My dog is acting very weak/wobbly. Help!

[kedolosk]

Hello, my name is Ross. My Dog is about 6-8 years old. (I don't know exactly because we didn't know how old she was when we got her.) She's an American Pit bull Terrier and is somewhat over weight. About 45min ago i took her outside to go to the bathroom. When she came back in, she was very weak/wobbly. She would seem like she'd lose her balance, almost like she was drunk. Her left paw seems to be very weak too. When she goes to make a step, she kind of drags it on the floor. When she puts weight on it, it seems like it's too much and she begins to stumble. I think her back legs are a little weak too. I checked online and thought it might be a stroke, but her gums were not dark red, or the skin touching her eyes. Her mouth seems a little dry, but it's 2am and i had just given her a treat so she hadn't had anything to drink for awhile. I thought it might of been Vestibular Disease considering she's getting older, but her eye's are not twitching like a lot of the related video's showed. Please help!

[Styla2017]

my beach labrador was suffering from asities but she is fine now but is very weak now lost her weight and do not eat properly

[kedolosk]

For those that are still there, my dog is doing 100% better. She doesn't have a limp, and doesn't have any trouble getting onto the beds. I guess i will never know what caused it. I'm going to continue to keep her still and calm for  few weeks, just to be sure. But for the most part, it looks like it's over (hopefully)

Thanks for the help and responses! And hope everyone had a great thanksgiving.

[kedolosk]

Also! Another question. How are these slipped disk's most likely caused? Do you know?

p.s she always use to sleep a lot.

[kedolosk]

Thank you SO much Karla. If only you knew how much you've helped me. Very much appreciated. I'm going to change her diet asap(As long as i munch up the veggies into the dinner, she'll eat it.) She is already a very calm, relaxed dog. She could sit at my feet forever when I'm watching TV. So i think the no running/playing thing will be an easy one.

Question about the weight loss--Can she lose weight by changing her diet alone? I always figured it was a combination of walks and diet control. Cause I'm afraid to walk her now. Her balance is getting better, but there is still a noticeable difference than before this happened. It's almost as if she's not completely aware of her surrounding's. Like if there was a large pot on the ground and she would walk around it, instead of completely avoiding it, she slightly brushes up against it which is not like her. And since i made this post, she's been sleeping probably the majority of the day.

Thank you again! I will keep an update. Have this saved to fav's haha.

[Misfits4Me]

Hi Ross.....Disk problems yes, can come & go.....What you describe is considered a herniation...With complete rest, no running jumping playing for 4-6 weeks (And proper medication from your Vet), the disk can return to normal.....However, if it ruptures (Causing paralysis), then it becomes an emergency! The surgery to correct it must be within 36 hrs. or so & it's very expensive! I paid $3000 years ago!

The best thing you can do for back problems is "GET SOME WEIGHT OFF!" Cut back on the food you feed (Start Slow) and add fresh veggies (Cooked) for fillers.....My Vet recommends Green Beans & Rice Cakes (Plain ones) as fillers.......If your feeding a high carb food, try to upgrade to a higher protein food with less carbs...Carbohydrates are fattening!!!!!

Also, a good Joint Supplement will help his overall health, especially spine....I use Phycox JS, but there are many, many available......Please keep us updated........Good luck, Karla

[kedolosk]

Thank you so much for your comments and feedback.

@Shannon: Do you know if it's a neurological problem if those symptoms will be consistent for a long time? Can it just act up from time to time and cause this?

@Karla: There could be a chance that she ate something poisonous. I live right next to a creek which has a lot of rat/mice problems. So from august-late september we set out a lot of D-con to kill them. (I made sure to put them all in safe places so it can't be spilled. But who know's maybe one slipped up.) She hasn't been vomiting or having diarrhea.

Can a disk problem make these symptoms permanent? I ask because once i brought her in i helped her onto my bed so she can sleep with me(and so i can watch her). After about 5 hours or so of a good rest, she seems to be getting normal. She's not as wobbly, or not at all. She isn't dragging her left foot, But i think she's still weak because when she went to walk on the tile floor's, her left arm/paw slid outwards from slipping which never happened before. She always had great balance. She's walking much better now, no where near the way she was when i first saw her.

Thank you again for replies! I'm going to take her to try and take her to the vet this afternoon.

-Ross

[Misfits4Me]

Any chance that he ate something poisonous? These are also symptoms of poisoning......Antifreeze or rat poison? If he ingested a poison, there likely will be vomiting and/or diarrhea....White foam coming from mouth?

Flea/tick product reactions can cause this..Even some flea shampoos.....

Yes, it very much could be disk/disc disease.....I have a dog that one night went out to potty and was fine...Came in (Only out a few minutes) and was paralyzed from a ruptured disc.....There was no trauma or accident....Just happened! Unfortunately, it was on a Christmas Eve which sucked! I canceled Christmas for a day to get him the help he needed.....

Please, call your Vet ASAP...If this is a toxin, time is of the essence!  Let us know, Karla

[shannon781]

With her dragging her paw and being weak in the back end, it could be a neurologic problem at the level of the brain or spinal cord. If there is something like extruded disc material (IVDD-intravertebral disc disease) compressing the spinal cord, you can see dragging of the paws. It could also be a problem at the level of the muscles/nerves/junction where the signals are not getting from the nerves to the muscles and the dog appears weak and off balance. I would have you dog check out sooner than later.