Back legs suddenly not supporting my grey

[calsmum]

Hi, can anyone offer some advice?

When our 6(ish) year old male greyhound/saluki got back from his walk/run tonight, he looked very (unusually) tired and out of breath. He took himself off upstairs (which he often does if he needs some quiet), but when I went to check on him an hour or so later he tried to follow me back downstairs but his back legs just keep giving way. He's curled up in his dog bed now upstairs and, while he's not whining, he's not getting up either. I've just sat with him and let him have a rest. He's eaten sausages from his bed, and also had some water - so that's all working normally. We haven't called the vet just yet as he doesn't seem in pain. I'm hoping he just needs a good rest and this will pass... although I'll get him to the vet on Monday even if he does seem better tomorrow.

Just wondered if anyone has ever experienced this? It's completely out of the blue, and he's not an old dog. And hasn't ever seemed in any pain.

[mtbbuxton]

There are many reasons for him to be off his legs, many of them extremely serious, including Hypreacute Exertional Rhabdomyolysis.  Lisa has written an article about the condition here greyhoundgap.proboards.com/thread/34223/hyperacute-exertional-rhabdomyolysis-read
It could be a prolapsed spinal disc, it could be a heart problem, or it could simply be that he's tweaked a muscle and is in pain.
In all honesty, you need to speak to your Vet now and not wait until Monday as the sooner any treatment is started, the more effective it will be.

I hope it proves to be nothing serious and your boy is back to normal very soon.

Moira x

[vickyb]

I agree with all Moira has said above. I would have my dog seen as soon as possible as to go off both legs needs investigating. One can be a pull, tear or injury but 2 is something potentially serious and waiting until monday may be too late. It's especially alarming as he is relatively young.

I hope he's ok x

[calsmum]

Thanks for replying
Moira and vickyanne.

He got up himself at about 10.30 last night and I followed him downstairs and let him out into the garden. He pottered about and had a wee as usual, and has been up on our bed (as usual) this morning.

However, although he seems okay, we're going to ring the emergency hours vet. It does sound as though he has had HER. I'd said last night when my other half brought him home after his walk that I'd never seen Cal panting as much (we've had him 4+ years).

He's made no signs of wanting his walk this morning, and he's usually rounding us up and bullying us to go from around 6am

[calsmum]

Scrap that last bit... He's just rounded up my other half and got him to take him out. Will be just a quick round the block this morning, but I'm hoping all the signs are that he's making a recovery from whatever was wrong.

This has really given us a shock though. We consider ourselves relatively experienced and responsible owners, but there are always things that you might not be aware of.

[Ted]

If he was off the lead he could have carried out a little bit too much running or could have crashed into something. Definitely get him checked over by a vet. This could be an old injury reoccurring that he had when he was racing. Mickey-Finn (then age 5) not three months after I rehomed him in December 2011 I was walking on the lead, when another dog walker said Mickey is limping on his right legs. I let her walk Mickey so I could see for myself and could see he was limping. Rang up my vets who said bring Mickey straight down. When Jan our vet checked Mickey within minutes he said listen to the noise his hips are making, Mickey was found to have loose hips and arthritis in his right legs from being over-raced (86 races in 3 years) on tracks too tight for his size, he is a very tall and long Greyhound. Mickey was then placed on Metacam and Synoquin, these days Mickey is only on Synoquin. I also put a Human full size single bed along side my double bed and that single bed is Mickey's bed which he goes to often so that he can fully stretch out his full length.

As others have said I would take any of my four Hounds straight for a vet check in the same circumstances just to ensure there is nothing serious has happened whilst he was out on his walk.

[jodav]

Hope Cal is recovering now and you know a bit more about the cause.
Our dog Tracy overdid a bit of uphill running a couple of months back and her back legs buckled badly. Vet said muscle/tendon damage but all the same, she needed a pain-killing injection from him. Rest and short walks settled her down.