Introduction
Three-year-old dog, the afternoon walk all normal, back to pull the tail to help it wipe the butt is also normal, the result of eating a meal of work found it lying down and do not like to move, but barely able to walk but pinch the tail, but also able to jump on the sofa.
In the middle of the night, he sneaked to the door and slept on his back. The next morning, he found that his hind legs were no longer able to support him, and he was dragging them, but after a while, he was able to move freely again, and he would also wag his tail.
He rushed downstairs to pee, but when he walked, his tail tilted to the west and east, he walked unsteadily and drifted from side to side, and his hind legs were able to support him and dragged him for a while, and then he didn't pee, and then he couldn't walk anymore.
What causes sudden hind leg weakness in dogs mentioned above?
A dog's weakness in standing on its hind legs may be due to trauma or fractures, calcium deficiency, arthritis, neurological disorders, paralysis and many other reasons. Owners should consider a variety of possible causes and take their dogs to the pet hospital for examination and treatment in a timely manner. At the same time, attention should be paid to provide adequate nutrition and appropriate exercise for the dog in order to prevent the occurrence of related diseases.
What Causes Sudden Hind Leg Weakness in Dogs?
Sometimes the pooper scooper will find the dog limb weakness, but many times the pooper scooper do not know what is going on, in fact, limb weakness is also non-specific, if only walking difficulties, then the situation is not serious, if it has been unable to stand up, then you have to pay attention to it. Today for you to inventory the reasons for the dog limb weakness, tell you what to do when the dog can not stand up.
Can lead to the dog limb weakness is still more reasons, there are more mild and more serious, mild cases is that there will be limb weakness, walking difficulties. The more serious time will appear convulsions, can not stand up, this time is likely to be caused by disease, shoveling officer should pay attention to timely take the dog to check, treatment.
Summarize, the dog limb weakness, can not stand up the reason, there are probably a few points:
1. Calcium deficiency
If the dog is chronically deficient in calcium, then it will directly affect the development of the bones. Incomplete or imperfect development of the bones will lead to weakness of the limbs, because there is no healthy bone for support, it will be difficult to stand up, or even unable to stand up.
Common manifestations include: lying on the hoof when standing, weak hind legs, unsteady walking, and frequent leg shaking. If the dog has these manifestations, then it is likely to be caused by calcium deficiency. So in the breeding process, no matter what stage, we should pay attention to appropriate calcium supplementation for dogs, especially in the puppy development stage, you can choose to feed calcium tablets mixed with dog food, which is the most direct method of calcium supplementation.
2. Too fat
When the dog eats too much, grows too fat, after a sharp increase in weight, there will also be a phenomenon of weakness in the limbs. Especially in life often see some of the golden hair, Labrador, these dogs gluttony, if feed them hard to eat, to the end of the weight will be seriously overweight, there will be two steps on the asthma, leg shivering, often want to lie down, simply do not want to stand up.
Of course, the dog is too fat, in addition to feeding too much, it may also be too little exercise, so in the daily feeding process, each feeding should pay attention to the amount of control of the frequency and each feeding 7-8 minutes full can be, and the amount of daily exercise should be maintained.
3.Ataxia
Many pooper scoopers have never heard of the word ataxia, in fact, this is a kind of disease, also may appear in the dog. When the dog appears ataxia disease, the most obvious is to affect the dog's ability to exercise, it is easy to appear: limb weakness, can not stand, walking difficulties, footsteps abnormal, shaking around, twitching and so on.
So, when the dog if there is a serious walking abnormalities, and accompanied by head shaking, eyes fluttering, then it is likely to have ataxia, this time you need to go to the veterinary hospital in time for treatment.
4. Neuritis
This neurological disease can also lead to muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, walking uncoordinated, loss of balance, convulsions and other symptoms, generally because of the nervous system damage. If your dog suddenly develops symptoms such as limb weakness, twitching, unsteady walking, screaming, etc., then it may also have neuritis.
The causes of neuritis are more, specific cases need to be analyzed, but the general neuritis is still very good treatment, when the dog appeared similar to the symptoms of standing up, if the neuritis is caused by the dog, it can be quickly cured, go to the pet hospital in time to treat on the line.
5. Myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disease, because of the lack of sufficient receptors, which will lead to the nerve and muscle between the inability to conduct signals, resulting in muscle weakness in different parts of the body. When it occurs in the limbs, there will be weakness in the limbs, inability to stand up, or even a sudden fall, sudden paralysis. Dogs suffering from myasthenia gravis will have gradual weakness in the limbs, and their stride will be shortened gradually, and they will be reluctant to sit down or lie down and continue to get up, but they will improve slightly after resting. The symptoms are usually more severe in the hind limbs than in the front limbs. Some dogs just have difficulty walking and tire easily, but in severe cases, the dog may suddenly become paralyzed.
Some dog breeds that are prone to myasthenia gravis: Akita, Dachshund, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Labrador, Newfoundland, Scottish Terrier. Easy to get hereditary myasthenia gravis dog breeds: springer spaniel, jack russell hound and smooth foxhound.
6. Herniated Bone Spurs
Bone spurs disc problem is the most common cause of weakness in the dog's hind legs, mainly and the dog's spine is subjected to undue pressure, including the owner of the incorrect holding method: the owner of the dog with both hands to hold up the front limbs, but did not use his hands to support the weight of the whole body, so that the dog's spine to withstand too much pressure, long time ago easy to cause spinal injuries in the dog.
It is also possible that the dog often goes up and down the stairs, jumping up and down. In the early stages, there may be pain, inability to walk and other symptoms, and in severe cases, the lower limbs will be paralyzed and lead to incontinence. If there is a similar situation, it is important to send the dog to the doctor as soon as possible to avoid deterioration of the situation. Dachshunds and corgis with short legs are the breeds most likely to suffer from this disease.
7. Joint problems
For example, aging joints, hip problems, and arthritis caused by streptococcus and other joint problems can lead to the dog's limb weakness and inability to stand up. If it is arthritis, then it can not be improved by calcium supplement or other nutrition.
After reading the above introduction, it must be generally understood what is going on in the dogs back legs weak. What exactly is the cause needs to be specifically analyzed, if the dog suddenly becomes weak, can not stand up, or even suddenly fall down (caused by weakness of the limbs), then it is likely to be a disease problem. At this time, timely treatment is needed. In order to avoid the lack of calcium and obesity leading to the dog's limb weakness, usually pay attention to the appropriate amount of calcium supplementation, scientific feeding can be.
Dog Muscle Atrophy Hind Legs Treatment
How do dogs recover from muscle atrophy?
First, insist on giving the dog massage and hot compresses every day, which will have a certain recovery effect on the atrophied muscles, but pay attention to the strength of the massage.
Secondly, help the dog to do stretching exercise so that the muscles can be exercised.
Third, buy some health products that are helpful for muscle recovery, such as vitamin B1, calcium tablets, chondroitin and so on.
It is difficult and time consuming to fully recover from muscle atrophy in dogs, so you need to treat your pet for long term recovery.
1. Drug therapy
Use antioxidant drugs for dogs, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, glutathione, etc., which can scavenge free radicals, reduce oxidative damage and promote cellular repair.
Vitamin B drugs, such as thiamine and vitamin B6, can also be used to help improve nerve function and are helpful in muscle atrophy.
The use of muscle relaxants also plays a role, such as chlorhexidine injection, magnesium sulfate injection, etc., which can relieve muscle spasm and pain.
Hormonal drugs such as dexamethasone can be used to reduce inflammation and autoimmune reactions in dogs.
2. Physical therapy
Daily massage of the back leg muscles can promote blood circulation, relieve muscle tension and slow down the rate of atrophy.
Hot compresses help to relax the muscles and cold compresses can reduce inflammation.
Under the guidance of professionals, such as swimming and short-distance walking can help strengthen the muscles.
3. Exercise and rehabilitation training
According to the health condition of the dog, arrange moderate exercise, such as walking, going up and down steps, etc.
Avoid strenuous exercise.
For dogs with paralyzed hind legs or mobility problems, wheelchairs can be used to help them move around.
4. Nutritional supplements
Provide food rich in protein, vitamins and minerals to help muscle repair and growth.
Especially for older dogs or dogs with muscle atrophy due to calcium deficiency.
Use joint protectors such as Noora Joint Supplement to help with joint health.
5. Other measures
Provide a soft and warm resting environment for your dog and avoid lying on cold or hard surfaces for a long time.
Take your dog to the vet for regular checkups to detect and treat potential problems.
Precautions
All treatments should be carried out under the guidance of your veterinarian, avoid self-medication or excessive exercise.
Elderly or paralyzed dogs may have a slower recovery and require patience and careful care from their owners.
