My old arthritic dog is crying and won't lift his head. What's wrong?

It could be arthritis but it could also be a soft tissue injury or something else entirely. I can't really say much just based on one yelp. Where on his body were you touching when he yelped? His head? Could be an ear problem. His neck or back? Could be a soft tissue injury or arthritis. I don't suggest you do anything but keep him calm, warm and comfortable. Minimize activity so he doesn't continue to aggravate the situation and just get him to the vet when you can especially if he continues to cry out like he is in pain. Over the counter medications are really not recommended and can cause more problems if you don't know what you are treating.

It sounds like Chuck potentially has some neck pain. This could be due to many different issues, but most common would be a slipped disc. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. If he is really painful then he should be treated by and emergency clinic veterinarian tonight. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

This sounds like he has bad back or hip pain. He needs veterinary attention right away. They will prescribe pain medication and may do X-rays to determine if he has hip or spinal arthritis. With treatment he should improve if he was fine before. Sometimes back or arthritis pain is worse after a lot of activity, or from being confined and not being able to move around. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Alfa.

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. I recommend that you have Chico 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 Chico 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 night!

The most likely cause for your dog's pain would be arthritis based on her age and the description of the problem you provided. Arthritis is an extremely common condition in dogs. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam. There are definitely good medications that can be used to make her feel better. ( https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8896028 )

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.

If your dog is unable to lift his head there is something seriously wrong. At best he must be in a lot of discomfort from a soft tissue injury, and it could be something more sinister than that. I would take him to your vet asap.