7 Reasons Your Older Dog Has Shaky Legs

Dogs aged seven or more are considered to be senior citizens. With age, the body feels the effects of wear and tear, and we start to notice changes in the way our older friend moves. One particular problem that raises alarm for pet owners is when older dogs get shaky legs.

This can appear to come out of nowhere and your dog may have absolutely no idea that it’s even happening. To ease your mind, we will look at seven reasons why your older dog has shaky legs, and if it’s something to worry about. 

Cognitive decline is where the brain starts to lose function. The pathways that control memory and body function are less effective and we start to see memory loss or confusion.

The secondary effect of memory loss is anxiety or stress as they often cannot remember why they got up, or who people are any more. 

When a dog feels anxious or stressed, they can shake as a bodily release of the energy held up in anxiety. Your dog may look vacant in their expression and shake uncontrollably. But, then suddenly ‘snap out of it’ and go back to normal.

You may find the shakes are worse when they are left alone, or when stressful events happen such as having visitors around. They may constantly look to you for reassurance, and comfort when their legs start twitching. 

There are diets and supplements that can help with the nerve conduction in the brain. But, this cognition is progressive, so will get worse.

Talking to a vet about ways to help your dog at home, such as consistent routines, puzzle feeders to promote brain use, and using pheromone diffusers to reduce anxiety can help your dog. 

Arthritis is inflammation of the joints of the body. It affects around four out of five dogs over the age of eight. Arthritis can be mild or severe and can affect few or many joints. 

Common signs of arthritis include being stiff to get out of bed in the morning, not wanting to go up steps any more, muscle weakness or shaky legs. If the arthritis is just in one area such as a leg, they may lick this area causing a red tinge to appear on the hair. 

Behavior changes such as growling or moving away when you try to touch limbs are common. If your dog tries to bite or snap, this is a defensive response to pain. It needs professional help to avoid injury to yourself, but also to treat your dog’s pain. 

If mild arthritis can respond well to a combination of home treatment such as omega oil, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements.

Home treatment can include buying supportive beds to rest or using ramps to help your dog get into the car or into the garden.

Medical management includes pain relief, physiotherapy or laser treatment amongst other options. Your dog’s veterinarian can create a personal health plan based on your dog’s specific needs. The treatment options for arthritis are vast.

In some cases, it can include advanced surgery such as hip replacement. So, make sure you explore all options for your dog with your veterinary team. 

The muscles help move and support the body every second of the day. When they become fatigued from overuse, they tremble or move without apparent reason.

In older dogs, it’s really noticeable when they get muscle tremors in their back legs. This happens because the muscles here are bigger than other places, and so feel the strain of carrying the body more so than other areas.

Over time as dogs slow down and stop using their muscles as much, the muscle atrophies or shrinks. This means the muscles can no longer carry the same load without showing signs of struggle- tremors or muscle fasciculations.

These shaky muscles may go away if your dog lays down to rest and then return with movement or exercise.  

Muscle weakness can be improved with physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. A veterinarian can chat to you about the best way to support your dog’s loss of muscle condition in old age.

As dogs age, their risk for developing conditions associated with old age increase. These include conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes and cushings. All of these conditions can affect the muscles in different ways. For example, creating loss of muscle volume, muscle weakness or tremors. 

Kidney disease for example leads to low potassium levels in the blood stream. This is an essential electrolyte in muscle conductivity and deficits show up as muscle tremors. Deficits in calcium can have similar effects on the muscles. 

The good news is that internal organ disease such as kidney disease, diabetes and cushings  can be controlled if diagnosed. A veterinarian can do blood tests and start treatment and the symptoms usually improve dramatically. 

Dogs hide pain extremely well. Sadly, they often get used to living with chronic pain without showing outward distress. Signs such as crying or whimpering are what we’d often expect them to do. 

Sometimes though, the pain becomes too much to hide. Your dog may give you clues they are struggling in the way they move. Shaky legs, or legs that buckle when walking are a sign of pain and discomfort. Muscle tremors especially if isolated to one area can be a sign of pain in this region. 

If you think your dog is experiencing pain, or the symptoms are prolonged and getting worse with time, your veterinarian can look for areas your dog may be experiencing pain, and treat it. 

There are many types of pain relief available for dogs. You will be pleasantly surprised at the improvement in your dog’s behavior when they respond to the pain relief. 

Older dogs can still struggle with moments of temptation. They will eat something that is harmful to them such as a bit of leftover chocolate, or some rotten food on a walk. This can lead to symptoms such as lack of coordination or balance, muscle tremors, shaky legs, vomiting or diarrhoea. 

These symptoms usually are sudden in onset. They get worse quite quickly, so are a more concerning presentation to witness as a pet owner. 

Toxin ingestion needs veterinary help to treat, as some toxins can be fatal. If you know your dog has accidentally eaten something toxic like chocolate, your vet can give an injection to make your dog vomit up the toxin before they suffer the symptoms of toxicity. 

Larger breed dogs such as the German Shepherd, Labrador and Collies are more at risk of developing neurological causes of shaky legs. The spinal cord acts as the body’s messenger for control over the limbs and body.

If there is damage to the spinal cord, for example from degeneration, arthritis or an intervertebral disc protrusion, the nerve conduction can be affected.

This can cause symptoms such as wobbly legs, inability to move legs, incoordination or shaky legs that give way when walking. Sadly not all neurological problems can be treated well, as the spinal cord has poor regeneration or repair ability.

Instead we focus on keeping your dogs comfort levels up, with pain relief, and supportive care such as slings or supports to move around. 

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