First things first: Regardless of your dog’s age, or the cause, this is a medical emergency.
The causes can range from infection, to trauma, to disc disease.
Important Note: In cases of disc disease, the longer your dog lays there, the more permanent the damage to the spinal cord may be. So, don’t wait.
If your dog’s breed is one that is predisposed to a slipped disc — Corgis, Basset Hounds, Dachshunds — time is of the essence. However, any breed can slip a disc – Terriers, Great Danes, and anything in between. If you suspect your dog has a slipped disc, properly called intervertebral disc disease, get to your veterinarian’s office.
The first priority is to reduce swelling in the spinal cord.
Medication is often used to reduce swelling, and sometimes surgery. In most cases, the most effective medication to reduce swelling is steroids. This recommendation is a source of controversy in the veterinary community. However, no other pain medication works as well, or as quickly, to remove swelling from the spinal cord. Most other medications treat pain but do not reduce spinal cord swelling.
The next goal is to restore mobility – To get Fido back to walking.
Next, the goal is to get your dog walking again. There are four primary methods used to restore movement: medication, surgery, acupuncture and rehab or fitness training. A 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reported that acupuncture works as well as surgery to restore movement in dogs suffering from disc disease. Another study, published in 2003 in the Journal of Veterinary Science, found steroids in combination with acupuncture returned dogs to walking faster and more reliably than dogs receiving only steroids, only acupuncture, or no treatment. Canine Fitness Training — something I’m certified as of January 2017 to offer — is a great way to facilitate better mobility once you have a diagnosis from your veterinarian. If you’d like to know more about this option, contact me or read this.
What this means for your dog
If your dog is suddenly down and can’t get up, suffering from a so-called ruptured disk, acupuncture and steroids is well indicated to treat your dog and get him or her back to walking. If your veterinarian does not offer these options, it simply means your veterinarian is not trained with this knowledge. Do a google search for one that is.
To recap: if suddenly your dog cannot walk, immediately seek veterinary help. Once the diagnosis is of disc disease is made, consider your options. Surgery can be painful and expensive and has no better outcome than acupuncture. If your veterinarian doesn’t offer these options, there are veterinary acupuncturists who can help if that is your selected treatment plan.
Please help… My dog suddenly can not walk. He remains at one place and finds it very difficult to get up. Even he seems to be shivering on his lower abdomen. What to do. Please help!!!!
Whatever is going on it is very serious and quite painful! This could be anything from a ruptured spleen to a painful disc in the back. Regardless, the sooner you get your dog to your veterinarian the better the possible outcome. If it ends up being disc disease and hopefully your veterinarian follow similar guidelines to what I’ve outlined above.
My dog started this problem this morning, but will eat out if my hand, he just can not stand or get up
This is a medical emergency. Consider taking him to your veterinarian immediately.
My 3 year old german shepherd can’t get up. She is always very active. She ate a cooke but won’t move should I let her rest fr awhile and see what happens or go right to vet
This is very serious. German Shepherd dogs can have weak hind ends due to their conformation – the angle that their back slopes down to their tail. It would be best to go to your veterinarian right away – the sooner you act the sooner they can help. If they think it is her back, in addition to their treatment, consider chiropractic and/or acupuncture.
Brought my dog to camp and to get groomed she was walking when I brought her there and left with her not able to stand ..brought to vet and is now on meds famotidine gabapentin and dexamethasone what else can I do please help
Look for a veterinarian who does chiropractic and acupuncture.
For most dogs, it takes 6-9 treatments to get back to walking/running/playing. Also, therapeutic laser can be quite helpful!
Good luck
Is there somewhere I can take my dog for acupuncture and how much does this usually cost?
