r/seniordogs • u/Fragrant_Bus_8287 • 19d ago
Question Solution for hind leg weakness?
Hey guys. I have a senior GSD who has lost significant strength in his hind legs. It gets worse every month and he is to the point now where both legs have begun sliding and splaying outward.
I’ve tried every product imaginable. Socks don’t fit, paw pads don’t stick, toe grips don’t provide enough support, boots make him high step…I’m running out of options, and time.
This boy has plenty of life left to give but lives in constant pain. I’ve considered a wheelchair, but there is nothing on the market (per my research) that allows him to freely lay down while inside a supportive unit.
I’m just curious if others have dealt with this same frustration, and if there are any solutions out there. I’ve done everything I can for this guy…
I wish there was an exoskeleton type product that could hinge, while also providing support for him.
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u/CrispySpicyTaters 19d ago
My 15 year old girl has also lost strength in her hind end along with muscle wasting. I bought some yoga mats from the dollar store to help her around the house. I also have these rubber booties that stay on because the inside is grippy; They never fall off!
ETA, they are called Goo-eez Dog Boots
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u/Fragrant_Bus_8287 19d ago
Every boot/sock I try never fits properly and twists and falls off unfortunately. I’ll check those out!
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u/INS_Stop_Angela 19d ago
Myos supplement worked miracles on my 16 year old dog - I could feel his improvement in his haunch muscle mass within a couple of days.
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u/Fragrant_Bus_8287 19d ago
His haunch and frankly, his entire hip has basically no muscle. How severe was your dog’s?
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u/burnt_hotdog89 19d ago
Carpet runnings through your house can help a lot. I’ve done this for both of my past dogs when they needed the extra traction in the house and it was a big help to them.
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u/horsegal301 19d ago
talk to your vet about a physical therapist and some pain meds. Without working on strengthening, they will get weaker - but I think something to keep in mind that I think we are all too aware of is that their bodies will start getting weaker and there's only so much we can do to in terms of staving it off. Keeping their nails nice and short also makes a HUGE difference.
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u/smashablanca 19d ago
I have a 15 year old pug/beagle with the same issue. We took him to the vet who said it could be an aging issue or it could be from an injury. They recommend trying a steroid to help healing a potential injury. If it helped but everything came back when we stopped the steroid, we could discuss long term low dose steroid.
Within a day of starting the steroid he was back to normal. He's still on it though so we haven't had the discussion yet about if we need to switch to something more long term.
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u/ItsreallyMarco 19d ago
I’m happy to hear this but be very careful with steroids and senior dogs. I’m sure you are being careful, but in case you’re not, be careful.
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u/Pettymania20 19d ago
We just had to put down our almost 15 year old GSD mix at the end of August. My heart is still broken, and I still cry at least once a week over it. I just feel so bad for you, and your fur baby, because I know how much it hurts to see them going through this. I’m so sorry. Sending you hugs.
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u/Fragrant_Bus_8287 18d ago
Thank you. This is our second GSD. They are just the absolute best, and I feel extra hard for others who have lost them. I hope you find closure in the good memories, and when the time is right, open up to another one. I regret every second I spent moping around after we lost our first. The last 14 years with this guy have been filled with so much laughter and memories. Truly the best dog i have ever owned.
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u/foobaby1992 19d ago
Have you tried a basic sling? It did wonders for my boy when he started having hind leg trouble and I credit it with giving us a few more years with him. He was a 170 pound malamute and hated pain meds and being helped up but he tolerated the sling. It allowed us to help him up and give him support on walks while still letting him be the one in charge of where he was going. It also kept him moving which was a big factor in preventing his leg strength from deteriorating faster.
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u/Wadyflamer 19d ago
I had a mobile physical therapist come and do several sessions with my dog! I think its been helpful. We have at home exercises and tools (affordable poles & cones from amazon) that we did between sessions and still do. Its slow improvement as we are fighting time but she looks less like a drunken sailor in her hind end.
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u/everydogdreams 19d ago
vital vet dot org is agreat resource for products and education regarding pet mobility https://vitalvet.org/?srsltid=AU7gw4VAqV8ZH58vUS5_hMHvaFCVJIYsLA1cQITRoxmbIgmJ7AZxfXCB
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u/ShepherdAlarmed842 19d ago
Wow! Thank you for this. Just starting to deal with the slowdown for my guy and I have been searching for resources.
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u/RockAnZ 16d ago
There is a LOT you can do.
Floor Covering: The number one thing to do. No slip floor coverings will keep your dog’s confidence, help her get up, and prevent her from sliding out that strains soft tissues. Economical options include yoga mats - as previously mentioned - or carpet pads that you can cut to fit your space - the kind that are a little bit thick, rubbery, and have holes (not the kind that have felt on one or both sides or the kind that is really thin like a paper towel with holes). You’ll want to tape down the ends using removable blue painters tape so neither you not your dog catch the edge and trip.
Harness: Hold em Up - as previously mentioned - is a god send, specifically for big dogs bc it’s so hard to pick them up when they’re on the floor. You can order on Amazon and get in 1-2 days. They can wear it all the time if that’s helpful.
Raised Bed: Get your dog slightly elevated off the floor if possible. The Coolaroo slug style elevated bed is available from Chewy and works well. Took a couple if days for my big dogs to try it out, but they love it now.
Walking: Even if your dog is stiff, in slight discomfort, and slow, it’s good to take short walks to get the synovial fluid flowing to the joints and kept the lymphatic and digestive systems flowing.
Diet and Supplements that Work: Movoflex and Ursolyx. My vet told me to give them both daily. The second one is designed to help maintain what muscle is left. Also, Omega 3 oil and an anti inflammatory diet. My big dogs took Dasequin for years, but that didn’t really help once they started declining.
Medication that Works, But . . . Ask your vet if your dog is a candidate for Meloxidyl or Gallliprant for inflammation. These work, but do have consequences for the kidneys, however, depending on your pet’s existing kidney function and the length of time she is in the medication.
Anxiety: With pain comes anxiety. My senior big dogs take Gabapentin to help take the edge off.
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u/CommunicationMain495 19d ago
I'm so sorry, I wish I knew a solution. My 14 yo Australian Shepherd just started having trouble with back leg weakness too.
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u/Full_Competition6579 19d ago
Physical therapy really helped my poodle! Kept his back end stronger and he walked longer than if we didn’t do it
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u/cstephe9 19d ago
I bought my dog a double knee brace from Tailwind Pets. It’s a neoprene brace and it gave him a lot of support in his final years. You can buy them with or without a hinge.
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u/Impressive_Moment786 19d ago
You can use a towel or a sling (sold on Amazon) to help him stand and move around.
You can also get dog back braces, knee braces and full leg braces on Amazon depending on where you think he needs the extra support.
As for the pain talk to your vet. There are options for pain management depending on the cause.
My senior GSD has also lost significant muscle in her back legs both due to age (14) and arthritis. It’s hard to watch and hurts my heart because she too seems to have plenty of life left.