Hind legs muscle atrophy

[Betiina]

I have a 2yrs 10 month old chihuahua that weighs 3.5 lbs that has all the below symptoms & was given a preliminary diagnosis of " hind leg atrophy" & have been referred to a VCA neurologist. Do you believe that there can be something else wrong?, if all the symptoms below are right on with the dx given. I was giving my dog rejuvenate at that seem to help, but I was told to stop giving it to the dog when she was diagnosed with colitis and was given other medication that actually irriated her tummy.

Moving more slowly
Difficulty getting up
Weight shift to another leg
Personality change
Reluctant to walk, jump or play
Refuses using stairs or the car    
Change in appetite
Change in behavior
Lagging behind
Yelping when touched
Limping  

[Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM]

For the colitis, a natural product called Mastica works like a charm along with an organic or home-made diet.

For the hind leg problem, there could be many causes from simple to complex. I wonder if you could describe this in detail for me.

Many dogs have problems with their hind legs due to a lack of ligament stability in their hind leg "knees", which are called stifle joints. Laxity in these cruciate ligaments usually presents as dog initially hopping on 3 lags, then toe touching.

It is also important to remember that many small breed dogs, including Chihuahuas, which I personally raise, are "babies" and do not tolerate discomfort very well. When they have a ache such as a loose knee ligament, often they just stop walking and act in a very similar manner to that which you have described for your dog. You might consider trying a natural arthritis remedy to see how your dog responds.

Being a holistic veterinarian for over 20 years, I personally have not seen neurological issues in young Chihuahuas that would be responsible for causing the problems you have described.

I would be glad to discuss this further.

I hope this is somewhat helpful.

All the Best
Dr Carol Osborne, DVM

[Misfits4Me]

I would definately see the Neurologist....I feel these symptoms are probably due to a "Herniated Disc" either in her neck or back....Sometimes, it will NOT show up on xrays, but these are classic symptoms....I have a friend that has a tiny Chi that had these symptoms for months and treatment was not helping. She took him to another Vet (A Holistic One) who told her exactly what to do on the first visit. Her guy had the disc surgery and is back to PERFECT!  His was a disc in his neck. He is 6yrs. old and had surgery 7mos. ago.
Another option:  Look around for a Holistic Vet skilled in Acupuncture.  This will help your Chi tremendously...Trust me, I've been there....Good luck