Wondering if anyone here has any ideas or suggestions:

A guy I know has a young (3-4 year old) Golden, and the dog has some sort of neurological disorder that causes him to drag the foot on one of his hind legs; this results in the dog tripping on his own feet (paws) and when he does that, he strains the knee joint in that leg.

The owner said that the vet diagnosed this. The foot sort of hangs down and interferes with the dog's normal gait, but the dog compensates okay when walking -- it's a problem when the dog runs.

Is there anything that can be done about this? The condition sounds vaguely familiar -- is it some kind of neuropathy?

I suggested chiropractic care. Any other advice or suggestions would be very welcome.

I saw it years ago in two dogs while I worked for the ortho vet and it was a degenerative nerve disease - both patients it was a rear leg. The one dog's treatment was to amputate, the other was to wear a boot to protect the dragging foot.

I'd try searching using GSD in the search string - it is supposedly common in the breed (according to that vet at the time).

I just read about a neurological condition that Corgis get and that was one of the symptoms, that the foot doesn't readjust when its on it's way down. But the Corgi disease is usually late in life and leads to eventual paralysis. In their case its called Degenerative Myelopathy.

I doubt that this is the same thing since its a young dog and i don't know how long he's had the condition. But just throwing the name out there.

Corgis, boxers, german shepherds, ridgebacks, and chesapeakes.

I've got myself half convinced that Caiman is developing degenerative myelopathy on very little evidence. I know in the knowing part of my brain that it is unlikely, but he is exactly the right age (8-9 in chessies, and he's 8-1/2), one of his rear toe nails is shorter than the others (uneven wear on rear nails is an early sign), and he is not unrelated to some affected dogs.

In german shepherds I think it can occur as early as 5. Still, I doubt it is what this dog has.

Maybe beginnings of Wobbler's Disease/Syndrome? Do Goldens get that?

I *think* it may be related to the dog's thyroid disease. I know the dog is hypothyroid. Also, I think I got the guy's dogs mixed up and it's the older Golden who has the dragging-foot thing.

Sadie started dragging her foot just before she was diagnosed with hypothyroid. Since going on meds, it has not occured again. I'd certainly check that out first. Get the TSH test, not just T3 and T4, as it is the most precise and provides confirmation. Costs a bit more, but is less likely to mislead someone into thinking the dog is hypothyroid when it is not or vice versa.

My old foster, Isaac, had degenerative myelopathy. Generally there are other symptoms by the time the foot dragging occurs - lack of coordination, bumping into walls, weak back end, back legs positioned unnaturally close together, overal muscle loss.

it very well could be related to the thryoid.

I would still consider a chiro as my first stop...

Isn't there a condition similar to multiple sclerosis in humans that has been noted in greyhounds and GSD? Some MS human patients will drag their feet.

Yep, that's DM, Degenerative Myelopathy (sp?). Didn't know it was a Corgi thing too.