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Why is my 12-year-old golden retriever limping and inactive?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Male | neutered | 12 years and 4 months old | 65 lbs

My 12 year old golden retriever is limping and not being active. He is having trouble walking and not moving very much.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 7th, 2018

In an old dog, my primary suspicion is that he is suffering from arthritis. It is quite common for old dogs to get varying degrees of arthritis. This can be helped with medication and some physical therapy. In order to get the best treatment you would have to take Jack to a veterinarian. The veterinarian will ensure that Jack doesn't have any other injuries or conditions causing him to limp. Considering he seems to have a significant decrease in activity, it's best to take him to the vet within the next day or two. Decreased activity can also indicate other, more serious problems like heart disease or anemia, so it's best to get him evaluated by a vet as soon as possible to ensure it's nothing serious.

I hope that helps and Jack gets better soon.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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