Dog having trouble walking straight
Written by Jmadmire
My Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees mix (about 4 yrs old) is having trouble walking. It started with him favoring one back leg, and now he walks as if he's drunk! It seems his back legs are weaker than his front, and he swirves when he is walking. He seems very tired - wants to lay down a lot. Any thoughts?
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The day prior to this, we were gone all day and left our dog with a neighbor. He put him in an enclosed (large) gated area. Our neighbor told us our dog must have ran around the area about 3,000 times during the day. He was non stop pacing and standing up leaning on the fence. After hearing this, I looked at his feet, and the webbing between his pads are red and one has a small scrape. He is eating very well and drinking plenty of water. Is it possible that he is just completely exhausted or slightly dehydrated with sore muscles? I see no other signs of trouble. His potty breaks are normal and as I said his appetite is very healthy - as a matter of fact, he seems more hungry than ever. We could not get into the vet today. Oh, also the area in which he was all day gave him no access to any poisons (anitfreeze or things like that).
I feel much better reading your last entry, I was worried about your dog. It is possible that he is completely exahausted and slightly dehydrated and stressed. It sounds like he got really anxious at your neighbors house. I would still keep a close eye on him, keep him quiet and make sure he is drinking plenty. If there is no improvement soon, I would still have him looked at by the vet. Good luck and keep us posted!
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There are a couple of things that could be going on with your dog but in any case he needs to see the Vet as soon as you can get in. There could be something going on with his back that is creating a neurological type of injury resulting in the poor coordination. There are diseases that can cause lameness and lack of energy like Lyme Disease. If a dog has gotten into something like a toxic substance (antifreeze for example) it can have effects that mimic the drunk walk you are describing. What ever the case, it is serious and I would keep him quiet, make sure he is drinking plenty and get to the vet!
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