Spasm in hind legs

On Xmas day my 3 yr old staffy X cattle dog was walking around the house when all of a sudden her back legs looked like they stiffened up and they looked like they wouldn't go where she wanted them to (imagine stiff and wobbly but in a straight line) I stopped her from walking and when she walked again about 10 seconds later she returned to normal. This has only happened the once so far and I'm not sure what it is. Can anyone help? She didn't seem to notice it was happening and wasn't in pain at all..she is pretty active and does crazy jumps to her toy in the air.. Could it be a pinched nerve??

Of course it happened Christmas Day - these things only seem to happen when the vet office isn't open! It definitely could have been a pinched nerve, just keep an eye on her (Which I am sure you have been doing anyway) and see what she was doing before it happens again!

It could be a pinched nerve or the hip or knee popped out of place for a second. I've had that happen with my elbow where it won't bend for a while and it doesn't hurt much. You have a breed mix prone to hip dysplasia so its good to see a vet and catch it early if its the problem.

It is important to find out the source of pain and then to treat it in order to prevent any further complications. I think if you in doubt, go straight to your veterinarian or consult to a veterinary chiropractor.

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Originally Posted by jessewills

It is important to find out the source of pain and then to treat it in order to prevent any further complications. I think if you in doubt, go straight to your veterinarian or consult to a veterinary chiropractor.

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This. There are a number of causes, reasons, theories, etc... why this could have happened. Just because your pet doesn't appear to be painful doesn't mean that it isn't an issue or something to be concerned about. Not trying to scare you at all, but very often people use "pain" as a way to determine whether their pets need medical attention or not. Animals are so stoic that by the time they show clinical signs of there being a problem, it's pretty progressed.

Now, this incident specifically, could be any of the things mentioned above. There may never be another incident again. Or, it could be the beginnings of something more serious, like hip dysplasia, spinal issues, etc, that should be addressed sooner rather than later. Spasms can also be a sign of pain.

When in doubt, to the vet!

We have owned 3 Australian cattle dogs over the years. They are a very hyper breed of dog & always on the go. They work on our farm herding cattle. Our first cattle dog had hip problems. We found that by lifting our dogs in & out of the truck cab & less impact type of jumping has helped them with this problem. It is good to take your dog to a veterinary & have it checked out.