As dogs age they lose strength their back legs making it difficult for them to push themselves off the ground after laying down. If a dog has arthritis as well it may be painful to bear full their full weight and stand up. They most rise more slowly or be completely unable to stand without assistance.
Older dogs may begin to slow down and may struggle to stand or even walk. These changes in mobility can occur gradually and may not be noticeable at first. But, just like in humans, your dog's body takes a lot of wear and tear. And overtime this can lead to aches and pains that make it harder to move.
If your dog suddenly loses the ability to stand or walk without showing any previous signs of trouble, an injury is the most likely culprit. Damage to the spinal cord or limbs can cause sudden loss of mobility and may require veterinary treatment. If your dog suddenly stops moving, examine them for signs of an injury.
Although old age is the most common reason why a dog struggles to stand up on all four feet, there can be other more serious reasons, including a neurological condition that can impact a dog's mobility and leg strength.
Depending on the cause of your pup's condition, your vet may also recommend certain supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin, or prescription medication to help alleviate his symptoms. Seeing your older dog's hind legs collapse can be heart-wrenching, but there's no reason to panic.
One of the most common reasons why older dogs become weak on their back legs is pain. Arthritis is extremely common in older dogs, especially large-breed ones, but it can be difficult to spot in the early stages.
Sadly, most dogs with degenerative myelopathy eventually lose control of their legs, bladder and bowels completely, and need to be put to sleep. The average life expectancy of a dog with degenerative myelopathy is 1-2 years from diagnosis.
However, if your dog is having a hard time walking without your help or is struggling to get around, they must go to see their veterinarian. Only a pet professional can diagnose your dog and ensure you know how to care for your best friend.
Vestibular disease is the main reason why an older dog may experience a sudden loss of balance and an inability to stand or walk normally. How can you tell if a dog has a vestibular disease? A few of the signs include dizziness, stumbling or wobbly steps, and falling over.
Sudden paralysis in dogs can often be attributed to IVDD. Most dogs are diagnosed with sudden mobility loss from IVDD following a period of exercise. It's quite common for a dog's hind legs to collapse and even become paralyzed after a disc herniation from IVDD.
Pain and Mobility
Signs of pain in dogs tend to be very subtle. It usually starts as reluctance to do what they have done easily in the past, like jumping up on furniture or in the car, that then progresses to inability to do these things at all. Walks become shorter, or their gait changes during the walks.
Diseases like muscle and joint pain, neurologic conditions and even metabolic conditions that can cause weakness can lead to problems with their back legs. One common cause that we see can be a progression of joint, muscle and bone disorders. Statistically, most senior dogs develop some amount of arthritis as they age.
A dog's hip joints become loose creating hind leg weakness.. If this is the case, then it's likely that your dog has hip dysplasia. One sign of this is your dog losing its balance while standing or walking. Hip dysplasia can sometimes lead to osteoarthritis.
Potential causes include inner/middle ear infections, intoxication, strokes, tumors, infectious or inflammatory diseases (meningitis), idiopathic vestibular disease (also called “old dog” vestibular syndrome), or other less likely causes.
Signs To Look For
Some common signs that it may be time to put your pup down include the inability or refusal to eat or drink, labored breathing, an inability to get up for potty times without help, urinary or fecal incontinence, and immobility. Essentially, this can come down to your dog's quality of life.
If you begin to notice your dog exhibiting some unusual behavior such as falling over it could be due to various conditions including injury, stroke, poisoning, or an infection. Here, our Doraville vets discuss falling and stumbling in dogs and why you should seek veterinary attention immediately.
Still, in other cases, ataxia and other clinical signs may worsen over time, becoming severe enough that euthanasia is considered. Many ataxic dogs can still have a good quality of life with appropriate home modification. Make sure to block off sharp corners and fall risks, such as stairs.
Swimming is one of the most effective ways to build muscle strength in any animal's hind limbs without putting too much stress on them in the process. If you have access to a pool or lake with easy access for dogs, you can simply let them go head around and splash in the water and enjoy themselves!
Spinal compression, herniated discs, and nerve problems can all disrupt the communication between a dog's spine and brain. When the nerves are unable to function normally, dogs will lose the ability to walk, stand, and control their legs.
Sudden lameness in dogs is often attributed to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). IVDD occurs when an intervertebral disc's gel-like center becomes dry and brittle enough to rupture through the outer fibrous ring, compressing your dog's spinal cord.
Degenerative myelopathy (DM), also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy (CDRM), is a disease affecting the spinal cord, resulting in slowly progressive hind limb weakness and paralysis. The symptoms result from degeneration of the white matter of the spinal cord.
Signs of hind leg weakness in older dogs include:
Trouble getting up from a sitting or lying position. Avoidance of stairs. No longer enjoying long walks or exercise.
What are the typical signs of pain in dogs? General behaviour: Shaking, flattened ears, low posture, aggression, grumpy temperament, panting or crying, excessive licking or scratching a specific area, reluctant to play, interact or exercise, lameness (limping), stiffness after rest, loss of appetite.
On average, dogs live for 10-13 years which is roughly equivalent to 60-74 human years, although there is no hard and fast way of working this out. When thinking about 'how long do dogs live? ', it's important to note that elements like lifestyle, food and breed can affect a dog's life span.
When there are too many bad days in a row, or if the dog seems to be turned off to life, quality of life is compromised. Bad days may mean nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, frustration, unrelenting pain/discomfort, or inability to breathe.