Dog hind legs not up to par

• 07-29-2007 1:44 AM

  ScruffyBoy Joined on 07-23-2007 Posts 8 Points 0

  Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact I walked my dog today and in the middle of the walk, my dog's hind legs would collapse under him.  I thought he was tired so I just let him stand there for a little while, before I started walking him again.  He started doing this 10 minutes into the walk, then a couple more times along the way.  He wasn't yelping or showing any signs of ain that I could see when the hind legs collapsed under him.   The total walk lasted about 25 minutes, and it wasn't a brisk walk or a power walk or anything like that.  It was just a normal slow paced walk. Why do you think this happened to him, is it the arthritis that he has or is it that his muscles in his hind legs were getting tired?  And what diet, exercise should I give him to improve his condition?  He's an 11 yeard old German Shepherd that hardly gets exercise.  I started excercising him today when I saw him do this.

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• 07-29-2007 1:50 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  astaracheetah Joined on 09-10-2007 Colorado, USA Posts 786 Points 20	RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact Was it hot outside? Maybe he got overheated? Other than that, I can't think of anything. You might call the vet and describe this to them, to make sure it's not something serious. Introducing Ravinel Fox Magick, CGC This is only the beginning!
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• 07-29-2007 1:51 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  ScruffyBoy Joined on 07-23-2007 Posts 8 Points 0	RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact No it wasn't hot outside, it was a nice cool temperature actually and it was at night.
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• 07-29-2007 3:16 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  janet_rose Joined on 09-10-2007 DFW area, Texas Posts 3,618 Points 330

  RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact ScruffyBoy: Why do you think this happened to him, is it the arthritis that he has or is it that his muscles in his hind legs were getting tired? This is a question for your vet and I suggest you schedule an appointment before you do much exercise.  There could be neurological issues here.   What are you feeding?  Grains can aggrevate arthritis.    Both of these amino acids are helpful for muscle atrophy problems: L-Carnitine:            http://b-naturals.com/product_info.php?products_id=28 L-Glutamine:            http://b-naturals.com/product_info.php?products_id=145  Particularly good arthritis/pain sites are: http://www.dogaware.com/arthritis.html http://www.dogaware.com/misc.html#opcare (surgery)  Here are a couple of posts about the natural treatment of pain, arthritis and skeletal repair: http://forum.dog.com/discus/messages/46/111961.html#POST378364  http://forum.dog.com/discus/messages/46/107801.html#POST369263  NOTE: The BowChow sites are now the DogAware sites above.

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• 07-29-2007 4:22 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  Boxer bros Joined on 05-26-2007 Posts 17 Points 0	RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact An eleven year old German Shepard? I'd take 'em to a good vet and get his hips X - rayed. Good luck and God bless, I love German Shepards.
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• 07-29-2007 7:17 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  mrv Joined on 09-10-2007 west central OH Posts 2,663 Points 745

  RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact You need to get the spine checked as well.  Watch him as he walks, do his rear feet ever drag so that the tops of the foot are in contact with the ground?  This is usually related (the foot dragging) with spinal/nervous system errors.  Your dog was walking on "heart" just to please you.   There are a number of conditions that could be at work.  Only a skilled vet will be able to offer you good guidance for diagnosis and treatment, may even need a specialist.

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• 07-29-2007 7:54 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  Jen D Joined on 07-22-2007 Posts 165 Points 0	RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact I would take him to the vet! Is this the first time he has done this and is he overweight? After a vet check get a life jacket for him and take him swimming, great exercise and less pressure on the legs. I hope all goes well with him and good luck
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• 07-29-2007 9:02 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  Truley Joined on 08-27-2006 Louisville, Ky Posts 1,519 Points 110

  RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact I am sorry about what happened, and I would agree with everyone else's previous suggestions.   I am going to guess that when your dog goes outside for short breaks around the yard, that it appears that he has a "bunny hop" in the hind quarters? If so, this is a big indication of arthritis in the hind legs, hips and possibly the spine.   A trip to the vet is called for, they can tell you the best way to manage this so that the stress on your dog is minimized. Good luck.

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• 07-29-2007 9:26 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  glenmar Joined on 09-10-2007 Northwestern Michigan Posts 11,406 Points 405

  RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact I agree with the others.  This dog needs a full exam by the vet.   Even if this dog is 100% healthy and in tip top condidtion, a 25 minute walk is a pretty big first step on the exercise trail.  That's asking an awful lot of a couch potato to suddenly "run a marathon"  Maybe 8-10 minutes is a more realistic start? A house without fur is not a home. Glenda

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• 07-29-2007 9:44 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  snownose Joined on 09-29-2006 Michigan to Southeast Posts 5,178 Points 405	RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact My oldest German Shepherd suffers from this........Luke is almost 14 and his time is winding down.....the vet put him on Prednisone, and that improved his condition some what.....but, he is nothing like he was years ago and I don't force him to exercise, just what he can handle.
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• 07-29-2007 10:29 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  hdkutz Joined on 09-10-2007 Pocono`s Posts 242 Points 0	RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact Probably not a hip issue. Time to see a vet ASAP.   [linkhttp://www.royalair.org/Spinal%20Myelopathy.htm]http://www.royalair.org/Spinal%20Myelopathy.htm[/link] "Take this trouble for me: Make sure my Shepherd Dog remains a working dog, for I have struggled all my life long for that aim." -Rittmeister Captain Max Von Stephanitz 1866-1936
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• 07-29-2007 10:51 AM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  sierra2002 Joined on 09-10-2007 Western Canada Posts 586 Points 0

  RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact My friends had a Siberian Husky that started doing that when he was about 11. He only went downhill from there.. he lived till 13. They had him on meds for the last 2 years of his life, and he did alright. It was quite sad to watch - he'd be walking and suddenly his hind end would just fall into a sit. It happened more frequently as time went on, but the vets couldn't do anything about it. They just did their best to make him comfortable. I'm not saying this is for sure the case with your dog, but just sharing what I know from experience. Take him to the vet - I hope everything goes well.

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• 07-29-2007 12:16 PM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  Cita Joined on 12-13-2006 CT Posts 4,414 Points 735

  RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact My oldest German Shepherd suffers from this........Luke is almost 14 and his time is winding down.....the vet put him on Prednisone, and that improved his condition some what.....but, he is nothing like he was years ago and I don't force him to exercise, just what he can handle. My BF's boxer behaves like this - the vet says it's a degenerative nervous condition called neuropathy. Basically the nerves that run from the front to the far rear end are no longer reaching all the way to make contact with hind leg muscles. The dog is not in pain, it just looks terrible.

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• 07-29-2007 1:11 PM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  ScruffyBoy Joined on 07-23-2007 Posts 8 Points 0	RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact ORIGINAL: mrv Watch him as he walks, do his rear feet ever drag so that the tops of the foot are in contact with the ground?  Yes I did hear his nails scrape the ground when he was walking.  I'm going to send him to a vet as soon as I can to get him checked out.  Thanks guys for all the replies.
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• 07-29-2007 1:53 PM

  In reply to ScruffyBoy

  cairnterriers Joined on 09-23-2006 Illinois Posts 921 Points 65

  RE: Dog hind legs not up to par Reply Contact Poor little guy.  Big guy, actually.  I don't think it had anything to do with his muscles being tired or anything.  It might have been his arthiritis (sp?).  I would know 'cause even though I'm only 13, arthiritis runs through my family and I often have problems like that.  It sucks.  Anyways, try taking your dog to a vet.  Good luck! [] Erin Check out Riley's myspace! www.myspace.com/smalldogsarebig

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