Paw Pals Pet Sitting

Dog Walking & Pet Sitting in Northern VA

(703) 345-1695
Schedule Our Services
  • About Us
    • Client Reviews
    • Common Questions
    • Team Bios
    • Join Our Team
    • Who We Support
  • Pricing
    • Dog Walking
    • Dog Sitting
    • Cat Sitting
    • Pet Sitting
    • Additional Services
    • Holiday Fee Service Schedule
  • Policies
  • Dog Sitting
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fairfax Lakes, VA
      • Fairfax Oaks, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas ,VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Dog Walking
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fairfax Lakes, VA
      • Fairfax Oaks, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas, VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Cat Sitting
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fair Lakes, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas, VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Pet Sitting
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fair Lakes, VA
      • Fair Oaks, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas, VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Why Is My Dog Suddenly Having Trouble Walking?

November 16, 2020 by Mary Telesz

dogs are very active it a troubling sign if they do not want to get upIf your dog is suddenly having trouble walking or standing, do not ignore it. As a responsible dog owner, you need to take care of any lameness problem in your dog. It could be something minor, such as blisters on one of your dog’s paws or a pulled muscle. On the other hand, it could be something serious enough to warrant examination and treatment by your vet.

Some Common Conditions That Can Impair Your Dog’s Mobility

It is disconcerting when you notice your dog having difficulty walking or standing. If you are unsure what to do or if your dog is struggling, do not hesitate to contact your vet.

Some of the more common causes of lameness and difficulty walking in dogs include:

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common health problem in dogs, especially in large, heavy-boned dogs or in senior dogs (though arthritis can develop in even younger dogs). Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, causing pain and discomfort. It most commonly affects dogs in the hip, elbow, shoulder, wrist, stifle (knee joint in the hind legs), hock, and spine. Arthritis in any of these joints can make walking difficult for your dog.

You will notice the dog limping or moving with an abnormal gait. Your dog may be unwilling or even unable to rise from a prone position. These symptoms can be sudden and the result of the dog stiffening after overexertion, in much the same way as you may feel the day after engaging in heavy exercise.

Diagnosing arthritis requires an examination by your vet and probably x-rays of painful joints. You may also need to have the dog’s joint fluid analyzed or other tests done to rule out other disease conditions.

Treatment for arthritis will consist of prescription canine medications designed to relieve the symptoms. Your vet can provide advice on how you can help your dog at home and can recommend other treatments as appropriate for your dog’s condition.

Injury to a Paw, Leg, or Back

dog walking will not be possible if a dog is battling a diseaseIf your dog is walking but unwilling to put its weight on one of its legs, you should suspect an injury. Carefully inspect the dog’s paws for splinters, cuts, blisters, damaged toenails, or any sign of injury. Sometimes a dog’s paws have become burned from excessively hot or rough pavement surfaces or injured by frost or ice. In those cases, the dog may simply sit and refuse to move (called “planting”), or the dog may move with a very abnormal gait as it tries to avoid the pain in its paws.

If you have ruled out an injury to the dog’s paws, the injury may be higher up on the leg. If your dog will tolerate it, gently feel around its leg and try to detect unusual swelling or heat to locate the source of the problem. When you touch a painful area, your dog may react by pulling away from you, excessively licking the area, snapping at you, or yelping.

Depending on the injury, your dog may need examination and treatment by your vet. If you suspect a back injury, an examination by your vet is appropriate.

Paralyzing Infection

Sometimes exposure to toxic substances will cause a paralyzing effect that impairs the dog’s ability to walk. Diagnosis and treatment require a vet examination.

Examples of these conditions occur if your dog has reacted to the toxin in tick bites. The toxin is discharged into a dog’s bloodstream through the tick’s saliva. This toxin can cause a dog to become unable to control movements or become paralyzed. With proper treatment, the dog can recover in 48 to 72 hours.

Exposure to raccoon saliva can also paralyze a dog. “Coonhound paralysis” may cause temporary or permanent paralysis to all four of the dog’s legs. It attacks the dog’s spinal cord and nervous system. An infected dog may not show symptoms for a week or two after exposure. With proper treatment, a dog can begin to show improvement after three weeks with full recovery taking from two to six months.

Wobblers Syndrome

Wobblers syndrome is a condition that causes a dog of any age to have an unsteady gait. It is the result of spinal cord compression caused by the narrowing of the vertebral canal, or by a ruptured disc in the neck. Large breed dogs are more prone to developing the disease, and care should be taken to avoid rapid growth in those breeds to minimize the risk of it developing.

With wobblers syndrome, the dog’s vertebrae become malformed during their development or are unable to come together properly. It causes not only gait problems but moderate to severe discomfort.

Symptoms of wobblers syndrome are progressive as the dog ages, although in rare cases, the onset of symptoms is sudden. Your vet can diagnose the condition and prescribe appropriate treatment, though there is no cure for it.

Spinal Cord Injury

An injury to your dog’s spinal cord is extremely serious. A sign of spinal cord injury is that your dog is unable to get up or walk. It is a life-threatening emergency, and you need to get your dog to a vet as soon as possible.

Talk To The Caring Professionals At Paw Pals

a dog might need to see a veterinarian if they still experience painThe professionals at Paw Pals care deeply about the well-being of their clients’ canine companions. If you have a dog with mobility issues, the Paw Pals experts are happy to discuss the issues your dog is experiencing and provide professional support in caring for your dog. Contact them for more information.

Filed Under: Dog Walking

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

Have a question?

Send us a message and we'll get back to you in a timely manner.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Certifications & Associations

PetTech-logo

PUPS-logo

KennelPro

Northern Virginia Magazine - Best Pet Care 2019 Award

 2020 Best Pet Care Award

Powered By

Pet Sitter Plus logo

Office Location

Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

professional dog walking software

Office Hours

Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
9am - 5pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 22151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
5.0
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
5.0
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
See All Reviews Write a review
powered by Google

© 2021 · Paw Pals Pet Sitters, LLC · Website Design by 321 Web Marketing