Dog having problems walking - Need Advice - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Raekwon · 04-09-2014, 11:15 AM

In the past few months my Female 11 y/o Border collie/lab x has had issues getting up the stairs after playing in the basement, the stairs are fairly steep and I figured she was just tired and maybe sore. In that time she stopped going up the stairs even without playing and we would carry her up, I know she could do it because she has even recently.

2 day ago she started walking very stiffly in her back legs and started having issues getting around and her back feet kept slipping out to the side which we thought was due to the hardwood floors and maybe her paws were slippery on it. She still got up and walked for a treat or to greet us after work.

Yesterday she went out to the bathroom and when I checked on her she was practically laying to pee her legs spread out and only on her front paws basically peeing where she was laying got up from that to poop and had some issue but could do that. I took her to the vet yesterday afternoon and by then she could barely walk her back legs seemed like they weren't working and she kept falling. The vet thought it was her hips even though I explained that this was fairly sudden and did x-rays and they came back showing no signs of issues at all. She then decided it was soft tissue and advised her to take anti-inflammatory and rest for a week not letting her walk without aid, secluded room with no hardwood floors etc.

On the way out I said it seemed more like her right leg and the vet thought it was her left then noticed her paw toeing over as she walked and briefly mentioned sciatic nerve but didn't elaborate. After doing some research I would have to agree on sciatic nerve but I don't know what we are supposed to do about it? what the probable outcome is?

I need some more answers as she didn't get up at all since we got home yesterday and was whining a bit at 3am and I carried her outside to go to the bathroom and had a towel to support her backside but she wouldn't go.

Sorry for the paragraphs I just copied and pasted from another site I posted to.

Daradon · 04-09-2014, 11:18 AM

At 11 it could just be age too. Our dog was having more and more problems walking between 11-13. Though the speed at which it progressed obviously makes it seem something that could be fixable.

What advice are you asking for? I imagine talking to the vet would be the best choice, he'd know more than anyone here, plus could do an exam.

Fozzie_DeBear · 04-09-2014, 11:25 AM

We had a similar experience...at first the Vet told us it was nerve cancer (!)...however that turned out to be false. Probably just a physical injury (twisted knee or something)

We got her onto a new weight loss diet with a food that includes glucosamine, she dropped 20% of her weight and is acting 7 years younger (amazing). We also got some Deramaxx to help with the pain.

Good luck

Raekwon · 04-09-2014, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daradon

At 11 it could just be age too. Our dog was having more and more problems walking between 11-13. Though the speed at which it progressed obviously makes it seem something that could be fixable.

What advice are you asking for? I imagine talking to the vet would be the best choice, he'd know more than anyone here, plus could do an exam.

Yeah it happened pretty fast which is probably why the vet thought it was just soft tissue damage but her bringing up sciatic nerve right before I left only made me google all night coming up with very little information. I'm really just looking for similar cases, treatments etc.

ken0042 · 04-09-2014, 11:32 AM

I saw an episode of Dog Whisperer where a dog just needed some massage. Could that help?

Raekwon · 04-09-2014, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear

We had a similar experience...at first the Vet told us it was nerve cancer (!)...however that turned out to be false. Probably just a physical injury (twisted knee or something)

We got her onto a new weight loss diet with a food that includes glucosamine, she dropped 20% of her weight and is acting 7 years younger (amazing). We also got some Deramaxx to help with the pain.

Good luck

That's another thing I'm considering is a tumor or growth hitting a nerve. How bad was your dog and how long did it take before it was walking again? My main concern is that she is suffering but if this is something that will pass and I end up putting her down. This is causing a huge amount of stress for me right now.

DuffMan · 04-09-2014, 11:34 AM

I don't want to alarm you, but this sounds similar to the beginning of the end for a greyhound, we had. Started with stairs and then it was walking in general, didn't want to go for walks anymore. I had to carry it up and down the stairs to go outside the last few weeks.

Raekwon · 04-09-2014, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

I saw an episode of Dog Whisperer where a dog just needed some massage. Could that help?

I brought that up with the vet and she seemed to think she should just stay off it for a week no massage or anything. Its a very long week, going on 18hrs so far, lol.

Its really hard to get her to the bathroom also as she weighs 70-80 lbs which is not overweight apparently, does anyone have advice on that? Doggy diapers? right now I have to carry her to the yard and hold her up with a towel under her back end but she doesn't want to go when I do that, she preferred the back seat of the car yesterday

Raekwon · 04-09-2014, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuffMan

I don't want to alarm you, but this sounds similar to the beginning of the end for a greyhound, we had. Started with stairs and then it was walking in general, didn't want to go for walks anymore. I had to carry it up and down the stairs to go outside the last few weeks.

