# PLEASE HELP! Sudden loss of use of pitbulls rear legs



## boosted2g (Mar 1, 2013)

I know this is my first post but I am desperate for some help. Last night I came home from work and went to let my 8 year old pitbull out to use the bathroom. Right before I opened the cage he started urinating on the floor. I took him outside and he was walking "stiff legged" and real slow. He used the bathroom 2 more times. I took him out about 15 minutes later to see if he was still walking funny, and he kept sitting down and walking real stiff and slow. So I let him into the garage to eat. I came back 2 hours later to find him laying down on the floor. I tried to call him and he couldnt get back up. He drug his legs behind him but he was still moving towards me. This morning I went to check on him and he appeared to be sitting up on his tailbone with his front legs pivoted straight down to hold him up. I called my vet and made arrangements. I took him at about 10am today and he was too the point of not being able to balance himself sitting up on his tailbone anymore and started falling and having cordination problems. He never whinned or yelped from pain when i had to pick him up. He was shaking and had no use of his legs. The vet came in and tried a pain test by clamping his skin on his leg and foot and got no response. I pinched his neck with the clamp and he didn't respond to that either. I think took my thumb and pressed firmly on his theigh and he moved his head down there and acted like he felt it. I had the vet admit the dog and give him steriods. I also had an xray done. The xray showed nothing and no fractures of the spine. Also, when i picked him up around his chest and jerked his head as to be feeling some pain. As of 5pm this afternoon he has not improved. I do not have an abundance of money to take to a neurologist. The vet immediatly stated if he doesn't improve i might want to think of putting him down. Putting my dog to sleep is only going to happen if he is living in pain. I will do whatever I have to do to care for my dog. Should I get a second opinion from another vet? I am not sure where to go from here if he isn't any better in the morning. I have already started pricing the wheel carts just in case. Any advice or what is happening to him? Thanks

FYI the dogs name is Brutus and he is a 8 yr old american staffordshire. never any health problems. I have another 4 year old blue pit that they play and live together.


----------



## Fade (Feb 24, 2012)

Maybe a Dog chiropractor adjustment will do the trick.

usually lymes disease causes aches all over. So I don't think he is carrying the symptoms of that.


----------



## Gally (Jan 11, 2012)

What about tick paralysis? Can start in the hind legs before spreading.


----------



## cmoorewv (May 27, 2012)

It could be a herniated disk-I don't know if one would show up on an x ray or not. Two years ago my St Bernard started losing the feeling in the toes of one rear foot. It wasn't too noticeable but every now and then she'd step wrong and stumble. Cortisone shots helped, but not completely. One day she went from being completely mobile to paralyzed in the rear end. I was out of town and my husband wasn't home so we have no idea what happened. When he left she was ok, when he got home she was down and couldn't get up. I thought for sure she'd have to be put to sleep before I was even able to get home, but she's still going strong. She's not in great shape physically, but she's still mentally sharp and enjoys being alive. We tried a cart with her but it wasn't sturdy enough her giant body. We help her walk by lifting her rear off the ground with a girth strap made for a horse's saddle. Or she pulls herself along with her front legs-she has very limited use of one of her back ones. The only thing we can figure happened is that she was playing with our other big dog, took a wrong step and totally blew the disc. I might suspect that in your case. Sometimes a blood clot near the spine and hips will cause paralysis too. I haven't seen it in a dog, but it happened to a cat I had. I don't know a lot about Lyme disease, so I can't comment on that. Are you in an area with a high rate of Lymes?


----------



## cmoorewv (May 27, 2012)

It isn't easy, but a dog can do ok like that sometimes. Granted, a large or giant breed has a tougher time than a small lighter weight breed-but my St Bernard has been paralyzed since October of 2011. I never imagined she'd still be with me today but she is.


----------



## DHyde (Mar 12, 2021)

boosted2g said:


> I know this is my first post but I am desperate for some help. Last night I came home from work and went to let my 8 year old pitbull out to use the bathroom. Right before I opened the cage he started urinating on the floor. I took him outside and he was walking "stiff legged" and real slow. He used the bathroom 2 more times. I took him out about 15 minutes later to see if he was still walking funny, and he kept sitting down and walking real stiff and slow. So I let him into the garage to eat. I came back 2 hours later to find him laying down on the floor. I tried to call him and he couldnt get back up. He drug his legs behind him but he was still moving towards me. This morning I went to check on him and he appeared to be sitting up on his tailbone with his front legs pivoted straight down to hold him up. I called my vet and made arrangements. I took him at about 10am today and he was too the point of not being able to balance himself sitting up on his tailbone anymore and started falling and having cordination problems. He never whinned or yelped from pain when i had to pick him up. He was shaking and had no use of his legs. The vet came in and tried a pain test by clamping his skin on his leg and foot and got no response. I pinched his neck with the clamp and he didn't respond to that either. I think took my thumb and pressed firmly on his theigh and he moved his head down there and acted like he felt it. I had the vet admit the dog and give him steriods. I also had an xray done. The xray showed nothing and no fractures of the spine. Also, when i picked him up around his chest and jerked his head as to be feeling some pain. As of 5pm this afternoon he has not improved. I do not have an abundance of money to take to a neurologist. The vet immediatly stated if he doesn't improve i might want to think of putting him down. Putting my dog to sleep is only going to happen if he is living in pain. I will do whatever I have to do to care for my dog. Should I get a second opinion from another vet? I am not sure where to go from here if he isn't any better in the morning. I have already started pricing the wheel carts just in case. Any advice or what is happening to him? Thanks
> 
> FYI the dogs name is Brutus and he is a 8 yr old american staffordshire. never any health problems. I have another 4 year old blue pit that they play and live together.


Happened to my small Chiweenie no accident no nothing just look like a drunken sailor trying to walk and it was his spine he had to have back surgery at A&M small animal clinic which I love they are the greatest people my Chiweenie is there right now with a broken back leg which had to have surgery they are great hopefully yours is OK


----------

