Could worms make my older dog's back legs weak? What are other causes?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lil Girl. No, intestinal parasites should not cause the symptoms you are describing. Given her breed, I am concerned that she is experiencing a problem with the disks in her back. If a disk bulges or swells, it will put pressure on the spinal cord resulting in weakness and wobbling. I would recommend that she sees a veterinarian tonight if possible. If left untreated, the dog can experience paralysis in rare cases. In the meantime, keep very quiet. Carry her if she needs to move. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and diarrhea can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. He could be weak on his hind end from not eating before and/or from dehydration so that could be connected. I recommend that you have Kip evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to a neurologic condition such as a herniated disc. I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for this and treat him accordingly. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am afraid that it is not possible to tell you how to cure her condition without being able to know what is exactly going on as therapy is targeted at the specific condition. Possibilities include an issue with her hips, disc herniation, arthritis or other orthopedic conditions. The main thing is that it could also be due to weakness secondary to dehydration just to give you an example. I highly recommend that you consider taking her to a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Your veterinarian would be able to examine her and determine what would be best to treat her with. Good luck!

Hello, sorry to hear about Johnny. There could be several things wrong with him. It could be a problem with his joints, either at his knees or his hips. Dog can get severe arthritis, especially when they are older like Johnny is. They can also tear important ligaments in their knees which makes it harder for them to walk. This can also be associated with a back injury, or some sort of severe muscle pain, and this can also be a tick borne diseases. Ideally Johnny should be examined by your veterinarian to ensure he is not in severe pain and needs medications. Johnny may also be experiencing complications from heart disease or weakness from bleeding into his belly, these would be more concerning for an emergency and should be seen by a veterinarian today. Finally, even though he is drinking, Johnny may still be dehydrated or much worse, he could have something in his GI tract either a FB or a mass or something infectious that is causing him to feel quite sick. These potential causes also warrant a visit to the emergency veterinarian today. Best of luck and hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear that Jack does not feel well. These could all be signs of discomfort or pain. However, those signs are rather non-specific and while I agree with you that something is likely wrong with him, further work-up would be needed to know what is causing him to be unwell. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Likely diagnostics include bloodwork and radiographs if he appears to be in discomfort. Good luck and I hope he does well!

Toby is a senior citizen now. It looks like he’s lost a lot of muscle in the rear legs. I expect he may have hip or back arthritic contributing to his symptoms. I recommend a second opinion with a Rehabilitation veterinarian if there is one near you. In addition I would purchase a Help em Up harness so you can assist him to stand and walk. The longer he’s down and not using his legs the less ability he will have to walk again. I would get him standing for a few minutes several times a day and help him to go outside to potty. Hopefully then he will regain some strength and be able to walk again. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Toby.