Why Are my Dog’s Legs Giving Out?
Hello, I have a Yellow Lab that is 13 years old.
In the past year his back legs have been acting
goofy. They will just give out on him once in a
while. He doesn’t go up stairs anymore either but
he can go down them. I understand that he is a
rather old dog but is there any way to boost his
legs back to normal? He has the heart of a puppy
and we would like him around for as long as
possible.
Dani
MN
Weak rear legs are common in older large dogs such as Labrador Retrievers. Dogs with weak rear legs may have trouble standing up. Their hind legs may suddenly give out, causing the hindquarters to collapse. Because the rear legs do most of the work when climbing stairs (the front legs exert more effort when descending), dogs with weak rear legs may have difficulty going up stairs but no problems going down.
In my experience, two factors play a role in causing the symptoms you describe.
First, all individuals become weaker and less agile as they grow older. Joints become less flexible. Muscle strength deteriorates. Neurological control of the limbs becomes less precise. Most people who make it to 80 are familiar with these issues.
Second, arthritis is extremely common in older pets. I discussed treatment of arthritis relatively extensively in a previous post.
You may be able to help your dog by managing his weight (if he is overweight), performing physical therapy (such as gentle range of motion exercises), and feeding dietary supplements including glucosamine and omega-3s.
Regularly walking your dog will help to build strength, maintain flexibility, and keep his weight down. And it’s fun! I recommend that he get as much mild or moderate exercise as possible. Avoid any activities that seem to make him sore the next day.
Finally, talk to your vet about trying a prescription arthritis medication. One of these medicines may make your dog feel dramatically better.
You have questions. 
Agreed. As in humans, regular exercise should help your dog with his walking capabilities.
It may or may not be athritis but spenidng walking time with your dog is often a good thing. I used to have a client whose dog also shows the same symptoms. While it was not cured with exercise, the improvement in physical strenght was noticeable.
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ihave small spitz dog 12 years old he enlarge hearth, thyroid trouble and arthrists, his hind legs gave out him and crossed over each other, they dangle when you held him up
the dr. thought he had a stroke. is ther any danger of blood clots. do you think he could walk again thanks
he was on a lot of medication
[...] the hindquarters to …. 2 days 17 hours ago Elizabeth on what can I do for my pet??s pain? …http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/why-are-my-dogs-legs-giving-out/Cat Scratch Disease… inoculation lesion is on the leg, then the nodes in the groin will be [...]
Hi my name is Justin, and I have a 13 year old begal. when i wen to feed him today, He would not eat and he could not stand up. It is like he has no feeling in his hind legs and if you stand him up, his hind legs just collaspe. We took him to the vet, and they told us we had to put him to sleep, so we did. can you tell me if we could have saved him, and why you think his back legs gave out sofast?
Thank you
how can you execise a dog with weak legs, i have an 18 year old toy fox terrier who is 10 lbs, i had her to the vet today her hind legs are giving out even worse since we had gotten ice and snow and she was slipping all over the place she hurt her self i think because now her leg hind leg looks paralized, i took her to the vet she put her on a anti inflamatory because she can’t take steriods because of a hihg enzyme level in her liver, i guess ths may be the beginning of the end for her, she is losing muscle mass i guess and it just makes me so sad that she is finally getting this old that i may have to put her down before she hurts hrerself…
Thank you for this post – I have a 13 year old Dalmation who has similar symptoms. i have to use a towel as a sling to help him stand sometimes. He started a new medication called Duralactin. I’m wondering has anyone tried this medication for their dog and how has it worked? Thank you in advance for your reply.
I have a dog 15, she is having bad problems with her hind legs too, it breaks my heart, she doesn’t seem to be in any pain though. I guess I will have to take her to the vet. I sure hope they can give her something. She has given me so many years of happiness, I am not ready for her to go.
I took my elderly Beagle for water therapy for his weak hind legs, he walked on a treadmill in water up to his knees twice a weak at a rehab veterinary office and it helped strengthen his back legs enormously.
Hello there, i have a basset hound/beagle and she is a wonderful, active and full of joy. She is an inside dog and always needs to be taken out to potty and well, one day she went off thru the neighborhood and didn’t come back for awhile and when she came back she wasn’t able to make it up the stairs. A few days later she wasn’t able to walk on her rear legs. For the first few days she seemed to be in a little of pain, but wasn’t crying. We’ve been giving her rimadyl, which was given to us for our other dog. She’s been fine, but i need answers. We cannot go to the vet because we do not have any money. Please help us and our little angel
Hi folks, just a note here to let ya’ll know that real leg weakness is also a sign of Cushing’s, diabetes, hypothyroidism and other conditions that are easily treated with a little education and TLC. Don’t let your vets pass it off as just old age or arthritis. You are your baby’s only voice, so speak up for them as you would for yourself.
Geo, I know that Bassets and Beagles both are prone to back problems as well as neck and hip. If Rimadyl is all you have, then use it, but there are much better pain meds available. Panting is a sign of pain in dogs as is lethargy or lack of energy and interest. Loss of appetite isn’t unusual either. If you can crate her to limit her movement for a few days, that might help. Of course, the best thing is to find out what happened if possible while she was out, see your vet, and follow their directions.