Why is my senior dog lethargic and yelping when I put on her coat?

I am so sorry to hear that Daisy is sick. Lethargy can be a symptom of many different problems. However, at her age I worry about things like kidney failure, liver disease, and cancer. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Many problems can be treated if caught early, but if you wait too long they can be life threatening. The veterinarian will likely recommend blood work and possibly an X-ray to help determine the diagnosis. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I suppose it could be pain - some dogs just tend to be stoic at the vet hospital and will not react painfully. The fact that Ace doesn't want to jump and avoids being picked up makes me wonder if he might have some back pain. There are of course many other diseases that could cause lethargy with normal lab work - tick borne disease and splenic disease are two possibilities. You may want to recheck with your vet and see if they would recommend more tests, or you could ask about a trial of pain medication to see if Ace improves.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly neck or back pain. It could still be pain associated with a leg even if nothing seems wrong with them. It sounds like he is in discomfort. I recommend that you have Simon evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics include radiographs. Treatment would be based on findings. At the very least they can prescribe pain control medications to make Simon feel better. In the meantime, reduce his activity as much as possible as that in itself can make a big difference. Good luck and have a good day!

Poor Lily! If she yelps when she is touched in these areas, this is likely a sign that something is painful - even if she doesn't react when you examine her afterwards. She may have a pinched nerve, a herniated or "slipped" disc, or arthritis pain that could be causing her to do this. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam when you are able to - he/she can do x-rays if needed to help determine the problem and can also prescribe pain medication for her to help make her more comfortable.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This behavior could be due to older age and brain senile problems but also shivering and lethargy could be caused by arthritic pain. A visit at your local vets is recommended as Carly will probably benefit from medications to treat chronic pain or from medications that help for dementia.

Poor Lucy! Yelping related to being picked up or otherwise physically handled usually indicates that the dog is painful somewhere. Lucy may have arthritis, back or neck pain, or may have injured herself somehow. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam. Your veterinarian knows how to do a thorough orthopedic exam to help determine where she may be painful, and may recommend x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem. It's likely that she would benefit from some type of pain medication (either short or long-term, depending on the problem) which your veterinarian can prescribe for her.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to some degree of pain or discomfort. I highly recommend that you have Sassy evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to investigate what could be the source pain and treat accordingly. At the very least, they could prescribe pain control medications. Good luck!