Yeah, with the exception of going up the stairs (and they are fairly steep) she was playing the same as normal all the way up to not walking which is the weird part. The odd thing is that she was standing on a snow pile in the yard Saturday and her legs were sinking in the snow, its also possible she did something then because it started afterwards.

Flash Walken · 04-09-2014, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raekwon

I brought that up with the vet and she seemed to think she should just stay off it for a week no massage or anything. Its a very long week, going on 18hrs so far, lol.

Its really hard to get her to the bathroom also as she weighs 70-80 lbs which is not overweight apparently, does anyone have advice on that? Doggy diapers? right now I have to carry her to the yard and hold her up with a towel under her back end but she doesn't want to go when I do that, she preferred the back seat of the car yesterday

Put her in the tub?

Hockeyguy15 · 04-09-2014, 11:41 AM

We had a cat with symptoms like that, and it was her kidneys starting to fail. I'm not sure if the symptoms apply to dogs as well.

DuffMan · 04-09-2014, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raekwon

Yeah, with the exception of going up the stairs (and they are fairly steep) she was playing the same as normal all the way up to not walking which is the weird part. The odd thing is that she was standing on a snow pile in the yard Saturday and her legs were sinking in the snow, its also possible she did something then because it started afterwards.

Also, mentally, the dog got really disinterested, detached etc. I think it diagnosed itself.

SeeBass · 04-09-2014, 11:58 AM

I have seen the same issue with my dogs as they got older.

My vet prescribed Derramax it is an amazing g anti inflammatory.

I can safely say that it has extended my dogs lives by 2-3 years of quality living.

My dogs are German Short hair pointers and the male lived to 14 and the female is still very active and she will be 15 in two months

Not cheap but you will notice a difference in two days. From barely moving to jumping back up on the sofa and bed.

Fozzie_DeBear · 04-09-2014, 12:11 PM

Agreed with SeeBass Deramaxx was well worth it.

Also, I have noticed a HUGE difference in the efficacy of Vets...there is one (Judy) at the Banded Peak Vet clinic in Bragg Creek that is outstanding.

We thought we were going to have to put our dog down...but in our case that would have been an (epic) mistake.

Getting a second opinion from a different vet may be effective.

CaptainCrunch · 04-09-2014, 12:12 PM

My neighbors dog had a similar thing happen, it was a rotty though. But from there problems seemed to compound. It went from having trouble walking to vertigo and dizziness where it would just flop over to renal failure.

Your dog is 11 which is a pretty advanced age for any breed, it just might be deterioration.

For all you know your dog had a stroke, or its starting to suffer from renal failure and its slowly poisoning itself.

I'm not saying this to be cruel, but you might have to start looking at quality of life pretty soon.

Raekwon · 04-09-2014, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

My neighbors dog had a similar thing happen, it was a rotty though. But from there problems seemed to compound. It went from having trouble walking to vertigo and dizziness where it would just flop over to renal failure.

Your dog is 11 which is a pretty advanced age for any breed, it just might be deterioration.

For all you know your dog had a stroke, or its starting to suffer from renal failure and its slowly poisoning itself.

I'm not saying this to be cruel, but you might have to start looking at quality of life pretty soon.

This is my exact concern, if she can't be active she wont be happy but if this is something that will get better then I don't want to jump the gun but I also don't want to wait too long and have her suffer. She doesn't seem to be in pain but whines because she can't get around. This is the hardest thing I have had to deal with so far.

I'm also worried that finding the actual problem and fixing it will be cost prohibitive

CaptainCrunch · 04-09-2014, 12:46 PM

If your dog has no sign of soft tissue damage or inflammation, then an anti-inflammatory might make no difference at all.

when your dog pees is there any blood or discoloration at all?

Raekwon · 04-09-2014, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

If your dog has no sign of soft tissue damage or inflammation, then an anti-inflammatory might make no difference at all.

when your dog pees is there any blood or discoloration at all?

I haven't noticed but I'm going to put her in a diaper tonight and I can check. I'm not sure if she hasn't pee'd because she doesn't have to or because she doesn't want to with a towel holding her back end.

Hockeyguy15 · 04-09-2014, 01:01 PM

Please check out the symptoms of kidney failure. Not saying that's what it is, but it does sound like the same issues our cat had.

Raekwon · 04-09-2014, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Please check out the symptoms of kidney failure. Not saying that's what it is, but it does sound like the same issues our cat had.

I did look up the symptoms and it didn't seem to line up but you aren't the first to bring up kidneys so I will look further into it.