Why Are My Dogs Back Legs Shaking And Weak?

Weak and shaking back legs on a dog can be a symptom of a number of problems. It is most commonly found in older large dogs and dogs with weak rear legs may have trouble standing up, climbing stairs (but not going down) and the legs may suddenly give way causing the dog to collapse. The two most common causes of weak, shaking back legs are aging and arthritis.

Older dogs, like any animal or human, become weaker and less agile as they age. Aging causes their joints to become less flexible and their muscle strength deteriorates, control of the limbs also becomes less precise. Weak or shaking legs can simply be a sign of old age, in which case there is no treatment, you just simply have to be more aware of your dog. If your dog does has any falls, make sure to give him or her a quick check over to see if there has been any more serious damage. It is important to keep your dog exercising to avoid the legs seizing up, but if he or she looks like they are beginning to suffer on a walk do not push them to go too far.

The other common cause of weak legs in dogs is arthritis. Again often found in older dogs, arthritis can be relieved with a few remedies. NSAIDs are the most powerful treatment for arthritis but if these aren’t suitable for your dog there are other things you can do to improve his lifestyle. Managing your dog’s weight can help take away some of the stress off his joints and while it is important to keep him doing activities he enjoys, do not do anything too strenuous that may leave him sore.

Weak and shaking back legs can be a sign of something more serious so if you are concerned about your dog, particularly if he is young, it is important to contact a vet.

I have the same problem and my dog is 15 and a lab mix. Some breeds get hip displasia. I don't know anything about your dog, but I do know rear leg shaking is a sign of pain. It could be hip displasia, disc problems in the spine or somethiing of that sort. Take her to the vet, my dog got a cortizone shot and pain meds. It seemed to help a lot and it didnt cost more than 60 dollars. So your dog is most likely in pain. You could give her a buffered baby aspirin until you can get her into to see the doc. Please make your dog comfortable, he or she would do anything for you if she could.

You should have written in your question about age and breed of your dog. Shaking in back legs of dogs can be due to pain. There are many pathological conditions that can cause weakness of back legs. These can be

   1. Aging
   2. Hip dysplasia
   3. Arthritis
   4. Autoimmune disorders
   5. Musculoskeletal problems
   6. Disc dislocation
   7. Disc degeneration
   8. Bone tumors
   9. Cartilage damage
  10. Anterior cruciate rupture

Only you vet can identify exact cause of weak legs in your dog after physical examination, laboratory tests and radiological tests.So, take your dog to vet.

Arthritis and hip dyspepsia are major causes of weak back legs. Some breeds of dogs are more prone to have hip dyspepsia and arthritis is more common in aged dogs and you have not informed about age and breed of your dog. Aging itself causes many problems like reduction in the neurological control of limbs and flexibility of joints and muscle weakness. Some other common causes of weak back legs in dogs are

1. Injuries
2. Bone tumors
3. Cartilage damage
4. Ticks disease
5. Disc degeneration
   
6. Disc dislocation
7. Spondylosis
8. Osteomyelitis
9. Autoimmune disorders
10. Musculoskeletal problems

Different treatment options are available for different causes. So, it will be better to take your dig to vet.

My dog is about 11 to 12 yrs old hes  husky and chow mix, hes still active but I noticed his back legs were shaking he didn't act like he was in pain and he didn't mind me checking him over...it was only his back legs and I could feel it in his midsection.it didn't seem to be bothering him just had me concerned

I have a 10month old samoyed puppy whose legs shake, more so after exercise. I'm taking him to the vet next week but I'm worried it could be something really serious.

My dog has disc problems and is on Tramadol for pain(he is a 12 year old Pug). He continues to loose his ability to walk and his hind legs draw up and are stiff and shake some time.He pants a lot as well. I want his life to have quality and not quanity. I just need some guidance If he is in pain I want to put him to sleep.

My dog is 8 years old and cross Yorkshire terrier poodle , he has been a bit quiet for a couple of days , and today he is finding it hard to get on and off the sofa , up steps etc ,.

I am fostering 2 nine week old, medium sized mix breed puppies.. The female started getting listless, loose (but not runny) stools and her back legs started getting weak and shaky. I took her to the vet immediately. The vet said it was too early to tell what was wrong. Stool sample was ok, temp ok, only thing she could find was a slight hardening of the abdominal wall. The puppy got given an injection and broad spectrum antibiotics.  I put her on a boiled rice and chicken diet. 20 hours later, she is eating well, but absolutely listless and her back legs can't support her.. She also twitches while she is sleeping (abnormally so)  I'm on my way to the vet, but what can she tell me now that she couldn't yesterday?

My dog is a collie cross and as he is about 11 years old I have noticed that as soon as he layes down he just shakes the whole of him its not a fit and I was wondering what it could be?

Sounds like your dog is having a seizure. The specific cause of your dog's seizure, as with siezures in people, needs to be identified. Sometimes it is simple to fix.... Say if the dog was having an allergic reaction, once saw a standard poodle that would seize if given "Cap-star"... He was given "cap-star" on two different occasions... And siezed both times.... So no more cap-star... No more siezures. Other situations require that the dog be placed on daily medication, much like a person diagnosed with certain forms of epilepsy. Good vet can identify and help to rectify your dog's problem.

She might have eaten some pills or poisoned food and is having an overdose.

That is a question that only a Veterinarian can answer! There could be many things causing this and the only way you are going to find out what it is, is to take your dog to a vet, get it properly diagnosed and properly treated!