Hind-end weakness in old dog

[TBFAN]

We have a wonderful old Aussie who will be 15 this summer. He has been my heart dog and best companion all his life and it’s been so hard to watch old age catch up to him.

Last year he had a couple of short seizures, of which we haven’t been able to determine the exact cause. He has been doing very well since the last one in Sept, and cognitively is now back to normal (for an old dog). He started developing weakness in his RH last fall, and it got worse after the seizures. We thought it was some arthritis in his hips, from a lifetime of jumping over whatever was in front of him

Xrays show no orthopedic problems, though. He has very healthy joints for a dog his age, so we are now looking at neurologic issues. His RH has little to no response in reflex and he tends to drag when he walks. He’s like a 3legged table - he tips over very easily, and moves somewhat like a chimpanzee with his hind end.
Its disturbing to watch him, and stressful and very tiring for him to move. He can get about 12steps normally, and then he either topples over, or has to crouch on 3 legs and then falls down. His hind legs are often straight under him, like a donkey would sit down. The worst part is he can’t hold himself up to defecate, and often falls backward while he’s going.

The vet can’t see any masses on the xray that might indicate a tumor, but she is thinking there may be one on his spinal cord, or perhaps on his brain. We are going to a neuro specialist at the college in two weeks for more tests, but I’m not sure what we would do if they did find a tumor…

Does anyone have experience with a dog who can’t use his hind end? I know they make carts and such to attach to them, but not sure he would accept it. He is a happy, healthy dog otherwise - though we have to support him while he eats, his appetite is great and he still wants to play and “herd” the other dogs.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Susan

[MMorgan]

Susan,

Your guy sounds similar to my old Aussie, also my once in a lifetime dog, although my boy crossed in November. Take a look at this link to handicapped pets, there are braces that can be used for various joints/limb issues, including one for the hind leg that is specific to nerve damage.

http://www.handicappedpets.com/help-pets-walk/k9-dog-orthotic-brace.html

Before my guy passed, the vet had fashioned a similar brace out of a leg cast and vet wrap. My dog was able to motor around quite well on it.

I hope you can find a solution. Hugs to you.

[Simkie]

Accupuncture is also worth a try for these dogs–I’ve seen a few cases where it’s been very useful and the dog has improved significantly with no other therapy.

[TBFAN]

MMorgan - thank you, thats a great site! I’m so sorry for your loss, Aussies are really just the best dogs. Did they diagnose what caused your dogs condition? Which one of the braces did you use for your dog? Did he try to bite it off at all?

Simke - good idea about acupuncture. Not sure how I would find a practitioner out here in the woods, though. Do you know of a site where I might find one? I will ask at the college too when we go.

I was thinking of trying those traction pad stickers, to help give him more support in the house (we have concrete floors that I have tried covering with dozens of rugs, but he always falls btw the rugs!). Anyone know if they actually work? I imagine Marty will just remove anything stuck to his feet.

[Simkie]

Hmmm…I don’t know. My vet clinic does accupuncture. Do you have a full service emergency clinic you can ask? Those guys usually offer a whole bunch of treatment modalities.

There are a few practitioners in Oklahoma listed here: http://www.holisticvetlist.com/index.php

With regard to traction: I was ready to try the stickers, but found that dremmeling the nails and keeping them short solved the traction problems my dogs had on my wood floors. I went with boots before that, which wound up rubbing eventually, and were a pain in the butt to take on and off for outside and bedtime.

[lovey1121]

[QUOTE=Simkie;6079992]
Accupuncture is also worth a try for these dogs–I’ve seen a few cases where it’s been very useful and the dog has improved significantly with no other therapy.[/QUOTE]

Acupuncture wont help a dog with front-brain tumor, spinal tumor, or degenerative myelopathy—so said the vet-acupuncturist I brought my old guy to in '09. :no::no: Sorry.

We ordered a wheelchair but only used it a few times, since Crash got tired quickly-the dog cant sit or lay down when in the cart, so they get very tired.

[lovey1121]

Susan, the neurologist will need an MRI to determine whether there is a brain or spinal tumor. Big bucks, BTW. You would be looking at brain or spinal surgery if the vet thinks its even operable. There aren’t many options.

[MMorgan]

My boy did have some arthritis, although he was sound with rimadyl and a series of adequan; unfortunately, the vet never could pinpoint the issue, but at 14, even if they had, there weren’t a whole lot of options. My vet actually suspected a tumor on the spine also, and for whatever reason, thought it was most likely at the base of his brain.

