip, but it certainly is possible that she has both hips affected. There isn't any way to diagnose Legg-Perthes disease except x-rays. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine her to determine if her pain is coming from her hip or another location. If it appears to be her hips, they can then take x-rays to determine what is going on. I am attaching a link to a handout on Legg-Perthes disease below for you. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2529 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Bella feels better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Oh no, I'm sorry Lil boy isn't doing well! Unfortunately, your post was cut off, and the last piece of information I received was ".... & morning my...." I'm not sure what you meant by that, so I will answer your question as best as I can, and if I do not answer your specific question, I apologize and ask you post again. Being uncomfortable and lethargic can be very general signs of illness, and can be caused by systemic illness, pain, injury, cardiac disease, liver disease, inflammation, cancer, or infection. Given Lil Boy's age, it's best that he's seen by a vet as soon as possible as there could be some very serious causes behind these symptoms. I recommend having a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, urinalysis, and x-rays done.

These are certainly scary and concerning symptoms. I'm sure you are very worried about Bella as am I. I would recommend that Bella be seen by a veterinarian right away as the symptoms you report could be signs of something serious like low blood sugar. She is a tiny little dog and a Yorkie as well so there are some breed related issues that can cause similar signs. Seeing a veterinarian right away will help to rule out many things and hopefully get her feeling better as soon as possible. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm not sure how old Daisy is, but she could be suffering from arthritis, may have degenerative joint disease, or could have injured herself. It is concerning that she is having trouble walking, and that indicates she could be in a lot of pain. Given those symptoms, I feel it's best to have her seen by a vet today. The vet can diagnose what is causing her trouble walking, and can treat it while also giving her some pain medications. Please do not give Daisy any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would believe an ultrasound for a diagnosis of a pyometra. If you need a 3rd opinion to decide whether you should take her to surgery to remove her uterus then I would do that today. I am assuming full blood work: chemistry, complete blood count and a urine sample was ran? If she is not better she needs to be rechecked. Personally if an ultrasound (not an X-ray) confirmed a dilated fluid filled uterus that is highly diagnostic of a pyometra or a hydrometra. And I have seen limping secondary to a pyometra. The Ehrlichia may be a red herring. I hope this helps and I wish Sofia the best!

I'm sorry to hear that Bella isn't feeling well! Did all of this start between November and now? If so, please take her to you vet for an exam. I am worried that she has a tumor that may be affecting either the back of her throat, her neck (the lump you are describing). Its also possible that she has cancer elsewhere, such as in her spinal cord if her gait has changed significantly (though this could be due to disc disease or other causes of spinal cord compression.) Take her back to your vet for an exam. It sounds like her overall quality of life is still good... however, your vet may be able to identify ways to help you keep her feeling good for longer. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!