Paralysis

When a dog becomes paralyzed, it is usually due to a breakdown in communication between the spinal cord and the brain.

In some cases, the dog will be unable to move its legs at all, a condition known as total paralysis, whereas in others, there may still be some communication between the brain and spine, and the dog will only appear weak or have trouble moving its legs, a condition known as paresis - partial paralysis.

In some instances, a dog may be paralyzed in all four legs (tetraplegia), whereas in others, the dog may control movement in some but not all of its legs.

This is determined by the location of the trauma in the brain, spine, nerves, or muscles.

Some breeds are predisposed to it more than others.

Dogs with long backs and low to the ground bodies, such as the dachshund and basset hound, are prone to intervertebral disc disease caused by ruptured vertebral disks placing pressure on the spinal cord.

Breeds such as German Shepherd are genetically predisposed to degenerative myelopathy (DM), a disease that affects the nerves in senior dogs' spines.

This is a slow-acting, degenerative condition that finally leads to hind-leg paralysis.