My dog has a back injury. Is her immobility from pain meds?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While back pain may definitely be the cause of this, other conditions can cause Honey to be less active or painful. For instance, conditions such as pancreatitis can cause abdominal pain, and thus reduced activity. I recommend having Honey seen by a vet, who can perform bloodwork and x-rays to determine what is causing these signs. Blodwork would be able to rule out any malfunctioning organs or infections, while x-rays can rule out abdominal masses and vertebral fractures or herniated discs. I hope all is well with Honey!

Sorry to hear about Clive. The mainstay treatments for orthopedic injuries are pain killers and anti inflammatories (NSAIDs). Since there may be a spinal / neural component to this, neuropathic medications and muscle relaxants may also come in very helpful especially during times of additional breakthrough discomfort. The type of medication to be dispensed will ultimately be a discussion with your primary vet, but NSAIDs that are common include carprofen (Rimadyl), deracoxib (Deramaxx), and meloxicam (Metacam). Other medications are things like opioids including tramadol and hydrocodone. In terms of the back, I would consider medications like gabapentin and methocarbamol to address this. There is another medication that I use in patients with refractory pain called amantadine, but I find it only effective when used in conjunction with NSAIDs. The periodic or daily use of many of these medications should be coupled with blood work at least twice yearly to be sure liver and kidney values are not elevating. Hope you get Clive all straightened out!

It sounds like Bella is in pain. She likely won't sit down because it hurts too much. It is concerning that she won't eat, and that tells me she is in a lot of pain. I'd take her into the vet first thing in the morning. Tonight, rest her. No running, jumping, or playing. Take her out to potty on a leash only, and bring her right back in when she's done. Please do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. The vet can prescribe safe pain medications as needed. Best of luck.

Hi and thank you for reaching out to Pet Coach about Gaby. I am so sorry to hear that she got hurt. Since Gaby's pain level has not significantly improved on the medications she has at home I am just as concerned as you are. You did not mention the exact medications that she is on but I am wondering if an additional medication may help her. If Gaby had any sort of neck/back pain during her trauma, it may help her to add a muscle relaxant to her treatment regimen (methocarbamol/robaxin). You should give your veterinarian a call right away to see if this would be an appropriate addition to her current treatments. You mention trouble walking and this is concerning for either primary neurological or orthopedic problem related to her fall. Even though xrays did not reveal a fracture, there are many problems that may still not have shown up (herniated disc, pinched spinal nerve). Sometimes the pain from these types of falls is bad enough that these older dogs need to be in the hospital on IV pain control to get them feeling better. I would highly recommend to consult with your veterinarian and assess if Gaby's pain is bad enough to warrant treatment in the hospital or just possibly try an additional medication at this time. In the meantime please restrict her exercise and movement to a bare minimum so that she does not further injure herself. Best of luck to your sweet Gaby.

It doesn't take much for them to hurt their back. Just jumping outside on the fence, chasing a squirrel and turning wrong, jumping on the bed or couch, just doing their normal day to day things. It is really hard to say. I'm not even sure that she has a back problem. I can't tell for sure without laying my hands on her and examining her myself. It is just my best guess. That is why a vet exam is so important. If you are truly worried this much you should take her in to an emergency clinic now. It is better to be safe than sorry. Best wishes. I hope Minnie gets back to feeling better soon.

Oh my. Poor guy. : ( Arthritis can progress fairly quickly in pets, even when they are on the proper medication. The only thing you really can do at this point is to have Roscoe re-examined by your vet for a full evaluation. Repeat or initial radiographs of his back legs and hips should be considered and then if arthritis is indeed the only problem here, your vet can prescribe additional medication to hopefully help stabilize Roscoe and properly manage his pain. However, I suspect that he may have a back injury if he is crying out in pain, which may not be so easily treated. I do hope that there is something that can be done here. Some additional medications to consider are Gabapentin (for pain) and an injectable osteoarthritis medication called Adequan. Best of luck moving forward with your pet Roscoe and I hope that he regains his mobility soon. Take care.

It's possible she has injured her back. many times there will not be any signs on a physical exam until the injury happens. Certainly an injury to the joints of the leg are also possible. I recommend to try to get her examined as soon as you can. A back injury can become chronic and serious in nature (just like humans). Be up front with the doctor about your cost concerns. Until you have her examined, she needs exercise restriction so NO running, jumping, going for walks, stairs or getting on the furniture. Crate her when you are not watching her and she should be on a leash anytime she goes outside. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.