My senior dog is weak, won't eat/drink, can't do stairs. What's wrong?

Poor Orea! This is really concerning and I am really worried that she cannot walk straight. There are several things that can cause this like anti-freeze toxicity, spinal issues, bacterial infections, and much more. I would have your vet take a look at her as soon as possible as this could be a medical emergency. Your vet will be able to do bloodwork and even x-rays if needed and get her started on the proper treatment plan to help her feel better. I hope this helps!

This presentation could commonly be caused either by a neurological damage of the nerves of the back legs (usually from spinal cord), caused by a stroke or a intervertebral disc extrusion/protrusion,or potentially by severe arthritis and osteo-arthrosis. A check up and appropriate medications (anti-inflammatories) would be ideal and essential to understand the underlying cause. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It sounds like Mocha is definitely experiencing a pretty good deal of discomfort. There could be multiple problems occurring here or one greater issue. The type of urinary issue you are describing sounds like incontinence. This is not uncommon in older spayed female dogs. If this is the primary issue, it is generally treatable with medication. Pain that Mocha is experiencing, whether or not attributed to arthritis or something else, can be treated medically as well with anti inflammatory drugs and pain management. You might want to consider some diagnostics to assess the areas that are in most pain to make sure there is not another underlying condition besides arthritis that is causing the (out of the ordinary) pain. The most troubling part of all of what you've described is the not eating or drinking. This taken into account with the other clinical signs make me lean towards something more serious, such as an infectious process, inflammatory disease, or even a cancerous process. I would definitely say to get Mocha to the vet sometime soon to be assessed. Diagnostic blood work and imaging are definitely recommended to get down to the cause of the problems. Hope this helps!

As a 16 year old dog it is almost a given that Nokie has some serious arthritis and that while she probably has been having pain for a few years now but did not show it, the pain now is so bad that she is afraid to jump up on the bed or climb stairs. In severe arthritis cases like that the quality of life can be significantly improved by giving NSAIDs which take inflammation away and therefore pain. Make an appointment with your vet for an exam and a blood test to verify that her kidneys and liver are working properly and then your vet can prescribe NSAIDs or pain medicine for Nokie. At the same time the vet can rule out other causes of weakness.

I am very concerned about your dog's condition and highly recommend a veterinary visit. There are a few general categories that fit with what your dog is showing at home. One would be weakness due to a nerve problem in the back end. This can happen if a disc has moved out of place in the spine and is pressing on the spinal cord. This can cause dogs to have trouble walking and placing their feet in an appropriate way. Some have the appearance of walking on their toes. Otherwise they are able to place weight on the back legs but stagger or sway when walking. This can be an emergency situation if the disc slips more into the spinal cord and causes paralysis. Another type of weakness that causes trouble getting up is if there is a lack of proper blood circulation. The lower level of blood in the body causes them to be lethargic due to the decreased oxygen circulating throughout the body. In an older dog, the most common cause of this is with a tumor or mass on the spleen that has ruptured. The spleen holds a large amount of blood and if it has a rupture, the blood leaks out into the abdomen. In addition to the lethargy, we often see pale gums and a pot belly appearance due to the pooling blood. An x-ray or ultrasound would help determine if this is occurring. These are the two most common reasons for such a dramatic change in her appearance. There is also the chance of her eating something she shouldn't. The best thing for her would be to have an exam as soon as you are able to determine what is causing her signs. The vet may recommend bloodwork or an x-ray. Unfortunately. older large breed dogs can lose nerve function in their back legs due to age changes. There is little we can do to help this aside from keeping them comfortable. Due to how sudden the signs showed up, this is less likely, as it is often a more gradual change.

It sounds like she needs to be examined and treated by a vet right away. She may be getting dehydrated and need some fluids, either subcutaneously or intravenously. Your vet can also run some blood work and other tests to help determine the cause and evaluated the function of all her organs. It is very concerning that she is not eating and is very weak. I don't think this is something that should be treated at home with OTC medications. If she has a gum infection then she may need an antibiotic to treat the infection. Call your vet or take her to an emergency clinic for treatment. Hope she feels better soon!

Poor Pepper. It is so hard to tell you what is wrong with the moving and not eating without an exam. It could be arthritis along with something causing a decreased appetite. He needs full exam, lab work, and x-rays, and pain control to be able to answer that question. Call your veterinarian first thing in the morning and make an appointment