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Ask the Veterinarian/Hind puppy legs just go weak

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Expert: - 4/7/2011


Question
Hi there.

I have a puppy who is 8 weeks old now.
she has been taken from her mother at three weeks (due to the mother being malnourished). we bottle fed the puppy with formula for puppies. two weeks ago she had all her shots and is very healthy in general.

overnight, the puppy suddenly can't use her back legs, and when we help her to stand up, her back legs just collapses.

she does not seem to be in any type of pain, and she knows where her legs are.

She is a mix breed. Saint Bernard / Boerboel mix (The Boerboel is a large, mastiff dog breed from South Africa)

I have taken her to the vet and all test bar for X-Rays was done. the vet informed he did not find anything in the blood tests exept for a high white bloodcell count, no worms, parisites or any form of foreighn infection.

the spine seems fine and she is still playfull, eats weel and drinks well.

Answer
I am not a vet Juan and this case needs a vet- another opinion I guess, the sooner the better. She could have a saddle thrombosis which is basically a blood clot where the aorta branches into the legs. Cats get them but can animal can. The clot causes a paralysis much like what you are describing.

I would get her into another vets because the longer you wait, the worse the outcome will be.
I hope that you get her some help quickly.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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