My 4 mo old Shih-Tzu drags her back legs...is this normal?

Question

My 4 mo old Shih-Tzu some times drags her back legs, especially after napping. She also does not seem to have good control over them.as her back end some times falls over to one side. Is this normal for a Shih-Tzu puppy? She has a vet appt this week but I am anxious what he might say. Any information would be appreciated?

Thanks for the info - she has a vet appt on Wed. She has not fallen from any high place and is not in any pain. She doesn't drag them all the time just occasionally and it looks like the muscles are not very strong in her hind legs. Was wondering if hardwood and tile floors are too slippery for her to develop her muscles... I will update after the vet appt. Thanks again :)

Answer 1

It sounds like she has an orthopedic or spinal problem, and is defiantly is not normal. I would be sure to mention it to your vet when you go in and you may even want to call the breeder.

I bought a puppy that had spinal scoliosis (sp) and he would wobble and fall over when he walked and he also had the same problems that you mentioned for your dog.

Answer 2

One of mine does this all the time - when she was a pup, she was diagnosed with a condition that affects her kneecaps. They don't stay where they are supposed to all the time, but the muscles in her legs have developed over the years to support her weight and hold her kneecaps in place. She still does this after naps, though, stretches and drags her back legs for a bit... I think she's normal (as normal as a Shih Tzu can be, that is) so I wouldn't be too concerned!

Answer 3

I have a ten month old Shih Tzu that on occasion would stretch out and kind of slink on her stomach with her hind legs dragging behind her. Thankfully, nothing was wrong with her. At four months, your puppy is just growing into herself. I hope the visit to the vet proves this to be the case and your fears are put to rest.

Answer 4

I wouldn't start panicking just yet. She is still a puppy and her bones and muscles are not by any means fully formed yet. I had a similar problem with my Bassett Hound. Just like your dog, he would limp and drag his legs after sleeping. Turns out he was just sleeping in awkward positions and he had numb legs when he woke up. This situation would improve as the day went on. He is now 18 months and he is generally fine - he still gets into some crazy shapes as he sleeps and sometimes wakes up with a limp but it is not that much of a problem.

I really hope it is not her hips at such a young age - that would be so sad. Good luck at the vet's!

Answer 5

if it is not all the time, and she is walking perfectly normally most of the time, she could just be crawling along to have a belly scratch! My pup odes that alot - especially outside on the grass! But the fact she seems un - co ordinated and falls over suggests something worse. You are doing the right thing to see the vet asap

Answer 6

Don't start to panic just yet, your pup needs an xray to see whats going on, its no use taking wild guesses. Did you get her from a good breeder? did you see the parents hip scores? get in touch with the breeder to ask if there's been any problems with the other litter mates, is there a history of hip weakness in the parents line?. Try to get as much information as you can before you go to the vet. it will all help. Good Luck, I am sure it can be fixed.

Answer 7

I had two Shih-tzus and one used to drag its back legs. There was nothing wrong with him, he used to do that going down the couple of steps at the back door too. We found it highly amusing and put it down to him being that laid back he was lazy. he lived till he was 11. Fab dog and could run at about 30 miles an hour, we could never keep up with him on the fields.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

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Answer 10

Consult a vet and they can take an xray of your dog's legs and and back for possible problems. Sounds serious, I would go to the vet as soon as possible, don't just rely on answers online.