Old Dog's Back Legs Giving Out

[ok_cpu]

Any of you gone through this before?

We have a 14 year old beagle that we crate during the day. Came home tonight to find she couldn't stand and walk out of the crate. I figured at first that maybe her leg had fallen asleep but it's been a little over an hour and she can only muster 2-3 steps before her back leg gives out and she falls. No injury that we know of. She's pretty old and sedentary

She does not appear to be in pain and actually looks comfortable when she's lying down. She even managed to jump up in the recliner. I'm trying to figure out if this is an emergency vet or call tomorrow morning kind of thing...

[Trajan]

1. I think it's known as Dysplasia?

A girlfriend's dog had it ... It's gets difficult during bathroom time ...

[femmocrat]

2. Yes.

Since it was kind of sudden, it could be something with her back. Especially since she can jump up .... which you must not let her do. Keep her as quiet as possible until the vet can examine her.

My dogs have degenerative myelitis which had a more gradual onset. Their back legs won't hold them up anymore. It is very sad, but we are managing with our vet's assistance. They are 14 and 12.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. It became chronic with my dog, but this sounds like it came on suddenly with yours...

You have to judge how your dog feels, though calling the vet wouldn't hurt, since they would know best.

My Barney was a cocker spaniel, adopted him at age 10 or 11, so he was about 18 when I started having to carry him outdoors. I believe the name of the med that the vet gave him was Chrondoflex. But what really helped him was acupuncture. I was fortunate enough to have previously been referred to a vet who offered it. I had acupuncture myself, so I had confidence that it could help him, plus it was non invasive. And it did help him a great deal, got so he could walk just fine after several sessions.

Let us know how she's doing...

[Laffy Kat]

7. Check for ticks immediately.

There is a type of paralysis they can get with ticks and it's very easy to cure. It's a long shot but check anyway.

[OrwellwasRight]

4. Happened with my 20 year old kitty.

Her legs fell out from under her as she was walking. It clearly scared her (and scared me to death, as I burst into tears). She was yowling and trying to progress on just her front legs. A few moments later, she regained the use of her back legs, but she had been barely eating and not her usual self for several weeks--she wouldn't even get up on the bed or couch unless I picked her up. Seeing her struggle like that was the last straw for me. How did I know how many times a day that happened to her when I wasn't home? I couldn't bear it. I took her to the vet the next day to have her put to sleep. The vet said it was time. She was down to under 4 pounds, poor little punkin'.

Sounds different than your sitch if she is still jumping up on recliners.

[ok_cpu]

5. we're at the vet now.

She started to do this crazy head turning thing that I've never seen before. Walking better now but still wobbly. Waiting for the doc.

[shenmue]

8. Hugs

[artislife]

9. If it isn't a crisis

You may want to try acupuncture. This helpe an old Akita who suffered the same way to have another year and a half of active living.

[Fla Dem]

13. Please let us know how your girl made out at the vet yesterday. nt

[MissB]

6. We went thru this with our Aussie.

It was pretty mild at first - she would be walking and try to pivot and she would just sit down.

Soon she was doing that more and more and we realized she was losing her ability to stand and walk up steps.

We built her a ramp so she could walk up and down easier. After a few months she was unable to walk up so we'd pick her up and carry her up. Then one day she couldn't walk down either. We carried her both ways for a few days and realized it was time.

[Solly Mack]

10. Our baby was attacked by another dog years ago and his back was broken.

He recovered, but as he got older he had trouble walking. When he could no longer hold himself up, we knew it was time. He was almost 20, fairly old for a dog, and his legs just couldn't do their job. He was in pain, too.

It was the saddest day of my life.

I truly hope everything works out for your baby.

[Duppers]

12. Our BC's legs gave out

and she was in pain...caused by cancer.

Yes, having her put down was the hardest thing I ever had too.
Didn't remember how I drove her body home but do remember hubby and I burying her in our front garden bed.

Hope the OP's baby recovers.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

11. My friend's 13 year old Beagle just had surgery for a herniated disk.

[Baobab]

14. Ask vet if giving squirrel friends of dog resveratrol in powder form in sq. mouth, without water..

Note, I know nothing about dogs or humans, just my squirrel friends and myself!

"bucally" (absorbing through mouth) might help squirrels..

That way it absorbs in over time.

Resveratrol works like magic for squirrel and mad scientist joints and my hip and back pain (also on squirrels). It may help the squirrel body repair the (squirrel) joint structure. Give it some time. I use the powder form, emptied out a tiny bit at a time over the day... much less than a whole pill (I buy the large doses in capsule form which because ts cheaper, they are around a half gram of the 50% stuff.) and I dont drink so my humans have to put my food and water bowl somewhere else..

I don't have water bowl around so I can't forget and drink some water and swallow it. (if it goes to the stomach then its much less effective, around 1/10th as effective as buccally)

So, that part about absorbing into the bloodstream via the tissues in the mouth and under the tongue is important for it to help the inflammation like it needs to.

You need to check with a vet before you do this. (not a mad squirrel like me)

Refer them to PubMed.gov ( "resveratrol + joints" is a good starting point, second term picked randomly and may not be the best choice, try other similar words for more)

You can buy it in the form of trans-resveratrol powder 50% in pills, which need to be emptied out little bit by little bit if you use the above method which in non-humans makes a little bit last a long time. Get the biggest doses but dont use the whole pill at a time if you do this, use very small amounts frequently. The mechanisms of RESV positive effects on joints is complex and likely it will someday soon cost huge amounts of money to buy if drug companies get their way. Its too good to let poor squirrels buy it for very little. Even poor squirrels can afford it.. (Grrrrrrrrrrrr!)

Also, if squirrel is in pain, again ask vet if it would hurt if Squirrels mom or dad squirrel tried adding some DLPA powder to other squrrels food every MORNING. (not evening, morning)

Basically giving the squirrel some additional protein (the L-PA) with some D-form PA (has anti-enkephalinase activity) along for the ride. the D-PA will enhance sq's body's own painkilling chemicals (enkephalins) ability to reduce a sq's pain by allowing the enkephalins to stick around longer.

You may not find anything about this on PubMed last I looked because it predates their main body of stuff - thats one advantage we old squirrels have got over the young whippersnapper squirrels.

Mix it in well.

Both of the above are likely to be completely wrong and dangerous, though. So be careful!



-Somebody you should NEVER EVER listen to or God forbid, trust.

[Sanity Claws]

15. Please let us know what the vet said

[ok_cpu]

16. Thanks for all of the replies

Vet diagnosed vestibular disease. They think it's the "old dog" type and should improve in a few days and mostly resolve in a week or two. Decided against scans and tests for other neurological causes given her age.

She's taking Dramamine for the nausea and basically sleeping all day. If it's not better in a day or two we'll go to our vet and decide what to do next.

She's walking now but still has that drunken gait. Her head and eyes are still moving around. Poor thing...

[trof]

17. Vestibular

Vestibular disease affects the body's balance systems.

There is a peripheral form of the disease arising from outside the central nervous system which is caused by disorders affecting the inner ear.

Central vestibular disease, which is a much less common and more serious form of the condition, originates inside the central nervous system.

[Fla Dem]

18. Poor thing, I can relate somewhat. Every so often I get vertigo.

Sometimes severe, but often mild. Sometimes lasting several days, sometimes longer. Last bout was a month. Hope she's back to normal soon.

[avebury]

19. One of my old dogs had vestibular disease. It is not

something that will get better immediately. Sandy did well enough to have a few good months left but she always had a little bit of a head tilt the rest of her life.