We went to bed last night with both boys fine, got up this morning and Alfie isn't right - he can hardly walk, is arching his back and his back end keeps going down like he wants to sit but he isnt tucking his back legs under him. He keeps coming to the side of me tail wagging like crazy but he's obviously very uncomfortable. Vet constantly engaged but just waiting to get through. What could this be? He's a two year old CKCS who is normally very fit and healthy. We did nothing different yesterday - normal walks etc, nothing too much.

Could be his spine or possibly internal.  I'd just turn up at the door if my Vet was engaged and my dog was uncomfortable..... I'd expect there to be a morning surgery?

I'd get to the vet right away. Hope it's nothing serious

Just a note to say hope all goes well and let us know how you and Alfie get on.

Dawn R

Could it be a trapped nerve?  Hope all goes well at the vet.

My friends Cavalier looked very similar to this just recently. Vet diagnosed a slipped disc. Gave him anti-inflammatories and about a week later they went to our local oesteopath and all was sorted. But certainly could be a trapped nerve.

Just back from vets. She couldn't give us a definate diagnosis but seems to think it is either a slipped disc or a fragment of disc has come away? She was also worried about possible Lungworm because she had a dog in not so long ago with similar symptoms but more severe and it was Lungworm which is worrying as we only worm with Drontal which doesn't cover it, she did say however that in Lungworm, the back end going is one of the later stage symptoms and Alfie had no other indications towards it thank goodness.

The vet didn't think that his symptoms were bad enough to x ray just yet, he was walking much better by the time we got there although when she did a test where she turned his back paws in, his responses were quite slow on the left side and he didn't put his paw back flat on the table for quite a few seconds yet with the other one, he did it instantly so she said that this indicates a problem.

Anyway, she gave him an injection of painkiller which will last 24hrs, we have to keep him in his crate for cage rest and take him back at 10.30 in the morning to see how he is getting on.......I so hope he's going to be ok.

Your description was typical of spinal problems.  Hope he feels comfortable soon.
You may like to consider sorting it out with Osteopathy.  Stuart McGregor trains Osteopaths to work on animals all over the country.  He could tell you where the nearest qualified person was to you.  01235 768033.

We have a great chap in West Lancs who my Vet is happy for people to go to and will recommend him. All the racing Greyhound people go to him.

My cavalier had a slipped disc several years ago and he was much like this. He had to have total cage rest for 6 weeks, he was not even allowed to walk outside to pee, we had to carry him. He recovered and it's never happened again.

> possible Lungworm

I think a lot of vets are quite concerned about this at the moment as it seems to be on the increase. But I think dogs usually cough with Lungworm. Still from what you say the disc problem seems much more likely. Hopefully the painkiller and crate rest will help Alfie.

Hope he has a good night, best of luck tomorrow.

My collie cross went off his back legs suddenly just before Christmas, there was no sign anything was wrong before he went to bed and he couldn't get up the following morning, it turned out to be a trapped nerve, if you can do or you know someone who can do the T Touch massage down the spine, that could help.   My dog was lame for about 24 hours and then recoverd as suddenly as he became ill.  I did take him to the vet and he had a pain killer and anti inflammatory, which I believe helped him too.

Thanks for the support. We are finding that the cage rest is making him really stiff :( When we let him out to wee, he's really unsteady but then when he gets moving a bit he seems better - we are keeping him rested though.

**Alfie Update**

Just back from vets and feeling very relieved. Alfie responded really well to all the nerve tests that the vet did. She said that it is looking like a swollen disc going off the speed of his recovery. He had another injection of Metacam and we have to keep him cage resting then go back tomorrow evening. He's still wobbly but much better thank goodness.

> **Alfie Update**

That sounds a lot more positive. Hope Alfie continues to improve.