Dog Can't Walk: Causes, Care and Next Steps

If your dog can't walk, start with one question: did it happen suddenly, or has it crept in over weeks? Sudden loss of the back legs, dragging, yelping or a dog who cannot pass urine is an emergency and needs a vet today. Slow scuffing, slipping and trouble rising usually points to a chronic problem. This guide walks through the causes, care and next steps, starting with the ones most dogs actually have.

What does it mean when a dog can't walk?

Intervertebral disc disease, meaning disease of the cushioning discs that sit between the bones of the spine, is a degenerative condition of the spinal column that results in compression of the spinal cord or spinal nerves, and it is a common cause of spinal cord disorders in dogs.¹ Joint disease works differently: osteoarthritis, or arthritis, is a chronic, progressive joint disease that makes dogs lose joint cartilage, causing pain, inflammation and difficulty using the affected limb.²

A dog who goes down in minutes to hours is a different situation from one whose back legs have been getting wobbly since spring. Sudden paralysis is an emergency, but it's one you must approach calmly.³ You can read more about the whole picture on our overview of back leg problems in dogs.

The common causes of back leg weakness

• Arthritis and hip dysplasia. Signs include lameness or a change in gait, reluctance to walk or exercise, difficulty with stairs, and difficulty getting up from lying down, and they creep in gradually rather than appearing overnight.² Hip dysplasia and other orthopedic diseases often lead to arthritis by causing repetitive injury to the joint cartilage.²
• Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). It is especially common in small breeds, particularly the Dachshund, Beagle, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso and Pekingese,¹ and the Dachshund accounts for 45 to 70% of all disc ruptures.⁴ Early on you may see a "drunken sailor" walk or wobbliness in the hind end, with the hind feet crossing as the dog steps.⁴ In large breeds, disc degeneration typically occurs after the age of 5 years and signs slowly continue to worsen.¹
• Degenerative myelopathy (DM). Usually seen in dogs over 8 years old, it starts gradually with painless clumsiness and weakness in the hind limbs.¹ Muscle wasting follows, and dogs progress to an inability to walk after six to twelve months.⁵ It can be confused with arthritis, but dogs with degenerative myelopathy have difficulty sensing and placing their feet normally whereas arthritic dogs do not.¹
• Cruciate (CCL) tears. The cruciate ligament inside the knee gradually weakens and may partially tear or rupture, causing an unstable knee joint, pain, osteoarthritis and limping.⁶ If it ruptures completely, a dog may suddenly become very lame and unable to bear weight on that leg.⁶ Usually one back leg goes lame, though a dog that ruptures the ligament in one knee is at increased risk of rupturing the other knee later.⁶
• Lumbosacral disease. It is most common in large breeds, especially German Shepherds, with signs typically starting at 3 to 7 years: difficulty using the hind legs, tail weakness, incontinence, and pain when the lower back is touched or moved.¹
• Nerve and soft tissue injury. Motor vehicle accidents are the top cause of spinal cord injuries in dogs.³ A spinal stroke, known as fibrocartilaginous embolism, where a piece of cartilage blocks blood flow to the spinal cord, also belongs here: it typically begins after jumping or running, causes a sudden painless change in gait, and mildly affected dogs usually improve within 1 to 2 weeks.¹

What to do in the first hour

Keep your dog still, confined and calm, and call the vet rather than waiting to see if it passes. Remove any dangers around them and move other dogs away, because even friendly dogs can become confused by a suddenly paralyzed dog.³ Do not coax them to walk it off, and do not knead or massage a back that might be injured. Look for pain by watching their face as you rest a flat hand near the spine, without bending or lifting the back.

