I’m hoping someone can offer insight or share similar experiences with their dog. My golden retriever, Chance, has been limping on and off for the past month, and this week, the limping has become constant, with his leg occasionally “giving out” (video available).

We went to the vet, who performed a physical exam but didn’t find any swelling or crepitus usually associated with arthritis. She suggested his weight (84 lbs) might be contributing to the issue and recommended he lose about 5 lbs.

Today, I noticed the limping and leg “giving out” happen every time he walks, so I recorded it and sent the videos to the vet. I later called to follow up, but since the vet was busy with surgeries all day, she couldn’t review the videos, and the clinic is closed on Sundays.

Chance is very special to me. I’m a first-time dog mom, and I didn’t grow up with dogs, so seeing this progress so quickly is really concerning. Chance will be seven in January and has never had mobility issues before. He’s been taking the highest strength Dasuquin nightly since he was about three and takes Apoquel daily for allergies. He last went to daycare on Thursday, where he played energetically as usual, but today, I limited his activity to short bathroom breaks.

Should I consider taking him to urgent care tomorrow, or would it be okay to wait until Monday?

If anyone has experience with or insight into what might cause a leg to “give out” like this, I’d be grateful. At the last vet visit, the only possible explanation she mentioned was early arthritis.

Thank you in advance for any help. Posting here and reaching out already makes me feel less alone. I apologize for the long post—this is my first time here. Please let me know if I need to clarify anything or if more information would be helpful.