There are veterinary acupuncturists. Cost depends on where you live. Cost will be anywhere from $65-$150 a session. Try AHVMA.org to find a list of some holistic veterinary practitioners in your area
My dog was limping on his front leg for a while and now he is limping on his back leg.Do you know what I should do and how much it will cost to get him fixed
It could be anything from Lyme disease to osteoarthritis and many things in between. Diagnosis can be as simple as a blood test to as expensive as whole body x-rays (radiographs technically). Cost will depend on where you live – range from $75 for an exam and Lyme test (combination heartworm test) to several hundred dollars for x-rays. Good luck with your man.
I woke up this morning and went to take my dogs outside, but my 6 year old Australian shepherd – Red Healer mix, Akasha wouldn’t get up. She was able to sit up on her but for a few moments then just collapsed. I have been able to hold her butt up by placing a brace underneath her and supporting her backside so she was able to potty, but she has still been unable to move. What do I do? ):
This is a medical emergency. Go to your veterinarian
What does it mean when your dog can’t get but is still happy but can use it front two feet just not his back feet
It means you have a medical emergency. Your dog may be paralyzed and the sooner you get help to better his chances are of walking again.
Like he can use his two front feet but drags his two back feet
I have an American pitbull he’s 7 yrs old . As I called hIs name Tyson he started walking towards me then collapsed he won’t get up is unable to walk now he doesn’t want to eat either. What should I do please advice. Thank you.
This is very serious! It could be anything from a slipped disc and the associated pain to a fractured vertebra in his back. I would take him to your veterinarian immediately
My ten year old golden retriever started this morning with this problem. It’s gotten worse since then: this morning, he was still able to walk, however was limping and refused to put his back leg on the ground, but now, he is laying in one spot and is unable to get up. He is barking continuously as if he is in distress and I am very concerned. I don’t know how to help him, and because he is a large breed and I’m a small girl, it is difficult for me to get him into the car to bring him to the vet.
You may have to recoup friends or neighbors to help you get them up in the car or have a mobile veterinarian come to you, but this sounds like a medical emergency
On Thursday and Friday my dog has been limping now he’s just constantly laying in one spot
Might be an emergency and worthy of a visit to your veterinarian
My 41 days puppy was good walking n roaming in the house but sudden he can’t stand n slipping all the time when he is trying to stand up even when i m giving the food he shivering very fast plz rply me soon
Your puppy is sick – this is an emergency – please take him to your veterinarian immediately.
at my vets advice I gave my dog Tylenol for foot pain. He convulsed and stopped breathing, we got him breathing and got to the emergency clinic. He has elevated liver enzymes that have dropped a little as of today Feb.1, the incident happened Jan.30 at 1 in the morning. He is eating and seems happy but can not get up. He is still in the hospital and they are doing an MRI tomorrow. The original thought was Tylenol toxin, I had no idea it could be harmful and followed my vets advice, and that once his liver enzymes became normal he should regain his ability to walk. The doctor is optimistic but I am scared to death. Do you have any thoughts on this?
This is very serious. There are some excellent liver protective herbs as well as liver detox diets. Please consult an integrative veterinarian near you ASAP
our 6 year Old Saint can’t get up. He has had lymes in the past but the test is low. He is happy and eating at the emergency clinic. They can’t seem to understand what is going on. All cardiac test are good. It was very high until they gave him pain meds. As soon as he got the pain meds it dropped to normal levels, however he still can’t get up. He tested positive for anaplasmosis and has been on antibiotics for about 12 hours. They are worried about his lungs if we can’t get him up.
Any thoughts ?
thanks –
We just lost our 5 year old Romeo to this issue, it pains me that we had to let him go. MRI was so expensive as well as the only option we were given, surgery. Up to 10K. We are crushed right now. It came on so suddenly.. never a health issue or warning.
My American Bulldog 11 years old yesterday night went up the stairs and he was always scared to go up because he has arthritis, and we took him down, but today I had to take him to the vet because he could not get up, the vet put two injections one for pain and one anti-inflammatory, and gave him gabapentin and carprofen, how long do I have to wait for effects?