Do not give your dog any drugs: depending on the cause, medications or painkillers could potentially do more harm than good.³ If an accident is involved, stabilize the back and neck as you would with a person, use a stiff board to carry your dog, and seek immediate veterinary attention.³ A folded towel under the belly works as a sling for a smaller dog. Sudden paralysis is an emergency, but it is not one where milliseconds count, so move carefully.³

How the vet works out the cause

The vet starts with a hands-on nerve and joint exam. They will see which legs can move, feel pain or show proper reflexes, and examine whether your dog can feel when a paw is placed down incorrectly.³ They will need to know whether the problem came on gradually or suddenly, and your dog's size and breed can help narrow the possible causes.³ Blood tests may rule out bacterial, fungal and viral disease, X-rays show injuries, and scans help decide between disc disease, spinal stroke and other disorders.³

Bring a phone video of the walk, the date you first noticed a change, and notes on toileting. There is no specific test for degenerative myelopathy in a living dog, so several tests may be needed to rule out other spinal cord diseases.⁵

What recovery realistically looks like

With a ruptured disc, the outlook depends heavily on the degree and location of the injury and on whether the dog can still feel deep pain: about 90 percent of dogs that can still feel pain regain the use of their limbs after surgery, compared with only 50 to 60 percent of those that have lost pain perception.⁴ With strict medical management instead of surgery, 60 to 80% regain function.⁴ If surgery is delayed more than 24 hours after pain perception is lost, the chances of recovery decrease.¹ Overall, the road back after disc disease is usually weeks to months.⁴

After cruciate surgery, good function should return to the limb within three months if you follow your vet's instructions.⁶ Arthritis has no cure, but several ways to manage pain and delay progression allow many dogs to live comfortably.² Degenerative myelopathy has no cure either, so the plan there is supportive care, like physical therapy, weight control, non-slip flooring, and a sling or harness, which may slow the decline but cannot stop it.⁵

Day-to-day care at home

Make the house flat, grippy and easy, and protect the skin. Use rugs, carpets or yoga mats on hardwood or tiled surfaces, add pet ramps or steps where needed, use a sling or harness to assist with walking and standing, and use booties to reduce damage to scuffed paws.⁵ Raise food and water to shoulder height so your dog is not bracing to eat.

If continence is affected, owners may need to express the bladder, meaning empty it by hand, several times a day, and these dogs are at higher risk of chronic urinary tract infections and urine scald.⁴ Keep the rear clean and dry, and check it daily. Dogs without motor function cannot turn themselves and may develop bed sores, so keeping them on a soft, well padded area helps minimize these wounds.⁴

Your own load counts too. Owners of dogs with chronic weakness or paralysis face significantly higher caregiver burden, with stress levels influenced by your own health, how the paralysis affects home cleanliness, how you rate your dog's quality of life, and the support you have around you.⁷

Rehab that preserves what is left

Routine physical therapy may delay the progression of degenerative myelopathy.⁵ Rehab professionals use at-home exercises, underwater treadmill work, gait training and strength building to maintain strength, coordination and muscle mass and improve overall wellbeing.⁸ For arthritic dogs, low-impact activity such as leash walks or swimming, plus weight control, is part of the standard plan.² If your dog is recovering from surgery, follow the rest instructions exactly: exercise restriction to bed rest for at least four weeks is typical after disc surgery.⁴

Where a rear support wheelchair fits in

A cart is for a dog whose back legs are weak or not working but whose front end is strong. A wheelchair to support the hind limbs is one of the management options for dogs losing hind-end function.⁵ It sits alongside veterinary care, never instead of it, and it does not treat the underlying condition.

The OldPal Rear Support Dog Wheelchair comes in five sizes covering rear leg heights from 3 to 27 inches, sized by one measurement you take with your dog lying on their side. The size guide has a fit finder, and help@oldpalpets.com will check a photo and a measurement for you. The padded harness carries weight through the hips and chest rather than the spine, the back legs hang free or lightly brush the ground, and dogs can squat to toilet in the chair. Introduce it in short sessions on flat ground. Many wheelchair-using dogs live fun and adventurous lives, though maneuvering a large dog in and out of a chair may not be possible for every owner.³

Red flags: go straight back to the vet

Some changes mean same-day care even after you have a diagnosis. Call if your dog stops responding to a firm toe pinch, worsens over hours, cannot pass urine, develops severe pain, starts to wobble in the front legs, or has any change in breathing. Loss of pain perception is a sign of severe cord injury that carries a guarded to poor outlook.⁴ Loss of hind limb function often comes with losing the ability to empty the bladder.⁴

More guides for your situation

• When your dog cannot use their back legs at all
• Trouble with stairs
• Shaking along with weakness
• Wobbliness after sedation
• Weakness after a seizure
• Not putting weight on one paw
• Walking oddly rather than not at all
• Veering or circling

Frequently asked questions

Sources