Hello, my name is Chad. I have a female Greyhound 8 years old. She is slightly overweight and has some dental issues but other than that is in good health. Her last walk yesterday was around 11pm (Saturday)... everything seemed fine. She had a very restless night, up and down out of the bed. This morning we noticed her holding her left (facing me) rear leg up. She has had the occasional cramp so it was no big deal that she was favoring that leg. As the day went on it became apparent that something was wrong. She can no longer use the leg. If she does, it's only for a quick hop to switch her weight. I just had to carry her down the steps and drive her to her spot where she uses the bathroom. She did pee but because of the leg she was unable to hold herself up to poop. No history of arthritis and as far as we are aware (adopted), no leg injuries. We checked her pad thoroughly. As she is laying down we are able to move her leg in full motion without causing her any noticeable discomfort. What could this be? We live in Philadelphia and there is a very good emergency animal care unit called University of Pennsylvania but they are EXTREMELY expensive just to walk in the door. We do have a vet that specializes in Grey's but I'm almost certain they aren't there until Friday. We do not have enough money to go to a new vet on an emergency basis. We are hoping we can get her to the Greyhound vet I spoke of but want to make sure she will be ok. As of now it's not looking good. Any help would GREATLY BE APPRECIATED! She is the love of our lives... Right now she is on her back, legs up in the air. She only does that when she is comfortable, this is why it seems to me to be a muscle pull but of course, I am no vet... Thank You for taking the time to help... PhillyChad


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This may be unrelated but she threw up a few times just now. We did give her aspirin (300 mg buffered... 1 and a half tablets) @ 3pm, it's now 10pm.

Four things spring to my mind: Tissue injury. This is the most likely and easiest to treat. Neurological issues: My greyhound showed signs of a bulging disk by dragging her hind leg. An easy test for this, especially if the dog is standing, is to see if you can get the paw knuckled-over. If there are nerve problems, the dog will leave the foot in an unnatural position. Joint issues: This could be a sign of arthritis, or a degenerating joint. And the fourth is osteosarcoma... bone cancer.

I don't think this falls into the emergency "life and death" category, as long as the dog seems reasonably comfortable. However, I'd see if I could get your greyhound vet on the phone, describe the symptoms, and see if you can get in before Friday or if they can recommend someone to see the dog. A simple exam will show you if it's a soft tissue injury. If that's not it, you are looking at x-rays at a minimum to see how the bones are. Neuro is going to be the most expensive to diagnose, and unless there are sure signs of that, the vet will probably leave those tests to last.

If she's also throwing up, I'd take her to the emergency vet. Something is obviously wrong, and it should be checked out asap.

Please keep us updated.

Good luck.