My Boston Terrier lost use of back legs, then recovered. Why?

Question

My 5 year old boston terrier lost most use of his rear legs for approximately 5 days. He showed NO signs of being in pain and was inspected for injury, trauma etc. None were found. If placed down, he could stand but would favor his left rear leg. In the evening of the 4th day he began walking and moving around on his own for the first time. It was slow but an improvement. By the afternoon of the fifth day, you’d never know anything had been wrong. Any notion of cause? Pet's info: Dog | Boston Terrier | Male | 5 years and 4 months old | 18 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

I would be very suspicious of a disc pushing on the spinal cord (intervertebral disc disease - IVDD). It can't be diagnosed on x-rays - you need a CT scan or MRI. It is a common problem in brachycephalic breeds. There is nothing that can prevent it. I would make sure that Seymour takes it easy for the next couple of weeks. Limit jumping and running to give his body time to heal. If it happens again, he should be evaluated by a vet ASAP.

My Boston Terrier lost use of back legs, then recovered. Why?

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