My old dog can't get up. Why are her back legs weak and what helps?

At this age dogs usually suffer from painful arthritis of the hips. The pain makes them use their hind legs less and therefore the muscles atrophy. You should take Ryder to your vet for an exam, and mention the weakness in the hind legs. Your vet can prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication which will help with pain and should make Ryder more happy to get up and exercise. This will train his leg muscles and it will be much easier for him to get up and walk.

Hello, while I am glad you have been using a good joint supplement, it sounds like your girl needs some more serious pain medication for her osteoarthritis. There are many to choose from, and they can literally give an aging pet a new lease on life. I have literally seen crippled dogs that owners wanted to euthanize become happy, active pets. The first thing to do is see your veterinarian for a thorough exam, blood work & possible x-rays & hopefully start your pet on a medication to ease her pain. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The rear leg braces are not useful. If she needs assistance getting up I recommend a Help em Up harness by Blue Dog designs. Taking Lucy to a Rehab veterinarian would be good if there is one near you. They can give you exercises to do at home and they may offer hydrotherapy and other treatments that can improve her comfort and mobility. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lucy.

I recommend you take a look at the links below and then consult with your veterinarian about what other options would be suitable for Grogan. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951467 https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8896028 The Help Em Up Harness and Toe Grips at the links below may prove helpful as well: https://helpemup.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjc7P5_vm4QIV16mWCh0GSgUDEAAYAiAAEgLsV_D_BwE https://toegrips.com/ I also recommend looking into rubber-backed carpet runners over any tile or hardwood floors to provide more traction for Grogan. You can also look into acupuncture, massage, physical therapy and chiropractic as treatment options for Grogan in future, and see if your vet can refer you to vets in your area who practice them.

Poor Abby! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. Rear leg issues in an older dog could be caused by an orthopedic problem like arthritis or hip/knee abnormalities, or a neurologic problem such as intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) or degenerative myelopathy. Treatment recommendations will depend on what the underlying problem is, and none of these things can really be treated at home without prescription medications, so I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam. He/she can take x-rays of her hips and spine if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what can be done to treat it.

Unfortunately it sounds like Bailey has joint pain or arthritis possibly of the hips or spine. X-rays may help to provide more information on the exact site of the problem and it sounds like he requires additional pain relief from prescription anti-inflammatories. Acupuncture and chiropractic care can be helpful also and weight loss is definitely recommended to remove additional strains, my preferred option here is hills metabolic mobility diet which is supplemented with joint support, natural anti-inflammatories and promotes healthy weight loss whilst preserving muscle strength and fitness

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!