My dog yelps after chasing a bunny. Could it be a muscle strain?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may show soreness or limping once he calms down and the adrenaline wears off. It is a good sign that he continued to run! Likely there isn't any broken bones! If he starts to limo rest him and take him to your Vet if it doesn't improve in a few days. Good luck and have a good day!

Poor Cooper! From your description, my main concern is that Cooper may be experiencing some mild neck and/or back pain that flares up intermittently. At this point, I do recommend taking Cooper back to his vet for a repeat exam. Some dogs can be extremely stoic, even while experiencing pain, as a defense mechanism. Your vet will be able to thoroughly evaluate Cooper's back and neck to determine if he is showing any sign of discomfort and prescribe pain medication if necessary. Until you can take him to the vet, confine Cooper to a large crate or small room to prevent him from running, jumping or playing, as this can exacerbate any back injury or pain. I hope this helps and that he feels better soon!

Boba may have overdone it. Rest him for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a leash, and bring him right back in when he's done. If he still appears painful after this time, then I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. He may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given.

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Charlie sounds like he is having an issue that comes and goes. The most common causes of lameness in his back legs at his age are a ligament tear, knee cap luxation (moves out of its normal groove), followed by a foreign object stuck in his paw. It is also possible that he simply strained a hip muscle. No matter the case, he needs to be evaluated by a vet to determine exactly which. He may just need a little rest and anti-inflammatory therapy, but a sedated exam and radiographs may be needed to rule out significant disease that could need surgery to fix. Do not give anything over the counter for his discomfort as those medications can be quite harmful to Charlie. Keep him from running around and playing too hard until you can get him in to be evaluated by a veterinarian. While I'd recommend having him seen as soon as you can, his condition should be okay to wait for a day or two if you can't get into your vet right away. However, if his pain is unbearable, you may want to take him to an emergency vet tonight. Hope this helps, and I hope Charlie gets to feeling better soon!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Limping is a sign of pain. It sounds as though it is likely a strain or a sprain. The best thing to do it limit his activity because continued use will not allow a strain or sprain to heal. So no running, jumping, no stairs or jumping on/off the furniture and leash walks only for at least 7 days. If the limp doesn't improve with in those 7 days Shadow should be seen by a Vet or sooner if it worsens. It is not wrong to have Shadow seen sooner than later as well. Do not give any human pain medications, dogs do not metabolize drugs like people do and they may interfere with medications your Vet may want to prescribe. I hope this helps and I wish Shadow a speedy recovery!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is possible that he could have sustained a minor soft tissue injury, but as long as he is otherwise acting normally - eating/drinking/urinating/defecating - and not showing any signs of lameness/limping, he should be OK! I hope this is helpful!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bauer! Limping and crying out is a sign of pain. I am glad that he is putting weight on the leg. Common causes of a hing leg injury are: strain or sprain of the muscle, torn ACL (ligament in the knee), out of place knee cap (common in small dogs), back injury (sciatic pain), aggravated hip dysplasia, luxated hip or a fracture. I would strictly rest Bauer, which means no running/jumping/stairs, no playing with other dogs or toys and leash walking only. If the injury doesn't start to improve in a few days then Bauer should be examined by your Vet. I wish you the best!