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Is it too late to diagnose my old dog's worsening hind leg weakness?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Irish Wolfhound | Male | unneutered | 11 years and 8 months old | 120 lbs

Is it too late to evaluate "weak rear" syndrome in my 11.9 y/o Irish Wolfhound. He seems to have gotten worse over the past two weeks; requiring help to stand and ambulate and have a BM. He doesn't seem to be in pain. I feel like my vet dropped the ball on him/me earlier this year suggesting his weakness and weight loss were due to "old age." The IW foundation states that old age is not a diagnosis. Now I'm wondering if diagnostic testing might have cued in on the underlying issue/cause.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 25th, 2018

Old age is certainly not a diagnosis, but is commonly used as a catch all when families don't want to pursue testing for specific conditions. It sounds like your vet may have misinterpreted your interest in getting to the bottom of the cause. "Weak Rear" is not a syndrome (to my knowledge), but I'm guessing you're referring to Degenerative Myelopathy which is a progressive, non-painful neurologic condition that results in lack of control starting from the back legs up. There are no treatments for it, so early diagnosis doesn't make a difference. Other things that can cause similar clinical signs are disc issues, spinal cancers, and other uncommon neurologic diseases. All that said, if you want to pursue this, and I don't think there's any reason not to, I'd ask for a referral to a neurologist and go from there. They will likely do an exam and then recommend an MRI or other imaging to get the best idea of what is going on. I hope that helps answer your question!

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hello. I think what your veterinarian was trying to say is the symptoms Seamus exhibits are most likely consistent with cauda equina syndrome or lumbosacral syndrome, or more specifically Lumbosacral Stenosis ( LSS ). This is a collection of neurological signs associated with degenerative changes in the spinal column resulting in narrowing & is associated with middle aged & older dogs. Does this mean we give up? No. If you want to be sure you are doing the best possible for Seamus, you can request radiographs & a MRI to detail & locate any lesions causing the weakness. If there is a surgical option & Seamus is healthy enough, consider doing this for him. There are also specific exercises available to help strengthen the back & a certified canine rehabilitator can definitely help here. It is never too late to evaluate these things. Whether there area practical steps to take is determined with the advanced testing. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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