My Boxer falls down a lot

[KC&Tig]

Hello all. We have become more concerned in the past 4-5 months about Tigra- our 9 year old boxer. She has never been very stable while running, and is 'Bambi on ice' on the wood floors, especially her hind legs- but during the past few months her hesitation and frequent falling is causing more concern.
Her previous hhmmmm 'family' never let her up the stairs from the main floor, so she was always clumbsy going up and coming down. she has been with us for 6 years, and she has a habit of running from carpet to carpet to get out side or to greet any visitors.

These past few months, she has also developed a very dark 'bruise-like spot' on her hip. There is no discomfort when touched, but her falling is increasing. We are scheduled to see the vet next week, but any ideas/suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

K&J

[Dangels]

This sounds to me like it could be Wobblers. Those are some of the classic signs of the condition. I'm not sure if Wobblers is a condition common in Boxers or not, but it is found a lot in Great Danes and other large breed dogs. Below is an article from my Great Dane website, along with some links about Wobblers. Other then that, i'm not sure what would be causing her to do that. I hope your vet is able to help you more. Best of luck!

Wobblers Syndrome is a condition that is common in young Great Danes. The condition is caused by malformation of the vertebrae within the neck.
Symptoms of Wobblers usually start with the dog being unwilling to move the neck, followed by weakness, and a lack of coordination of the rear legs. As the condition progresses the dog will also experience weakness and loss of coordination in the front legs. Wobblers is a very serious condition that can progress to complete paralysis. Though there are some treatments available to bring relief, they do not correct the problem. There is a surgery that can be performed to try correcting the problem. Even with this surgery dogs do not always make a full recovery. Wobblers can affect all breeds, but the condition is mostly seen in Doberman Pinschers and Great Danes. A way to possibly help prevent Wobblers in Great Danes is by feeding them a dog food that contains 24% or less protein. Feeding any more then the recommended amount can lead to rapid bone growth in a short period of time, putting the dog at a even higher risk for Wobblers.
Below are some links with more information about Wobblers.
Wobbler Syndrome - Article from Southern California Veterinary Referral Group
A Collection of Information About Wobblers Disease - Article from Doberman Diseases, Wobblers, WOBBLERS SYNDROME, SPONDYLOLITHESIS

[KC&Tig]

Thank you for the info on wobblers, she really doesn't show any signs beyond the lack of balance or control of her hind legs.
UPDATE...
Tig is still falling down, 3 months after her vet visit, which, after a full blood workup was done, she is healthy in all other respects of her life. She has lost a little weight, and we have added a few carpet runners in the hall ways.

KC&Tig

[dogs4life]

Hmm, I don't really know...sounds really puzzling.

What conditions have the vet's ruled out? Also what tests have you run already, x-rays, blood tests and such. This information might help others on the forum help you...

ETA - Have you ruled out Degenerative Myelopathy? Here's 2 links: Dealing with Degenerative Myelopathy in Boxers and Degenerative Myelopathy of German Shepherds