Your senior pet’s sudden mobility loss or paralysis can be a frightening and emotional experience for you and your pet. While this condition can look and feel drastic, paralysis is common among aging dogs and cats and can have several causes, some requiring emergency intervention.

Recognizing subtle changes in your pet’s mobility and behavior can clue you into impending paralysis, while knowing the common causes helps you better understand your pet’s condition.

Defining paralysis in pets

Paralysis is a partial or complete loss of function—including motion and sensation—to a specific body region, such as the front limbs, hind limbs, or all four limbs. Paralysis in pets—especially seniors—is often confused with paresis, a significant weakness and reduced mobility of one or more limbs. While paralysis involves complete disruption of the nerves and their signaling, pets with paresis often maintain some degree of physical function and mobility. 

Causes for paralysis symptoms in senior pets

Prompt and accurate diagnosis of any change in your senior pet’s mobility is essential to minimize pain or suffering and provide either treatment or therapeutic management. Conditions that cause or resemble paralysis in senior pets include:

* Musculoskeletal — Severe arthritis and joint pain are common in senior pets, especially large-breed dogs. Because arthritis is progressive, your pet’s joints may gradually become stiff and their muscles weak. Over time, pets may adjust their posture and mobility to avoid pain. Arthritis can mimic paralysis in severely affected pets and dogs with a knee or hip injury (e.g., cruciate rupture, hip dysplasia) who may have difficulty walking and changing positions. 

* Neurological — Injury or interruption at any point in the central nervous system (i.e., the brain, spinal cord) can lead to paralysis. Depending on the condition, signs may be acute (i.e., sudden) or gradual, resulting in loss of limb use and bowel and bladder function. Common conditions include:

* Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) — Intervertebral discs lie between each spinal vertebrae and function as shock absorbers. When these discs degenerate or become dislodged, they can push on the spinal cord, causing severe pain and loss of limb sensation and function. Disc injury (i.e., herniation) presents suddenly, most commonly in small dogs. 

* Fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) — Also known as a “spinal stroke,” FCE is an acute, usually temporary paralysis that occurs when a piece of cartilage enters circulation and blocks spinal blood flow. Pets with FCE experience a sudden loss of function affecting one or more limbs—usually on the same side—during or after physical activity.

* Degenerative myelopathy (DM) — DM is a progressive and eventually fatal neurological condition in dogs. Early stage DM begins with scuffing or shuffling and hind end weakness, and then progressively paralyzes the back legs and moves up the spine to affect the front legs.

* Cancer — Spinal tumors or space-occupying tumors can press on the spine from the outside, impinging nerves and compressing the cord, causing a sensation loss in the affected limbs.

* Tick-borne illness — Tick bites can transmit diseases and toxins, including a salivary neurotoxin that causes ascending paralysis that begins in the lower extremities and progresses to the upper extremities. If the toxin affects the diaphragm, dogs can experience fatal respiratory arrest. Finding and removing the tick is critical for survival.

* Injury, trauma, or shock — Senior pets can experience paralysis after a serious accident, such as being hit by a car or falling from a height. These occurrences can be common because senior pets are more likely to experience sensory loss or need physical support (i.e., lifting, carrying). Conditions that cause shock, such as blood loss, heat stroke, allergic reaction, or severe injury, can also be traumatic.

* Endocrine disorders — Senior pet conditions, including Cushing’s disease and diabetes mellitus, can cause significant hind limb muscle atrophy, neuropathy, and weakness. As pets lose strength and coordination, their movements may resemble paralysis but do not reflect a true neurological condition. 

What to do if your pet becomes paralyzed

If your pet experiences sudden onset paralysis, immediately call your veterinarian or the nearest veterinary emergency hospital—many acute conditions require fast intervention to restore mobility. If your pet’s condition is chronic or progressive, their loss may be irreversible—however, you must still see the veterinarian as soon as possible to ensure your pet isn’t in any pain.

Early warning signs of mobility or sensory loss can include:

* Shuffling

* Stumbling

* Hind limb shaking

* Standing on the wrong side of the foot

* Limb scuffing or dragging, especially of the hind legs

When treatment isn’t possible, paralyzed pets can be kept comfortable using a combination of pain management and therapeutic nursing. Our telehospice or veterinary hospice services can explain how to care for your pet while preserving their dignity and comfort.