In the face of certain he alth problems we can observe alterations in our dog's gait, but when it occurs in the forelimbs we are likely to wonder why my dog does not have strength in the hind legs Is this also your case? In this article on our site we will detail the most common causes that cause it.
Although it is sometimes a weakness associated with age, there are other causes that affect both older and younger animals, so we should never let this situation progress without consulting the veterinarian. We will also talk about the measures we can take to improve the muscle tone of the legs.
Weakness in the dog's hind legs
In this article we will talk about problems in the hind legs of dogs that cause weakness in these extremities. Thus, affected animals will have difficulty standing and will fall or give up on their hind legs. It is also possible that the animal manages to walk but in a strange way, tripping both legs between them and falling.
The weakness of the dog's hind legs has various causes and determining its origin will depend on the treatment. For this reason, if our dog's hind legs fail we should always go to the vet because, although we think it may be caused by advanced age and there is no remedy, the truth is that it could be due to some treatable disorder or, at least, we would be able to improve the dog's quality of lifeBelow we will explain the causes of why a dog does not have strength in its hind legs.
Sudden paralysis of the dog's hind legs
Why a dog does not have strength in its hind legs may be due to an acute problem, that is, one that appears suddenly, leaving the animal immobilized or with very weak legs. They are not very common pathologies. Among them, the following stand out:
- Paralysis due to ticks: some of the ticks that the dog can suffer from contain a toxin in their saliva that affects the motor nerves, weakens or paralyzes them. It begins by affecting the hind legs but the paralysis rises to the point of causing respiratory arrest.
- Botulism: This is a paralyzing disease caused by neurotoxins produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Dogs can get it by eating carrion or poorly canned food. The prognosis depends on the degree of involvement.
- Myasthenia gravis: is a disease that affects muscle mobility at the level of the nervous system. The weakness it causes is generalized, but is best visualized in the hind legs. The dog wobbles when walking and has trouble getting up. There is an autoimmune form of the disease that can occur along with hypothyroidism.
- Hypokalemia or low serum potassium levels: occurs when there is a loss of potassium such as that caused by severe vomiting or after administration prolonged use of diuretics. Cushing's syndrome is another possible cause.
- Spinal cord injuries: they usually occur after accidents or falls and serious injuries. Infections and tumors can also damage the marrow. There is pain, weakness, paralysis, stumbling when walking, or urinary or fecal incontinence. The prognosis will depend on the extent of the injury and surgery may be necessary.
Dog with hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia usually manifests itself with limping but we include it in the causes that explain why a dog does not have strength in the legs hind legs because some specimens will present difficulties in these limbs such as rocking, jumping like a rabbit when running or problems getting up on them.
This entire picture can be interpreted as a lack of strength. It is due to instability in the joint of the femur with the hip. There are different degrees of involvement that are determined by radiography. From there the veterinarian will establish the most appropriate treatment. surgery may be necessary, for which there are different techniques.
My dog does not move his hind legs and trembles
A dog with tremor in the hind legs may be experiencing pain, as we will explain in more detail in the next section. But there are other causes that can make the animal present paralysis, weakness, tremors and we will even see that our dog has spasms in his hind legs.
The following pathologies would also explain why a dog lacks strength in the hind legs:
- A cerebral inflammation or encephalitis in which, due to various causes, there is damage to the brain.
- The intoxications with different substances, it can also cause vomiting, hypersalivation, anxiety, etc.
- In older dogs we can find a picture like this in the cognitive dysfunction syndrome.
- Traumatisms and metabolic diseases, congenital or those that affect the nervous system can generate these symptoms.
My dog's hind legs hurt
The appearance of pain in the hind legs is usually due to degenerative problems associated with age. In these cases, why the dog does not have strength in the hind legs is related to processes such as arthrosis in dogs or canine arthritis
Other times the animal will have weakness in the hind legs, a wobbly gait, lameness and pain, which may seem to us to originate in the legs but may actually be due to a hernia disc in the loin There are two types of hernias depending on the damage that has occurred in the intervertebral disc. They can appear without any apparent cause, although other times they occur after movements as common as jumping from the sofa to the floor. The symptoms of hernias can appear suddenly or, more commonly, progressively.
What to do when a dog's back legs fail?
Regardless of age, we need to find out why our dog lacks strength in his hind legs. To do this, a visit to the vet In addition to attending to the animal's medical history, you can examine it and carry out tests such as X-rays, blood tests or MRIs. As there are so many possible causes behind this clinical picture, it is important to reach a good diagnosis because the treatment and prognosis will depend on it.
Strengthen the dog's hind legs
Once we have seen the causes of why a dog does not have strength in its hind legs, in addition to following the treatment prescribed by the veterinarian, in some cases it may be necessary to help the dog regain strength in its paws. Always following the doctor's recommendations, the following measures are indicated:
- Massages
- Electroacupuncture
- Walks
- Swimming
- Harness to raise hind legs
- Complete and adequate nutrition