His neurological issues began about a year ago, with him walking in circles on occasion, but because of some other symptoms (pale gums and ears and whatever tests they did at the time, I can’t remember now) felt it was circulatory, like mini strokes. He also seemed to respond to a low dose of a beta blocker.

He had a good 6 months and then developed pancreatitis, which nearly killed him, spent several days in ICU, recovered, but afterwards started walking in circles and showing other signs of dementia such as getting lost behind furniture or in the corner of a room. His last 6 months were up and down, with mostly good days, until October, when he began showing neuropathy such as what you’re describing. His toes would actually buckle under and it was necessary for me to carry him in and out. However, once out, he would fall trying to defecate.

I tried a couple of different kinds of slings, neither of which worked in the long run, but unlike your dog, he really had other issues happening, not discounting the aging that seemed to occur rapidly after his illness. I’ve posted accounts on a couple of other menagerie threads in the past giving more details. It’s as if he was young one minute and then aged 10 years every week. So heartbreaking.

At the time I had considered ordering the brace from the website, we were running out of options as my dog was really starting to look unhappy in general, having trouble sleeping, etc., and my vet told me to hold off ordering so that I could try a short-term solution as the braces are very expensive and must be special ordered for the dog. Instead, she used a plastic splint that went from his hock to underneath his foot to prevent the toes from buckling and to give him overall support. Very similar in design to the braces on the website, but with vet wrap to hold it in place.

As I said, it worked well, although it had to be removed and re-wrapped each day, so some days I did that better than others. He didn’t seem to care, nor did he try to bite the thing off (although my other young Aussie removed the entire thing once when I left them alone together and chewed it to pieces). It might have been because he had no feeling in his lower leg that he didn;t mind, or might have been because he was the greatest dog that ever lived and never did a wrong thing in his life;)

I have read accounts of other dog owners who have good success with slings and the braces, some of them on this board, so it’s worth your while I think to try it. Especially since he’s healthy otherwise. I also agree with the recommendation for acupuncture, which was another thing I was going to try, but it wasn’t meant to be.

[lovey1121]

Susan, please reread your original post before you proceed. Your 14 yr. o. heart dog cant eat or play or poop or walk around on his own any longer. Do you think this is a good quality of life? It so very much sucks, I know. But IMO, you are using rosy glasses to view the life your boy is leading. Time to take the glasses off. HUGS.

[vacation1]

My dog has hind end weakness, but it’s arthritis and therefore not really germane to this thread. I just wanted to mention that the dog may deal better with a cart/brace/etc. than you might think. We tend to form ideas about our dogs when they’re younger, but maturity or old age can make a difference in how they react to things. For that reason, I wouldn’t automatically rule anything out.

lovey1121, I see your point, but the OP seems sensible, not like someone in denial. They’re going to a neurologist, and the dog seems to have a good quality of life mentally. If you could even partially solve the mobility problem, you could gain extra time, even if the diagnosis is ultimately negative.

[MMorgan]

I agree with vacation1, and OP sounds like an owner who just wants to give her boy every chance she can. Good appetite, good attitude, interested in life but needs something to help support his leg.

TBFAN, here are a few more links for braces and splints for a longer-term solution. http://orthopets.com/faq-processhome.htm
http://www.orthovet.com/
http://caninelegsplint.com/

Each of these mention that there are braces for weakness relating to nerve damage. Of course, every case is different, but your regular vet might have some advice about what might be appropriate for your dog. (If the damage is all the way into the hip, I wouldn’t think any of these would help and you’d probably be looking at a cart. But I’m not a vet, so I could be way off base.) In the meantime, you could ask your vet to do what mine did and make a temporary brace out of a splint, gauze and vet wrap and show you how to apply it. I used something similar to the “sam splint” on this site:
http://www.kvsupply.com

go to dog/first aid/other med supplies

Sending positive thoughts

[TBFAN]

Lovey1121 - I appreciate your candor, but maybe my original post was confusing. I meant to say that Marty is playful still and is happy dog with a great appetite. I have considered when would be the right time to make that decision, and at this point, it would only be done for my convenience, because he doesn’t appear to be suffering. As frustrating and stressful as it is, I don’t think its time yet.
My vet has pretty much ruled out degenerative myopathy, and is leaning towards the spinal tumor. Hopefully the neuro exam will give us more info. I know an MRI is expensive and if it is a tumor, it is only a matter of time. My question is how can I make him more mobile and more comfortable during that time.

