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Why can't my senior dog stand up? He had diarrhea and weak back legs.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 90 lbs
He started vomiting with diarrhea two days ago it was water common out both ends and now he not vomiting and the water on the other end is gettin a Lil more solid but today I woke up to let him out and he couldn't get up his back legs r messed up and he is roughly 10-12 years old but just wondering if u had any advice on what this could be he not dehydrated and is eatin dog food and drinkin water.dont seem to be in pain either
1 Answer
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on August 20th, 2017
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.
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.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful