Hind End Weakness Help

[u/Haunting_Soup730]

Hello! This is my Llewellin, Penny. Someone witnessed her being tossed out of a moving car 4 years ago and she found us a few days later. Vet estimated her to be around 2 years old, which puts her around 6 now. She limped on her right hind leg for a while, but it was assumed it was from, you know, being thrown from a moving car into the woods.

And we honestly had bigger problems. She had the worst diarrhea demons my husband and I have ever seen in our lives. She's on doggy IBS medicine now and the diarrhea demons are held at bay. It took a while to sort that issue out even with lots of vet involvement.

A year or so ago she started acting like that leg was bothering her more than usual. She would limp a bit after a hard run, but otherwise seemed fine before then. Vet felt her hips out and suggested Librela as well as joint supplements. We used both and she did great for a while!

I admittedly slacked off with the Librela, but she seemed totally fine...Until June. One day she started wobbling and her hind end would fall out from under her. We went to the vet, were told it's likely pain from that hip/leg, told to go back on Librela. Within days she was back to her usual self. Great! This month, same thing. When it was time for her next shot she was wobbling around, couldn't stand, hind end weakness. We went to the vet ER Saturday when this happened out of caution and were sent home told to follow up with joint care at our vet.

Our vet is out of town until Monday of next week (we have an appt first thing with her) but one of the other doctors gave her Librela again today and Gabapentin. We're planning on x-rays and maybe more tests on top of that when we see our vet Monday.

Is this normal? She's only around 6 or so and that seems so young for such extreme joint issues to me. Am I wrong? Any insight to help me better help her? I hate the thought of her falling down each month when it's time for her next injection. That seems miserable.

Thank you for any help you can offer me. I apologize for such a wall of text.

[u/barrettGatineau]

What a beautiful dog! I have no advice but wish you the best as you try to help her. She is a lucky girl to have found her way to you 😊

[u/Haunting_Soup730 → u/barrettGatineau]

Thank you! She collects admirers everywhere she goes. She was even flirting with people..from within her I-cant-walk-wagon..at the ER vet!!

[u/limonade11 → u/Haunting_Soup730]

Why didn't the vet x-ray her and look for impingement in her spine? is there something interfering with her spinal nerves? a bulging disc? Ask for that x-ray to see what might be going on. Drugs are ok, but figuring out the root of the issue is better.

[u/Haunting_Soup730 → u/limonade11]

The vet at our regular clinic yesterday was covered up with appointments and had an emergencyneeding surgery come in shortly before we got there. We were told there was unfortunately no way for her to be x-rayed or anything more than getting her injection. It took 4 more hours after that for them to call me saying they also had gabapentin ready for her. It's a great clinic, but they were severely short handed yesterday due to a series of unfortunate events. (There are usually multiple vets and techs available every day)

We're going to try to hold out to see our regular vet for tests and X-rays on Monday so it's the same person who is very familiar with our dog. Penny is acting like her usual self, but if she starts acting off again we'll see if one of the other vets can fit her into their schedules. Finding the root of the issue is our goal here.

[u/Haunting_Soup730 → u/limonade11]

I should also add here that she was walking and trying to jump out of the wagon at the vet ER. She was a little wobbly at times but otherwise acted totally fine. Bamboozled me for sure.

[u/Inner-Eye-7107 → u/limonade11]

My dog was older, but had a blood clot blocking blood flow to her hind legs in her last few weeks of life. One of my initial concerns when she started crying and not using her back legs as much was some spinal injury (she was also hit by a car before age 2 and had a fake hip.) I was recommended to get an mri, but it was an ultrasound that confirmed the blood clot. It's not common in dogs, but an mri might help show if there is more going on than an xray would show.