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Wobbly cavalier during pregnancy.

Species: Dog
Breed: cavalier king charle
Age: 2-5 years
Hi, we have a female 3 year old cavalier king charles spaniel. she is 5 weeks pregnant and woke up this morning as if she was drunk. her back legs were crossing and giving way under her own weight. she is normally very active having no problems jumping on the sofa etc. we took her to see our vet who took a blood sample and basically said they didn't know what it was and told us to keep an eye on her and to take her back if there is no improvement. the blood tests taken were all ok. she is still well in herself but walks around the house as if she is drunk. could the puppies be sat on a nerve or could it be something more serious. any help or advice would be very much appreciated. thank you


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm sorry to hear that Amber is having this problem.

Do you know if the vet did any neurological tests on Amber? The type of test I am interested in is if the vet tried to knuckle her back feet over to see if she automatically placed them back in the right place.

If she does knuckle her back legs then this could be a problem with her back.

A back problem would not be directly caused by being pregnant, but if she has gained some weight then this can be putting extra strain on her back. Many dogs with back problems will heal with rest and pain medication (if your vet feels it is safe for her to be on medication while she is pregnant.) However, if the wobbliness gets worse, or if she becomes unable to move her back legs then this can be a sign of a serious problem that might require surgery.

Another possibility is if she has gotten into a recreational drug such as marijuana. Is this possible?

Some dogs can have issues with low blood sugar or low calcium levels during their pregnancy (or sometimes during lactation). However, these tests would likely have been run in the blood tests your vet did.

One thing you may want to ask your vet about is something called syringomyelia. This is a rare condition in dogs but it is more common in Cavaliers. It usually causes neck pain but sometimes we can just see neurological problems affecting the spinal cord.

I hope things look up soon!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.