Any help is appreciated for my best friend.

I hope he can help you and your dog.

You can test for spinal problems at home. Have someone help you lift him up to a standing position. Flip his foot under so he would be standing on the top of his foot. If he does not flip his foot back over almost immediately, he has a spinal problem (loss of proprioception). Now let him lay back down on his side. Pinch his toes on both legs, separately, HARD. He should turn around and acknowledge the pinch. Withdrawing the leg does not mean that he feels the pain in his brain, he has to turn around and actually look to see what is pinching his foot. If you are pinching with all your might, and he doesn't feel it, that is a bad sign. That means he has lost deep pain, and he needs back surgery NOW, not in 24 hours, NOW. The longer he goes without deep pain sensation, the less likely surgery is to fix it, and without surgery there is little hope at all to regain rear leg function. A dog with simple hip dysplasia would know to flip his foot back over, and would react to being pinched. If he does have deep pain, but doesn't flip his foot over, then medical management MAY work, but you have to watch carefully for signs of worsening.

Spinal problems are not that common in Goldens, but any dog can be affected. Don't force him to move unless necessary, as it can worsen a spinal injury. Help him stand up and use a towel as a sling to help him walk to go potty. The fewer stairs he has to use the better.

There are certainly other reasons that a dog would suddenly lose function of both rear legs. Best case scenario is a fibrocartilagenous embolism or FCE. We don't know how it happens, but somehow a piece of fibrocartilage breaks free and dings the spinal cord. It causes a dog to go down suddenly. This usually happens when the dog is exercising, and is common in large breed dogs. One leg is always much more affected than the other, but it still may be impossible for a dog to stand. They don't lose deep pain sensation, and usually proprioception is slow in one leg and gone in the other. These resolve on their own with cage rest, and it is not at all painful. The paralysis NEVER worsens with this injury. The dogs go down fast and start to recover almost immediately, with full recovery within a week, although some still have some residual issues but nothing that keeps them from walking and running and being a normal dog. I hope this is what your dog has, and the HD is just a red herring.

If your dog is not in pain, and the paralysis does not worsen, and he has deep pain sensation, then it's OK to wait until Monday. No deep pain, and he needs to go to a neurosurgeon NOW. The orthopedic surgeon will certainly evaluate your dog's clinical signs, history, and radiographs before jumping into any type of surgery, and most likely perform a neurological exam as well (or call in a neurologist for a second opinion). Most orthopedic surgeons are very familiar with neurological problems as well, because they get referrals for them a lot by mistake/misdiagnosis. So don't worry about them just jumping in to fix HD and that not being the problem.

Please keep us updated on your dog. We're all pulling for a quick and full recovery!

PTS is the best option if the dog can no longer use its back legs and you haven't the money to afford a pet wheelchair $$$$!

Meghane, I have to admit I assumed the ER vet would have done all this, which is why I said no need to jump the gun,
( which was actually in response to the wheel chair comment) I was just saying not to think the worst yet based on the observation of the ER vet. Scary to think any vet, let alone an ER vet may not have done any of the normal manipulation for rear lameness.

Cindy- I agree, but I've seen many vets who don't know how to do a proper orthopedic/neurological exam. ER vets are generally skilled at keeping animals alive long enough for a different vet to properly diagnose and treat them. I've seen some excellent ER vets and some really terrible ones. My concern was based on the statement that the vet said HD of one leg made the dog paralyzed in both rear legs, which is not possible.

I feel for you and your pup. My dog started to lose rear leg function at the age of 6 also (a labrador retriever), and it ended up being something pretty bad. However, I've always held out hope and it's 4 years later and she's doing ok.

At first, the vet thought it was hip dysplasia. But after an x-ray he referred me to a neurologist thinking it was a spinal tumor, slipped disc, or DM (degenerative myelopathy). It was a spinal tumor.

Instead of getting a wheelchair and planning euthanasia and waiting for the worst, I took things one day at a time, and I still do. If you have the means, then there is SO MUCH veterinary medicine can do these days (Sawyer had an MRI to diagnose the problem, followed by surgery and radiation...who would've thought this technology would be available?). Also, there are so many aids out their for handicapped pets (if that's what he will eventually need), such as a "bottom's up leash" and sacks that wrap around the back half of the dogs body so he doesn't get sores if he drags himself around. Try looking at websites for handicapped pets (I think there is one called handicappedpets.com), even if he needs some help temporarily.

I hope you have taken Meghane's advice. She has been such a help to me and Sawyer.

I wish you and your pup all the luck. You're in my thoughts.

Oh, and please let us know how he is doing.

I think you should get a second opinion before surgery!