Back Leg Trouble And Urinating.

[greytluck]

Wally is going to be 12 in February. Since the summer he's really starting to slow down. Sometime in the fall he started to hesitate going down the stairs and urinate in the house. We also noticed he dragged his right back foot slightly when he walked and didn't pick it up high enough going up stairs. I brought him to the vets. Bloodwork was great, x-ray were good, urune culture was clean. Vet said the wasn't even much evidence of arthritis. We made more of an effort to get him out regularly ( we started getting him up to go outside every couple hours instead of him waiting to ask to go out). He was also put on meticam, which really didn't agree with his stomach. Mostly the peeing stopped with only the occasional accident. We also try to keep him on the main level of the house during the day so he doesn't have to do as many stairs.

 

Within the last couple weeks though it's almost as if he doesn't even know he's urinating. He'll get up and start to walk around and pee will just be streaming out. He makes trails of pee all over the place which takes so long to clean up. His legs also seem to slip out from under him when he's on the hardwood or tile.

I'm making a vet appointment today but anyone know what could be going on so I can ask the vet?

[XTRAWLD]

I wonder if there is some bit of LS happening. Do you find his back end drooping if he stands? Often signal to that back area gets "blocked" when there is LS so that might explain the not being able to hold bladder or know when he's peeing. LS (lumbosacral stenosis) is common in older, male greyhounds.

 

I also always suggest if seniors aren't on supplements, that it helps a great deal to get them on something for their joints. It certainly can't hurt.

Edited January 13, 2016 by XTRAWLD

[greytluck]

I wonder if there is some bit of LS happening. Do you find his back end drooping if he stands? Often signal to that back area gets "blocked" when there is LS so that might explain the not being able to hold bladder or know when he's peeing. LS (lumbosacral stenosis) is common in older, male greyhounds.

 

I also always suggest if seniors aren't on supplements, that it helps a great deal to get them on something for their joints. It certainly can't hurt.

Thanks going to look up LS.

I don't find his back end droops, he actually stands very square and definitely doesn't look like a nearly 12 old dog. He's my boy, I hate seeing him getting older and starting to have trouble.

[greysmom]

Lumbosacral stenosis

 

Sounds like the nerves are beginning to be impinged in his spine somewhere - especially the knuckling under and the peeing. Talk with your vet about giving him gabapentin, along with a different nsaid. I think the liquid version of meloxicam is better tolerated than the pills, but he might just need a different one alltogether.