Why is my senior dog moving slowly and having trouble climbing stairs?

Question

My husband and I are at a total loss of what to do. Pippin is our beagle and he is 9 years old. 2 years ago he started moving slow and having trouble moving up the stairs. I'll go through each vet experience in case anyone eyes a source of what's happening now. For 16 months I repeatedly took him to our vets office, and he was treated for joint pain, and had his anal glands drained each time. I was getting frustrated because we really love our vets, we have 8 pets and really took our time find. Pet's info: Dog | Beagle | Male | neutered | 9 years and 8 months old | 40 lbs

Ann Dion, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Pippin is very cute, I am sorry he is having issues. Moving slowlying and trouble with stairs can be caused by arthritis, spinal disease (IVDD vs. degenerative myelopathy vs. other less common conditions), heart disease (weakness), and cancers. To figure out exactly what is going on with thim, I would suggest thinking about having a referral with either a neurologist or a surgeon, and an MRI would likely be recommended. A physical exam can make a lot of these diseases more or less likely, however only with imaging can you rule out a slipped disc (IVDD). I hope that gives you a direction to go to get an answer for Pippin. Best of luck with him, I hope he feels better soon!

Why is my senior dog moving slowly and having trouble climbing stairs?

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