Sudden Weakness

When a dog is suddenly having trouble walking, the owner often assumes that the dog has a spinal cord injury. Although this may be one of possible reasons, many other conditions (not all of them spine-related) also can cause this problem.

If a dog is suddenly unable to walk, he probably feels extremely weak. Any number of diseases can make a dog weak, including heart disease, diabetes, anemia, or shock. So, if your dog is suddenly unable to move, he should be seen by a veterinarian ASAP. Difficulty walking can also come on gradually which is often seen in arthritis of the hips and various nerve diseases.

Exactly what causes the nerve degeneration usually can't be determined. Genetic factors do play a part, however, because different breeds of dogs often develop specific forms of these nerve diseases.

Breeds that have higher than average incidence of progressive nerve diseases leading to difficulty walking include Boxers (central peripheral neuropathy [6 months of age], progressive axonopathy [2-3 months of age]), German Shepherd Dogs (giant axonal neuropathy [14-16 months of age]), Rottweilers (neuroaxonal dystrophy [3 months to 6 years of age], distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy [1-4 years of age]), Golden Retrievers (hypomyelinating polyneuropathy of Golden Retrievers [7 weeks of age]), Alaskan Malamutes (hereditary polyneuropathy of Alaskan Malamutes [7-18 months of age]), Tibetan mastiffs (inherited hypertrophic neuropathy [7-10 weeks of age]), Dalamatians (leukodystrophy of Dalamatians [3-5 months of age]), Cocker Spaniels (multisystem neuronal degeneration [10-14 months of age]), Jack Russell Terriers and smooth-coated Fox Terriers (hereditary ataxia [2-6 months of age]), Labrador Retrievers (spongy degeneration of the white matter [4-6 months of age]), and some other breeds.

Conclusive diagnosis often requires nerve and muscle testing.