Why is my dog walking strangely? Gait abnormalities in dogs

Summary

What are gait abnormalities in dogs?

A dog’s gait is the way they move when walking, trotting, running, climbing or turning. A gait abnormality means this movement pattern has changed.

You may notice your dog limping, walking stiffly, skipping a stride, staggering, dragging their paws, bunny hopping with the back legs, favouring one side, taking shorter steps or becoming reluctant to walk. Some changes appear suddenly after an accident or injury, while others develop gradually and may be easy to miss at first.

Gait abnormalities can have many causes. Some are related to pain in the paws, muscles, bones, joints or ligaments. Others are caused by problems affecting the nerves, spinal cord or brain. Because the underlying cause can range from minor to serious, it is important to monitor changes carefully and seek veterinary advice when needed.

Expert advice from Dr Felicia:

Sometimes gait abnormalities will come on suddenly while others seem to be slowly progressive. The causes of a gait abnormality can be structurally related to an issue with a particular leg, or can be the result of a systemic problem such as an intoxication or generalised nerve weakness.

Signs your dog may have an abnormal gait

A change in gait can look different depending on the cause, the affected limb and whether the problem is painful, orthopaedic or neurological.

Lameness and pain signs

Signs may include:

• Limping
• Carrying or lifting one leg
• Shortened stride
• Frequent stopping during walks
• Reluctance to walk, run, jump or climb stairs
• Avoiding weight on one leg
• Slower walking pace
• Crying, yelping or pulling away when touched
• Stiffness after rest or exercise

Balance and coordination signs

Some dogs show changes in balance or coordination, such as:

• Staggering
• Swaying
• Stumbling
• Falling over
• Standing with the legs spread wider than usual
• Loss of movement control
• Difficulty turning
• Trouble walking on uneven surfaces

Neurological warning signs

Signs that may suggest a neurological problem include:

• Dragging or scuffing the paws
• Worn nails from dragging
• Knuckling, where the top of the paw touches the ground
• Weakness in one or more limbs
• Limb incoordination
• Partial or complete paralysis
• Loss of balance
• Difficulty walking backwards or in circles

Posture and movement changes

You may also notice:

• Arched back
• Lowered head or neck
• Crouched gait
• Shuffling gait
• Skipping a stride
• Bunny hopping with the back legs
• Leaning or favouring one side
• Uneven muscle tone between limbs

Dogs often hide pain, so even subtle changes in movement should be taken seriously if they persist or worsen.

Expert advice from Dr Felicia:

Your vet will likely be assessing whether this abnormal gait is caused by pain, whether it may be due to more significant underlying disease, which may be accompanied by other signs such as vomiting or lethargy.

Common causes of limping, staggering or unusual walking

Gait abnormalities are signs, not a diagnosis. Your dog may be walking strangely because of pain, injury, joint disease, spinal disease, neurological disease or another underlying condition.

Pain or injury

Common injury-related causes include:

• Muscle strain
• Sprains
• Paw wounds
• Torn nails
• Foreign bodies in the paw
• Bruising
• Fractures
• Trauma from a fall, collision or accident
• Overuse after intense exercise

Joint and orthopaedic conditions

Orthopaedic causes affect the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments or tendons. These may include:

• Arthritis or osteoarthritis
• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Patellar luxation
• Cruciate ligament disease
• Osteochondritis dissecans
• Joint instability
• Chronic muscle injury
• Developmental bone or joint abnormalities

Spinal or neurological conditions

Neurological causes can affect limb awareness, balance, strength and coordination. These may include:

• Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD)
• Degenerative myelopathy
• Cervical spinal disease
• Nerve injury
• Brain or spinal cord disorders

Other possible causes

• Infection
• Cancers or growths
• Muscle disease
• Age-related weakness
• Obesity or poor conditioning
• Intoxication or toxicity e.g. secondary to marijuana ingestion
• In certain parts of Australia, a stumbling gait can be associated with tick paralysis
• In older dogs this can be a sign of old dog vestibular disease

Expert advice from Dr Felicia:

Tick paralysis is an emergency and requires immediate veterinary attention to provide anti-toxin and supportive care. Sadly tick paralysis can be fatal.

