[philcaegrug]

 My collie/cross is 16 now and three days ago I got up and she couldn't use her back legs . I tried lifting her but all she did was stumble and lay back down on the floor. A visit to the vet was booked for the afternoon. I had to carry her to the car and she laid immobile for the whole journey.On reaching the vet I opened the door , she half stumbled/fell out the door and then calmly walked into the vets' .Nothing was found so she had a painkiller and home we went. At home she again laid down and didn't move again that night. I carried her out for her to do her duty and had to carry her back in.Next morning again she couldn't walk and ate no food at all(not even fresh ham) . Back to the vet where she walked unsteadily in. Again nothing temperature normal heart normal etc. Now after a couple of days she is walking much better with the odd stumble and eating all her food and much more normal. Could it have been a slight stroke or a nerve problem?   Two days ago I was planning where to bury her and now she's by the door waiting for a walk!!!

[colliewobbles]

I have never heard of anything like this - I have lots of knowledgeable collie friends over on Facebook, can I repost your message there and see if they have any ideas for you?

[philcaegrug]

Yes please I would like to know what happened in case it reoccurs.

[jaykay]

This is how my old Golden Retriever went, and also our German Shepherd. I think it's a combination of arthritis/hip displasia/spine degeneration. Plus also they lie too still and then get pins and needles!

Arran (GR) had a 'do' like that and then went on to have another happy year with me, though it is what finished her in the end.

[AnnS]

Wonder if it was a vestibular attack. Did the vet check her eyes? If it was this they would be flickering sort of side to side. My beardie had something similar a few weeks ago, very wobbly and unsteady, head very slightly tilted, sort of like vertigo. Within 3 days he was almost back to normal, no head tilt now.


Hope your dog continues to improve.


AnnS

[shygirl]

my labrador couldnt get up twice this year, both times he was crying and shaking, had to be manouvered to go out for the toilet. within 48 hrs he was ok. i think it was his back or hips from too much swimming. he is on top dose for sore elbows already so we are hoping it doesnt come back a third time. i also had visions of having him pts as he was that bad, it was quite scary as he was very vocal. hes only 8. 16 is a good age. fingers crossed.

[doganjo]

Wonder if it was a vestibular attack. Did the vet check her eyes? If it was this they would be flickering sort of side to side. My beardie had something similar a few weeks ago, very wobbly and unsteady, head very slightly tilted, sort of like vertigo. Within 3 days he was almost back to normal, no head tilt now.


Hope your dog continues to improve.


AnnS

I've just come online and that was my first reaction too - a vestibular attack sounds very likely.  My GWP had one such event, and over the next week she improved very well, but then she took another one and I took her to my vet.  She was able to walk into the surgery, then laid down.  We agreed that at 14 she was unlikely to respond to teh treatment they would normally give a young dog and that she had had enough.  He very gently lifted her onto the table and she slept away.  It is akin to vertigo, and can be treated to control the symptoms, but it is more difficult to control satisfactorily in an older dog.

[Mammyshaz]

There arectwo main possibilities but without further tests it is difficult to diagnose.

Possible spondylosis of the spine ( severe arthritis type changes ). The paralysis is is when the joint between the spinal bones swells and presses on the cord causing paralysis or partial paralysis depending how much pressure the swelling is causing.
An xray should confirm or disagree with this. Sometimes anti- inflammatory drugs help too.

Vestibular attack has symptoms similar to a stroke in people. They are wobbly on all legs rather than paralyser on hind legs. Usually have a head tilt and act oddly ( senile ).

The drugs used to help each cause are totally different so diagnosis  is recommended to help prevent further deterioration of the condition.

Hope she does ok  such an old lady 

[darkbrowneggs]

I can't be of any help, but I am very pleased to hear she has made such a remarkable recovery 

[Old Shep]

sounds very much like my mums old sheep dog - vestibular attack.  She lived for another 3 years with her head on one side but could still bumble around and chase hens (albeit slowly!!)  Eventually though her back legs went completely and we said good bye to her 

[colliewobbles]

Just received this response from my friend who has always had collies:

Omg sounds exactly like wot happened to mine it was his cruciates and had to have surgery then hydro therapy to recover

[Brucklay]

My BC Blue had a stroke at 16 and after tlc made a full recovery to chasing the post man once again - a year later he had a second stroke this time we were not so lucky - but it's worth giving them a bit of time


Ps thought stoke as soon as I read your description

[philcaegrug]

Thanks for all the replies. Ann the vet checked her eyes first and said they were fine as our first thoughts were some kind of stroke.
Mammyshaz it's not so much a paralysis as a lack of strength to hold her back legs together. They just seem to splay out.
 the conclusion we are coming to is she may have fallen down the stairs and damaged some nerves and or bruised herself but we probably won't find out for sure. In the meantime we will make the most of her time with us.

[Chris H]

In July my Staffie cross had something very similar, but with her it was front and back legs, we thought for a couple of days we would lose her. We tried to keep her comfy and the vet gave her pain killers and steroids. Slowly the movement came back over a few days, it is felt that she had a blood clot that triggered a nerve, as she had been jumping up at the gate the day before this started. Hope your old friend recovers as Lily did. 

[fsmnutter]

Hi there
As a vet, I agree with several of the possibilities mentioned.
"Vestibular syndrome" is anywhere from an infection in the middle ear, on the way into, and including in the brain, where something affects balance, making dogs very travel sick to the point where they can be physically sick or just not able to get up, it is often sudden onset, but they pick up quickly, and medications can make it go away.
Strokes are also common in older dogs, and whether it is a clot or a bleed in the brain, often it will happen suddenly, but then the brain learns to compensate, the damage corrects itself over time and they can go on to do OK.
Another possibility is the arthritis/denenerative changes in the spinal area. The only way to be sure what's going on with that sort of area is an MRI or a CT scan. However, I had a collie in a while ago, who had been a bit stiff behind for a while, and was getting progressively worse, weak in the back legs, and when I saw her she was completely unable to stand. The vet school saw her, and decided to try treatment before stepping up to MRI scan, and on a course of steroids and a drug called gabapentin that works really well for pain in nerves, she is doing amazingly well, and is now on low doses of both drugs, and is back to being able to chase a ball gently on occasion! So don't despair, and if it is something that happens again, do mention this to your own vet, they may or may not think this is a suitable course for your collie.
Hope she stays well
Suzanne