QUESTION
My 12-year old lab has just started to loose her balance on her back legs although she doesn't cry or wince with pain. But when she walks its like she is drunk and doesn't know which back leg to put first she is getting worse by the day. I have taken her to my vet who gave her a Rymadil jab but that hasn't helped. Could it be a nerve or back problem, that could be treated my drugs or therapy?
Pam
ANSWER
Dear Pam,
It is highly likely to be a back problem or nerve problem for your dog to be doing what it is doing. I would look towards having radiographs taken of the back and on these hopefully they will identify the cause of the problem. radiograph the hips at the same time. Sometimes if it is a spinal disc that has partially ruptured you may not pick up as clear on plain radiographs and you may need to look at having myelography done. I would consider this to be a specialist procedure as it would be a precurer to having surgery done to relieve the spinal compression that may have occurred. Many things can be done surgically and medically in most cases but first you have to identify the cause so radiography is your basic starting point.
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