Orthopaedic vs neurological gait problems

Some abnormal gaits are caused by pain in the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments or paws. These are often described as orthopaedic or musculoskeletal causes. A dog with an orthopaedic problem may limp, favour one leg, take shorter steps or avoid putting weight on a painful limb.

Other gait changes are caused by problems affecting the nerves, spinal cord or brain. These may affect coordination, balance, limb awareness or strength. A dog with a neurological problem may drag their paws, knuckle, stumble, sway, lose balance or appear weak.

In some dogs, more than one problem may be present. For example, an older dog may have arthritis as well as weakness or spinal disease. A veterinary examination is needed to identify the most likely cause.

When to see a vet

Book a vet appointment if your dog:

• Is limping for more than 24 to 48 hours
• Is in pain or cries when touched
• Will not put weight on a leg
• Has sudden weakness, collapse or paralysis
• Is dragging paws, knuckling or scuffing nails
• Is staggering, falling over or losing balance
• Has a swollen, hot or painful joint
• Has back or neck pain
• Has had a fall, accident or suspected trauma
• Is reluctant to walk, climb stairs, jump or rise
• Has a gait change that is getting worse
• Shows signs such as fever, lethargy or loss of appetite

Sudden paralysis, inability to walk, severe pain, collapse, breathing difficulty or suspected spinal injury should be treated as urgent.

Because it is difficult to predict the costs of veterinary care, it can help to have measures in place to help prepare for the unexpected. Pet insurance can help by covering a portion of the eligible vet bill if the unexpected does happen.

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How vets diagnose gait abnormalities

Your vet will usually start by asking when the gait change began, whether it appeared suddenly or gradually, whether your dog has had an injury, and whether the problem is constant or comes and goes.

They may then observe your dog walking and trotting on a flat surface. They may watch your dog from different angles and potentially engage your dog in different activities or tasks if required. After that they may recommend an orthopedic and neurological examination to be done.

Diagnosing gait abnormalities can mainly be done on these observations, however the underlying cause will need to be discovered.

• Checking the paws, nails and pads
• Feeling the limbs, joints, muscles, spine and neck
• Assessing pain, swelling or heat
• Checking joint range of motion
• Looking for muscle loss or asymmetry
• Performing an orthopaedic examination
• Performing a neurological examination
• Watching your dog turn, sit, stand, back up or walk in circles

Depending on the suspected cause, your vet may recommend further tests such as X-rays, blood tests, ultrasound, CT, MRI, joint fluid testing or referral to a specialist.

Expert advice from Dr Felicia:

Your vet’s physical examination usually can help localise the pain causing the abnormal gait to a particular joint or area based on your dog’s range of motion in a joint, or pain response when their limb is manipulated in a certain way.

Treatment for gait abnormalities in dogs

Treatment depends on the underlying cause. A mild muscle strain will not be managed in the same way as a torn cruciate ligament, spinal disc problem, fracture or neurological disorder.

Treatment may include:

• Rest or restricted activity
• Lead-only toilet breaks
• Pain relief prescribed by your vet
• Anti-inflammatory medication where appropriate
• Wound or paw treatment
• Treatment for infection
• Weight management
• Physiotherapy or rehabilitation
• Joint support or mobility management
• Surgery for some orthopaedic or spinal conditions
• Specialist referral for complex cases

Do not give human pain medication to your dog unless your vet has specifically instructed you to do so. Many common human medicines are unsafe for dogs.

Avoid stretching, massage or exercise changes unless your vet has advised they are safe for your dog’s condition. These may not be appropriate for fractures, ligament injuries, spinal problems or neurological disease.

Testing and treatments for other conditions may include supportive care for intoxications or vestibular disease, and tick anti-toxin for tick paralysis. Some conditions causing abnormal gait such as degenerative myelopathy is a diagnosis of exclusion and currently there is no treatment for this disease.

