Why is my puppy walking with difficulty or limping suddenly?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to a neurological or orthopedic condition. This could even due to weakness from perhaps getting into something he should not have. For this reason, I recommend that you consider taking him to your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check what seems to be the issue so that it can be treated accordingly. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Poppy! I recommend that Poppy be seen by your Vet. Possible causes are distemper virus, a congenital abnormality, toxin ingestion, trauma or a brain issue. Hopefully this is just an injury that needs time to resolve but it is hard for me to say with out examining her or seeing a video. It may be very helpful for you to video tape an episode so your Vet can help you the best they can. I hope this helps and I wish Poppy a speedy recovery!

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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is possible that he has a fractured bone that is causing him discomfort and lameness. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having x-rays taken of this leg to rule out any bone fractures as the cause. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Some causes of hindlimb lameness in growing dogs that are less than 12 months of age include: Hip dysplasia, Avascular necrosis of the femoral head - Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, where the ball of the thighbone in the hip doesn't get enough blood, causing the bone to die Osteochondritis of stifle - fragments of cartilage or bone have become loose within the knee joint Patella luxation - medial or lateral disorder, in which the kneecap dislocates or moves out of its normal location Osteochondritis of the hock - fragments of cartilage or bone have become loose within the hock, the joint of the hind leg Panosteitis – inflammation of the bones Hypertrophic osteodystrophy - a disease characterized by decreased blood flow to the part of the bone adjacent to the joint Trauma to the soft tissue, bone, or joint Infection – may be local, or generalized (systemic) Nutritional imbalances Congenital abnormalities (present at birth) If the lameness persists, even if she seems better afterward, I recommend getting her seen by your vet as soon as possible to check for one of these conditions and get her started on treatment if need be.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Benelly! If it doesn't resolve with rest I would have him looked at by your Vet. Possibilities are a back strain or sprain, Lyme disease, or hip dysplasia. An exam and hip X-rays could help determine what might be going on. Try resting him for a few days and if there is no improvement have him seen early next week. I wish Benelly a speedy recovery!

I always recommend having abnormal gaits evaluated by a veterinarian. If there is anything neurologic or orthopedic (bones and joints) going on, it is better to catch it early. Eli is still growing at 15 months, so there are a number of things that could be going on. I would recommend taking a couple of videos of him walking, so you can show them to your veterinarian during his examination. Sometimes dogs walk differently at the vet, and the gait can sometimes help us pinpoint where to look on exam. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.