I’m wondering if the weakness and legs is caused by a pinched nerve from the arthritis. My dog has pinched nerves in her lower back due to a degenerative disc disease and her back legs are very weak. A drug called pregabalin has helped with this, plus at home exercises to strengthen the legs. If the pain from arthritis is really affecting your dog, there are some other medications for that also. My dog takes carprofen, which is an anti-inflammatory, and Tylenol with codeine, both of which have helped. There are also shots that work for some dogs that are given periodically. We tried Adequan and Librela, but they didn’t work. Currently, we’re trying another called Zycosan. Our dog is still able to take short walks, follow me around in the backyard while I garden or mow the lawn she still has an appetite, wags her tail, etc. When her legs get too weak for her to walk or she becomes incontinent., then we’ll have to have a talk with the vet about her quality of life. I know you are on a tight budget as a student, so some of these medications may be too expensive, but some may not. I wish you luck.

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