Expert advice from Dr Felicia:

Rest and anti-inflammatories will often be the mainstay of mild soft tissue trauma. Your vet may recommend additional tests if they are concerned about the other conditions causing abnormal gait, such as screening for drugs or performing a tick search.

Recovery, rest and ongoing management

Recovery depends on the cause of the gait abnormality, the severity of the problem and how early it is treated. Some mild strains may settle with short-term rest and controlled activity, while chronic joint disease, spinal conditions or neurological disorders may need longer-term management.

Your vet may recommend:

• Short, controlled walks
• Avoiding stairs, jumping and rough play
• Using non-slip flooring
• Keeping your dog at a healthy weight
• Gradually returning to activity
• Regular reviews
• Physiotherapy or hydrotherapy
• Home modifications for senior or mobility-impaired dogs

Follow your vet’s instructions closely, especially if your dog has had surgery, a spinal problem or a serious injury.

How to monitor your dog’s movement at home

Gait changes can be subtle at first and may go unnoticed for some time, especially if they develop gradually rather than after an obvious injury. Because dogs often hide pain or discomfort, changes may only become obvious once the underlying problem has progressed. Watching how your dog normally walks, trots, turns, climbs stairs and rises from rest can help you notice changes earlier.

Watch for:

• Changes at the start or end of walks
• Stiffness after lying down
• Difficulty on stairs
• Bunny hopping when running or climbing
• Dragging nails on pavement
• Uneven muscle size between legs
• Shorter stride on one side
• Reluctance to jump into the car or onto furniture
• Changes on slippery or uneven surfaces

Subtle gait changes to watch for

Some gait changes are obvious, such as sudden limping or collapse, but others develop slowly and can be easy to miss. Because dogs often hide pain, it is helpful to know what is normal for your dog and watch for small changes over time.

Things to look for include:

• Head bobbing while walking or trotting, which can sometimes suggest front leg lameness.
• A low head or reluctance to lift or turn the head, which may suggest neck pain or stiffness.
• An arched back, crouched posture or reluctance to move normally.
• Nails scraping on pavement, which may suggest paw dragging, weakness or reduced limb awareness.
• Knuckling, where the top of the paw touches the ground instead of the pads.
• Bunny hopping, skipping or moving both back legs together.
• A new or frequent pacing pattern, where the front and back legs on the same side move forward together.
• Uneven muscle size between the left and right hind legs.
• A shorter stride on one side.
• Difficulty turning, backing up or walking in circles.
• Sitting with one back leg stretched out to the side.
• Moving differently at the end of a walk compared with the beginning.

Try observing your dog from the front, side and behind, and compare how they move when walking, trotting, turning, starting, stopping and moving over different surfaces. A short video can be very helpful for your vet, especially if the gait change is subtle or intermittent.

Overview

Abnormalities of your dog’s gait can occur suddenly (mainly through an accident) but can be subtle and take place over a very long time without you noticing. Often dogs are masters in hiding their pain, but it does not mean they are not in pain.

It is important to familiarise yourself with your dog’s different movement gaits and review them from time to time so you can be aware when something looks different from normal, monitor and take action if necessary.

Sources

“Gait Abnormality: Musculoskeletal or Neurologic Condition?”, Today’s Veterinary Practice, https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/orthopedics/gait-abnormality-musculoskeletal-or-neurologic-condition/. Accessed 18 Jun 2026.

“A Practical Approach to the Abnormal Gait: Is It Orthopedic or Neurologic?”, Veterinary Information Network, https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?id=3860887&pid=11242&print=1. Accessed 18 Jun 2026.

“Lameness in Dogs”, VCA Animal Hospitals, https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/lameness-in-dogs. Accessed 18 Jun 2026.

“Recognizing Signs of Pain in Dogs”, VCA Animal Hospitals, https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/recognizing-signs-of-pain-in-dogs. Accessed 18 Jun 2026.

“Overview of Disorders of the Spinal Column and Cord in Dogs”, Merck Veterinary Manual, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/brain-spinal-cord-and-nerve-disorders-of-dogs/disorders-of-the-spinal-column-and-cord-in-dogs. Accessed 18 Jun 2026.