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Five weeks ago Oscar was having trouble standing with his back legs, over two days his front were not working either.

It was suggested that at 12 his failing heart was no longer strong enough to pump blood to support his legs. His warm feet did not seem to support that idea so another opinion and one that is consistent with the symptoms over the last week and a half is that Oscar has what is called Coonhound Paralysis.

There is no known cure but the good news is that it seems to pass anywhere between two weeks to two months. For now he gets his walk in a pram and he is loving the extra attention despite being somewhat bewildered by his condition.

I think he thought he would be back to normal and it took him over a week to realise it was ok to relieve himself laying down. The gentle vibration of the pram ride along the dirt road to the park allows him to loosen up enough to do number 2 and he enjoys laying in the soft grass there while I bag up and dispose of his gift to mankind. 

A wire crate with two bits of foam on top with a small gap between allows him to do numer 1 without requiring a full bath each time. That being said it has become a bit like having a baby. 

8 days ago he was able to stand on his back legs if I supported his tummy but only for about 30 seconds. His front legs were totally limp though until Friday night, as of yesterday he was able to walk with my support for about 30-40 seconds though he was extremely tired after he was quite proud of himself. 

I just put him down after a walk a few minutes ago and he sat up with his front legs. He dropped again after 30 seconds but after this long it is just great to see him improving. 

I do turn him on his back and exercise his legs each day and generous people in the community have donated a sling and a baby backpack for walks where a pram is not practical and he is quite happy with either of those too.

If your dog comes down with this remember a pinched nerve will appear similar so look at that option too. I hope to update this post with a video in a few days so others can hopefully benefit from the experience in looking after their canine friend.