Why is my senior dog struggling to jump and dragging her hind legs?

Question

My dog is a female Black Lab/Pit Bull. We don't really know her age because she is a rescue dog but, based on the shelter where we adopted her, we believe she's around ten years old now. Instead of jumping up on the sofa like she used to, she now seems to make several tries before making that move. When she comes off the sofa, she does so slowly and seems to drag her hind legs off of it. She runs and plays normally but sometimes seems sad or, possibly, uncomfortable. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 70 lbs

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

It is very likely that Abby is suffering from osteoarthritis in her hips and joints and jumping and moving in general is painful. Take her to your vet for an exam of her hips and joints. Your vet will want to prescribe NSAIDs or other pain medicine. He will have to do a small blood test to verify that the liver and kidneys are working properly before prescribing the medication. Her life will be so much better without pain. The medication will not heal the arthritis, but will hopefully slow down the progress by taking inflammation away.

Why is my senior dog struggling to jump and dragging her hind legs?

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