You are here:

Ask the Veterinarian/Golden retriever has real wobbly real legs, can't hardly walk

Advertisement

Expert: - 9/3/2011


Question
I ran my girl for a 1/2 mile and kept coaching her to run even though she was showing signs of resistance. At the end of it she could hardly walk and her rear legs were both real "wobbly". They still are and this was this afternoon. Right now she is calmly laying down but doesn't want to get up and move around. I had some leftover pain med from when she had a large fatty tumor removed and have given her that. This has never happened before. What could cause that wobbling in the rear legs and her reluctance to walk? Thank yoou. I did a range of motion on each leg and there was no screaming or anything. Thank you. ps One leg was very hard to get into motion but I was able to and she did not wimper or anything.

Answer
You didn't mention this dogs age,which could have a lot to do with this. I don't think I need to mention that you should never force a dog to run beyond her capacity. She was trying to let you know that with the resistance you were encountering with her. She had good reason not to keep that pace up and now she is paying the price.

There are many reasons why she might be so wobbly still- pulled muscles, spinal pain, joint and muscle pain, knee pain, even a heart issue.

The bottom line is that she needs to see a vet and sooner than later. She probably needs some steroids and muscle relaxants at this point. Your vet can check her knees and see if she has pulled or torn anything.

In either case, you need to make an appointment to get her in right away.  

Ask the Veterinarian

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

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.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.