Why are my old dog's back legs giving out and he stiffens in pain?

Hi, he might be experiencing an herniated disc. You would not necessarily see it on xrays. I would recommend to monitor urination and defecation and consider what’s the best way forward considering age, prognosis and welfare. Your vet should be able to advise you considering these three factors. Sending you positive thoughts.

This crossing of the bag legs often indicates arthritis in the hips and possibly the lower back. It is quite common for older dogs to get arthritis and nerve pain that can suddenly cause them to walk like this. This can often be helped, or alleviated with medication and possibly diet. It could also be due to damage to a tendon, ligament, nerve, or muscle. It's best to have a vet evaluate Ramsey to help narrow down the cause and prescribe the most appropriate medication. This is not an emergency, but good to have checked-out in the next day or two. I hope that helps and Ramsey gets better soon.

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.

Your dog could have arthritis which makes him unstable. He could also suffer from hip dysplasia (which can lead to arthritis) or have some compression of the spinal cord which can affect the hind leg movement. A vet exam is recommended to check for these issues. Some may improve with anti-inflammatory medication available from your vet. In the meantime, using small throw rugs on the floor (that have grip on the back so they don't move) may help your pup get around on the floor.

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.

Poor Luna! Because she is 8 or 9, my first thought is that she may be suffering from arthritis. That would cause her pain, and from your description, it sounds like she is painful. It could also be that she injured herself. Arthritis is common in older dogs. I would take her into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose if she is suffering from arthritis, and can give her some pain meds for it. Rimadyl (an NSAID) is a good drug to give to help with the symptoms of arthritis. I also recommend giving her glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, and you can use it in conjunction with Rimadyl to help maximize relief from her symptoms. Give her vet a call today to make an appointment. Best of luck!

It sounds like what you are describing is weakness. Did your pup have a neurologic exam? What we look for is evidence of pain (although this can sometimes be inconsistent in pets), loss of sensation to the feet (does he fail to flip his foot back over when the top of his foot is placed down?), and presence or absence of reflexes. The results of these tests can help to determine if it's neurologic in origin and what portion of the spinal cord may be affected. Although, it can sometimes be hard to differentiate orthopedic from neurologic disease. Plain xrays of the spine are helpful to rule out any bony abnormalities, and sometimes we can see evidence of narrow disc spaces, but ultimately we cannot see the spinal cord, nerves leaving the spinal cord, or the soft tissues. If a neurologic problem is suspected an MRI is often needed. But, there are also some other conditions that can cause weakness that are metabolic in origin (has your guy had any senior lab work recently?) or related to loss of signaling to the muscles (for example a disease called myasthenia gravis) or related to a degenerative process such as degenerative myelopathy. If there is a component of pain detected on exam then anti-inflammatory pain medication may help. If you feel like things are getting worse it would be a good time to have a re-evaluation with your family vet. Another option as well, if a neurologic process is suspected, would be to have a consult with a veterinary neurologist. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!