Why is my dog suddenly having trouble walking? A gradual onset limp and a dog’s sudden inability to stand up or walk on its own can be caused by many different factors. Although old age may play a part, there is likely another cause for a dog’s hind leg weakness. Sudden mobility changes in dogs are often caused by an underlying condition. Dogs experiencing hind leg weakness should be seen by a veterinarian immediately for proper assessment and treatment.
Symptoms that your dog is experiencing hind leg weakness include:
- Uncoordinated movements or loss of balance
- Instability and loss of mobility
- Struggling to walk or a slower than normal gait
- Painful joints or dog is repeatedly licking a joint
- Complete or partial paralysis
- Dog’s back legs are weak and shaking or trembling
- Loss of muscle and signs of atrophy
- Knuckling of the toes of the hindlimb
- Vocalizing in pain or becoming distressed or agitated
- Your dog is unable to walk, get up or move around, this can be permanent or comes and goes
- Fecal or urinary incontinence
Dogs experiencing one or more of the symptoms listed need to see a vet for immediate care and treatment. Dogs who receive immediate veterinary care will experience a better chance of full recovery.
7 Causes of Back Leg Weakness in Dogs
There are many conditions that can impact a dog’s leg strength. Here are seven of the more common causes of back leg weakness in dogs:
Intervertebral Disc Disease
Sudden paralysis in dogs can often be attributed to IVDD. Most dogs are diagnosed with sudden mobility loss from IVDD following a period of exercise. It’s quite common for a dog’s hind legs to collapse and even become paralyzed after a disc herniation from IVDD. Intervertebral Disc Disease is a spinal cord condition that causes severe back pain and paralysis in dogs, often with little or no warning signs. This condition needs urgent veterinary treatment and surgery to correct the issue. IVDD is seen most commonly in Dachshunds, but other breeds affected include Beagles, Shih Tzu, and Bichon Frise.
Fibrocartilaginous Stenosis or FCE
An FCE is a spinal stroke that occurs when a small piece of cartilage blocks an artery. Dogs experiencing an FCE will have a sudden loss of hind leg function with little sign of pain. Dogs with FCE can become paralyzed on one hind leg and not the other. This is most commonly seen in larger breed dogs such as Labradors and German Shepherds.
Canine Arthritis
Arthritis is a painful joint condition most often impacting dogs as they get older. Arthritis inflammation causes severe joint pain, which can limit a dog’s movement, making each step they take painful.
Lumbosacral Stenosis
Lumbosacral stenosis is a condition that slowly impacts a dog’s leg function due to spinal pressure caused by a narrowing of the spinal cord, often from pressures by tissues such as ruptured intervertebral disks, tumors, fractures, and severe osteoarthritis. Dogs with spinal stenosis struggle to stand and wobble when they walk. Some dogs may experience severe nerve pain in their hind legs as well. This condition is very painful and can result in urinary and fecal incontinence, and paralysis of the tail.
Degenerative Myelopathy
Also known as DM, degenerative myelopathy is a progressive spinal condition that results in hind leg weakness and paralysis in dogs. Degenerative myelopathy is most common in large dogs such as German Shepherds but can also impact many other dog breeds.
Patellar Luxation
A knee condition that involves a dog’s knee slipping in and out of place. Clinical signs of patellar luxation include holding the limb up in the air and doing a bunny hop.
Cancer
Neoplasia or cancer can form in the long bones in the hindlimbs, pelvis, or soft tissue structures such as nerves and cartilage. Cancerous growths can be slow-growing and gradually press against nerves or very rapid in onsets such as Osteosarcoma (seen most commonly in the tibia and fibula bone in larger dogs such as Rottweilers. Osteosarcoma can cause limping, reluctance to bear weight on the limb, and even cause spontaneous fractures of the leg if the cancer becomes too advanced.
