My friend has a Whippet dog who has recently developed an unusual gait with her back legs.?

Question

She has had an MRI and neuro testing done with no obvious abnormalities evident. The dog can still run but is limited to some degree. She walks with her back legs held out wide. Does anyone know what this may be and are there any spinal or gait issues for whippets as they age. The dog is about 12 years old.

Answer 1

Whippets are not known for any specific problems like this. What did the Vets say?

Have you contacted the breeder and asked her? You could also join a Whippet related Yahoo group like Whippetsanity and ask there, there are much more knowledge Whippet people than me.

She is also 12. For a Whippet, that is not old old, but not so young either.


I would hesitate to give aspirin every day (and 2 for a 30 lb dog is too much), unless under Vet advice. It makes platelets less sticky and could cause bleeding problems, especially in a breed that is known for skin tears. And don't give it anything with milk, dogs can't digest milk and she wil probably get diarrhea from it.



EDIT - try researching Lumbro sacral stenosis. It happens occasionally in performance Greyhounds and mimics hip dysplasia.

Answer 2

Have they ruled out hip dysplasia with the MRI? Perhaps it's arthritis setting in.

Good luck!

Answer 3

sounds like she either really twisted one of her hind legs or she has devloped arthritis which is common in older dogs.

were her hind legs x-rayed to check for possible fractures?

dillute two aspirins in a bowl of warm milk and give it to her each morning. this will help her feel better if it is related to arthritis.