MMorgan - my heart just breaks for you over your dog. Marty had some circling and foggy moments right after the seizures too. We have been fortunate to have his cognitive function improve since then. Its hard to lose any of them but a heart dog is something else - irreplaceable (or at least it feels that way). Thanks for the links - I likethe idea of a splint or brace, as I think that would help him.

Both Marty and I thank you all for your support

Susan

[lovey1121]

Susan, I empathize with your position. Forgive me if my responses were less than encouraging. I have been there so many times…I just felt it imperative to play Devil’s advocate. Food for thought. I wish you and Marty many more days together. He sounds like a wonderful guy.

[JanM]

When my boy aged he also had a sudden weakness in the hind legs, and in his case it was liver related. I assume the vet has run a senior panel?

[TBFAN]

I appreciate that - thank you. It has run through my head so many times - I really don’t want to be in denial about it but the desire to keep him with me is strong.
But I think if he were truly suffering, I would feel it and put his needs first. He’s always been there for me, and I hope to do the same for him when it’s time.

Susan

[TBFAN]

JanM - interesting you should mention the liver. Marty had abnormally high liver values for several months last spring. He has been on meds and supplements to support his liver, and since October his liver results have been back in the normal range.
We aren’t sure how the liver issues affected the seizures, but his weakness behind really started to get bad in the last 60 days and during that time, his blood test show his liver results in the normal range.

Susan

[lovey1121]

[QUOTE=vacation1;6080373]
lovey1121, I see your point, but the OP seems sensible, not like someone in denial. They’re going to a neurologist, and the dog seems to have a good quality of life mentally. If you could even partially solve the mobility problem, you could gain extra time, even if the diagnosis is ultimately negative.[/QUOTE]

Vaca1, While I agree that Susan sounds like she has her dog’s best interests at heart, I can’t help but flash back to my own dearly departed ones who had similar problems. Once I did wait too long-at the time, I felt that my boy was still a happy dude, even though he needed help to get around. In retrospect, I believe I let him down–I should have let him go earlier, when he clearly was sad and confused that he couldn’t run on HIS beach in Maine. But I kept him going for another couple of months…I think I made a mistake then based on my perception of his level of “happiness”.

When we finally decided to let my beautiful boy Crash go, the startled and disappointed look in the eyes of my vet of 25 years was like a punch in the gut. Through her eyes, I saw not my dear noble Labbie boy but a dog who could not do the things he took for granted for 13+ yrs. of his life. It made me reevaluate how and when to make that most loving decision based not on my feelings, but with the best interests of my trusting companion foremost.

I do not judge. I empathize and give food for thought. There aren’t any right answers-you do what you think is best.:sadsmile:

[lolalola]

My 14.5 year old GSD mix also has hind-end weakness due to arthritis. She’s on Meloxicam, which doesn’t help much. She still has a good appetite but the time is coming. She can no longer get to many places in the house and spends most of her time in the mud room. My vet does acupuncture but didn’t think it would do her much good. There are the good days and bad days, and when the latter outweigh the former it will be time to put her down. After a certain age, I don’t want to stress an animal with a lot of tests and vet work. It’s not just the expense, but the realization that while you may extend the animal’s life for a short period, it may be at the expense of the animal’s relative comfort, such as recovering from surgery.

[Zu_Zu]

JINGLES & AO ~

JINGLES & AO FOR YOUR AUSSIE AND YOU ```

JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE & AO ~ AO ~ AO ~ ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC ```

SKYE, MY LIFE’S BEST DOG WAS A BLUE MERLE AUSSIE ````
SKYE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 18 YO APRIL 19, 1998 [/I][/B] [B][I] SADLY HER LAST YEARS WERE A STRUGGLE ```

HUG YOUR AUSSIE FOR ALL OF US ``

[TBFAN]

We do the good day/bad day ratio too - right now, the good days outweigh the bad ones. I just wish so much I knew what made the good days good, and then I would do all I could to make more of them!

Marty is also a blue merle. His picture is in my COTH profile, if you guys want to see my handsome boy. It was taken about 14 years ago when he was still a youngster, but he still looks at me the same way