My dog suddenly can't walk

[TerryMc1]

My dog was fine and the next time I Iried to take him outside his hindquarters wouldn't work. He finally struggled to get on his feet and hobbled outside favoring his back right leg, came back inside and plopped down. That was 8 hours ago and he hasn't gotten up since. No trauma, nothing unusual except that he has had diarrhea for the last 24 hours. He is a 50 lb blue heeler about 10 years old. Does dysplasia happen suddenly?

[Mpinzon]

Your dog need Glucosamine ! 550 MG

[griffin_love]

Hey our dog isn’t walking either out of the blue he just wouldn’t walk it’s been 4 days and he is still down! The vet wants a lot of Money for X-ray and we just purchased the dog 1 week ago! He is a   Cane Corso  and he is only 5 months old !! I feel so bad for the little guy ! And he is new to the family! I’m responding to you because you seem to know what medicine can help dogs that’s not walking on their back legs!! Please help if you can !!

[ginger899]

It's possible it's hip dysplasia....that has been there for a while but has suddenly flared up badly.
Or it could be something else entirely. It's unusual for a mechanical injury (such as dysplasia or torn ACL etc) to cause diarrhea. There could be something else going on such as a GI infection. Or it could be some damage to spine causing loss of bowel control.
It's important to get him seen by a vet. It might be wise, to be on the safe side, while you are waiting for the appointment, to keep his movements to a  minimum. But from what you say he has no inclination to move. If you can, make sure he drinks some fluids. If he refuses water, try water with a little honey dissolved, or chicken stock, but he should have fluids. Diarrhea can cause dehydration.
He needs to be examined A.S.A.P.

[jpowell7711]

i have a 4 year old rednose pitbull. she is very active and was fine monday at 10 when we woke up tuesday she was unable to walk on her back right leg has no feeling or she cant balance also no feeling in her tail. someone please help went to vet has no idea whats wrong

[Mpinzon]

Give your dog Glucosamine 650 mg you can find it at Waltmart. It is very cheap.

Thanks

[Donnay07]

This isn't an answer, but did you find out what was wrong? I'm usually active dog was fine in the morning and I took her for a run yesterday and everything was fine, she was running like herself, however later that night I went to let her out before we went to bed and she just couldn't walk, like at all. She kept trying to balance on her back legs and was in pain. I had to carry her out side so she could pee. Once I did she did take a few little steps but trying to keep her back legs up. I though they may have seized up from the walk to I carried her to bed and kept the muscles warm. She was still in pain last night. Now it's morning and she can't walk. She's not an old dog and I have no money to see a vet.

[Melanieparker]

Prolapsed intervertebral disc has been considered by experts as one of the many reason behind dogs' inability to walk. Your dog's case is an emergency situation and is in need of critical care veterinarian.

[lovescheese]

Did you ever figure out what was wrong?  I have an English Setter with identical symptoms.  Diarrhea and his hind quarters seem to just stopped working.  He's eating and drinking water just fine, not whimpering or acting out when we touch him in any way, just seems very tired and can't walk.  Was walking 2 hours ago, and just stopped.  

[tonyb286]

Hi. My heart goes out to you and your dog. The financial implications of surgery are always quite substantial and I realize you may be put in a position with few choices. I know if it were my dog, I would do whatever it took - selling furniture, car, house, whatever ... but that's just me. I guess you just have to do the workaround with this kind of problem - make some plans - maybe ask about a loan from family or friends, sell something, check out the animal charities and organizations to see if they can help out. The vet may also offer a financial option, where you might pay weekly or monthly for the work involved. The alternative is, as you say, not good.

Of course, the problem may never happen, but there is a fair chance it will, so some advance planning would be useful at this stage, just in case. Sorry I can't be more helpful with suggestions.

Tony

[Mpinzon]

Your dog need Glucosamine 650 mg

[traceyreilly7]

sounds like cruciate ligament tear!! my dog has partial tear in both her knees and we dont know what to do! surgery is invasive and i dont want to put her through 2 lots of surgery! her hips aren't lookin great either! insurance limit has already been used to sedate and xray and orthopeadic vet consultation! total cost of surgery is £5000 just for knees and vet said there is no guarantees anyway! i am a cleaner i dont earn that sort of money and i considered doing one surgery but when he said two its not an option! dog only has partial tear at moment can be controlled with meds but when it tears completely and she goes off one or both of her legs she will then be in considerable pain and we will have to have her put to sleep! its breaking my heart she is only 7 i havent slept properly in weeks worrying about it! on the other hand it may never tear and she could go on for years like she is! she is only 7 years old and a lovely dog!

[Mpinzon]

Give your dog Glucosamine and a lot of exercise. Make sure your dog is not over weight.

Thanks

[tonyb286]

Hi. No, dysplasia happens gradually, as it is genetic, so it may have a trigger point but then develops fairly slowly after that. It would certainly have been noticeable before it became crippling. I am more inclined to think this is a muscular strain or a tendon that has become inflamed. Rest is important (which is kind of what your dog is telling you). A heated pad (warm r ather than hot) on the trauma area can also be beneficial as the heat helps the tissue repair itself.

I wouldn't try walking him for another day or so. Just let him rest. Then, if things seem improved, try a shorter than normal walk and see how it goes.

If he yelps when standing or the problem continues for more than 48hrs, it would be wise to consult a vet.

One thing worthy of saying is your dog is probably about 10lb overweight. The average for a blue heeler is 15Kg, which equates to about 35lb. Given his age, it's fair to say he may be a little over, but 15lb above average is something that can impact on joints. This is something you may also wish to discuss with your vet, because not all dogs in this breed are the same height and weight, so it needs a professional eye to say whether your guy has a few extra pounds or not.

Tony