Reasons Your Dog May Lose Hind Leg Mobility

There are several reasons why you dog may suddenly show loss of mobility in the hind legs. Dog arthritis, CDRM, Injury, Diabetes and Cushing's disease are the most common. There are a large range of dog mobility aids available in our online shop including lifting harnesses, dog leg supports, dog hip braces and rehabilitation braces.

Chronic Degenerative Radiculomyelopathy

CDRM is a disease that mainly affects older dogs, but is only one possible cause of back leg weakness. In CDRM, the spinal cord begins to deteriorate, and the fibres that carry the signals from the brain to the legs break apart. Dogs with CDDM slowly develop weakness in their back legs and eventually lose control of them. If your older dog begins to exhibit weakness in the hind legs, talk to your veterinarian about the possibility that your dog has CDRM. There is a rehabilitation device called the Biko physio brace, which acts as a walking aid while also slowing down the degeneration of the dogs muscles.

Injury

A second common reason for back leg weakness is injury to the spinal cord or back. Spinal cord injuries, often as a result of trauma, disc rupture or stroke, account for 2 percent of all dog veterinarian visits. If the spinal cord or back is damaged, bruised or inflamed, the back legs may become weak or unstable. If your dog has experienced any kind of trauma and has weakness in his back legs, visit your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Cushing's Disease

Your dog's leg weakness may be related to Cushing's disease, which is caused by the overproduction of cortisol in the adrenal glands. Cushing's disease generally develops in dogs older than 6 years but can develop in younger dogs. If your dog has back leg weakness accompanied by hair loss, a pot-bellied appearance, and increased appetite and thirst, you can suspect Cushing's disease; visit your veterinarian for tests.

Diabetes

Dogs with diabetes may exhibit signs of back leg weakness, although this symptoms is more common in diabetic cats. Diabetes is more common in female dogs than in males and tends to be more prominent in golden retrievers, German shepherds, miniature schnauzers, keeshonden and poodles, although all breeds can be affected. Overweight dogs or dogs eating diets high in sugars and grains are more at risk than dogs of healthy weights on higher-protein diets. If your dog is experiencing weakness in his back legs along with other common symptoms of diabetes, a simple blood test from your vet can determine if diabetes is the cause.

Arthritis

The cause of your dog's back leg weakness may be pain from arthritis. As dogs age, especially large dogs, the hip and knee joints begin to deteriorate and the cushioning in the joints disintegrates. An X-ray can generally confirm the presence of arthritis. Luckily, several great natural supplements are available to help manage canine arthritis, improving the quality of life for a dog with painful, weak joints. Our Winston's pain formula shows really positive results with dog arthritis, acting as a powerful pain relief and anti inflammatory.