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Lee L asked in PetsDogs · 1 decade ago

Help! My dog's hind legs suddenly don't work, and he's looking really bad, what do I do?

My dog is a pekingnese/toy poodle mix and he's about 9 years old. He's overweight and slowly he's been losing the weight. However, recently he's been having trouble with his right hind leg. He'd act like its injured, but by the next couple days it would be fine. Then a week-month later it happens again.

Today. His hind legs completely don't work. He's dragging them around or he acts like he's drunk. His muscles on the side (sorta where the kidneys would be?) feel very hard. His whole bodies muscles can suddenly feel really hard and he'll be really uncomfortable and have a hard time breathing.

Right now he's sleeping and snoring loudly. He seems okay now. But it does not seem okay. I'm taking him to the vet the earliest possible time this morning.

What is going on?

Update:

So went to the vet hat morning. Everything wasn't that bad THANK GOD! It's because he's overweight and a small dog. He strained some muscles and that caused him to put added stress on his spine. We went home with a huge amount of drugs. Muscle relaxants, diet pills and some antibiotics just in case.

He should be back to his old self in a couple days.

Update 2:

Going back this Monday for a check-up. Thank you all for your support!

16 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    This sounds like a serious problem. There is normally a vet available 24 hours. You need to take him in immediately.

  • 5 years ago

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  • Anonymous
    6 years ago

    This Site Might Help You.

    RE:

    Help! My dog's hind legs suddenly don't work, and he's looking really bad, what do I do?

    My dog is a pekingnese/toy poodle mix and he's about 9 years old. He's overweight and slowly he's been losing the weight. However, recently he's been having trouble with his right hind leg. He'd act like its injured, but by the next couple days it would be fine. Then a week-month later it happens...

    Source(s): dog hind legs suddenly don work bad do: https://tr.im/c2Lc5
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    l hate to be the bearer of bad news but one of the first signs of a seriously ill dog is its back legs collapse.It is more common in dogs that have heart or kidney problems but it does not sound like ordinary arthritis but then l am only a vet nurse.At 9 your dog is not young anymore and his body is trying to tell you somethings so listen to it and go quick smart to the best vet you know and then you will find out what is exactly wrong.You will get all sort of suggestions on this site but ultimately the specialist vet is the ONLY person who can now help this dog.If it was me l would have gone to emergency or to the vet straight away.The reason you have not done this l suspect is that it might be bad news and you are scared not negligent as some people might say so bite the bullet,get to the vet and you never know it might be something quite simple like a tick as when dogs get ticks the first thing that goes are the back legs and laboured breathing.Good luck

    Source(s): Breeder and vet nurse
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  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    Dog Back Legs Collapsing

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    You can't cure your dog by yourself sorry. This sort of thing happened to my 13 year old cat . She had kidney disease and she didn't eat and was weak and sleeping a lot. She stood in my bathroom for like two days and did not move. I guess she felt she could be alone there. She was dying and couldn't even get up to pee in her litter box which was 2 feet away and ended up peeing on herself while laying down. I lifted up her back legs because I knew that no matter what if you touched her back legs she would move them. I moved them and even squeezed them and nothing. I realized that she was slowly becoming paralized from the bottom up so I quickly got my mom an told her and we agreed that to put her out of all her pain and suffering we had to put her to sleep. It was a hard thing to do and I cried for loosing the cat that was older that me around since I was born. Get you dog checked ASAP b/c you can prevent lots of pain and trouble for both of you. Also since you dog is old, it can be something with her age. Please get her check. I'm not a vet so it can be something worse the same or less serious so get a pro to evaluate... Good luck and wish you well...

  • 1 decade ago

    Possible stroke or a slipped spinal disc. It is likely your regular vet won't be able to do much and will refer you to a veterinary neurology specialist. They'll be able to give you a better diagnosis and treatment options. Do know that this can get really, really expensive really fast, like $2,000 to diagnose and treat a slipped disc.

    Much as I hate to say it, you might want to think about how much you're actually willing to spend and have to spend before you get to the vet's office and be prepared to make some hard decisions if you don't have that kind of money. I have seen some amazing results of surgery for dogs with slipped discs, but I've also seen the risks of surgery, especially for an older dog, so do think carefully.

    Best of luck to you and your poor puppy.

    Source(s): Vet tech in a neurology practice for nearly a year.
  • 1 decade ago

    You need to get the dog to vet now, there is as you know some thing seriously wrong. If the dog is now dragging it's legs it may ne neurological. With the dog being the age it is I would be concerned that it's organs and muscles are shutting down. I am not trying to scare you but I have seen this happen be for. So you really need to find a animal ER now. I am so sorry that your dog is sick, it kills us when our pet's get sick mine are like my kids. Good luck and I hope every thing works out for you please keep us posted.

  • 1 decade ago

    Maybe he is having strokes but most likely it is kidney related. I strongly recommend you take him to the vet as this can be fatal.

    I had a peke-a-poo, same as your dog, she lived to 15 1/2 yrs. She had the same symptoms you are describing. I took her to the vet at the onset, she had had a stroke and was in kidney failure. It happened unbelievably fast.

    thanks so much for the update, very glad everything turned out ok!!!

    Best of luck to both of you

    hope this helped

    Source(s): been there
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I had that trouble with one for my dogs before... but mine was a little older..

    Im not sure what i could advise you but i really hope your dog gets better.

    Try searching www.google.com for dog conditions there could be a lot of information on there about it.

    The quicker you take her to the vets the better .

    Good luck x

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