Why is my Boxer's stiff neck not improving despite vet care?

Hello. Yes, it is time to have some additional diagnostics done. I would definitely recommend starting with x-rays of the head & neck region to rule out cervical arthritis. Blood work & a urinalysis would give a good indication if there is any infection or organ dysfunction ongoing. If necessary, a spinal tap & possibly an MRI may be necessary to diagnose her, but let's start simply & see what an x-ray & blood work show you. I do hope you can have her seen soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. At Peques's age neck pain is usually caused by intervertebral disc problem or chronic arthritis / spondylitis. X-ray/CT scan is helpful to identify what is the problem and to decide what is the best treatment. If Peques is still showing signs of pain and crating is not a viable option, getting a second pain killer will be probably the best course of action. Your local vet will be able to prescribe him an anti-inflammatory medication or a different pain killer for a trial to see if they can keep him pain free.

Hello, sorry to hear about snowball. It sounds like his neck pain may be coming either from some muscle sprain or it could be coming from a nerve injury. If his sings are not improving with the medications, then I would be more concerned with nerve pain, and most commonly this may be associated with a herniated disk. To determine if this is primarily a nerve disease, a neurologic evaluation would be beneficial and he may then require an MRI. If positive for a herniated disk, then Snowball may require surgery to treat this. Have Snowball evaluated if his pain persists. In the interim, you should keep Snowball strictly rested and do not allow and jumping, running, or rough housing as this can worsen disk disease. Hope this helps and best of luck.

You may ask the vet if there is a 24-hour care vet that could continue treatment. If this is truly a neurologic condition from an issue in the back or neck, it may or may not get better quickly. You may need to discuss surgical options with the vet. Also, discuss the pain medication and treatment protocol with your vet, and discuss who you can call if you experience any issues over the holiday. I am sorry Fred isn't feeling well. I hope this helps a little!

There is not enough information here for me to properly help you. If a vet, in person, has not been able to help you I don't think us, over the internet without examining the dog or knowing the history, will be able to help you. My recommendation would be to get a second opinion from another vet if your current vet is unable to help you. If he is unresponsive to antibiotic therapy the type of antibiotic may need to be changed or he may need to be on a couple antibiotics at the same time. Not to scare you but cancer is VERY common in Boxers and being that he is older and he is not responding to therapy I would have this a differential diagnosis. I don't know what diagnostic testing has been done (if any) but that is often important. If you don't allow any testing to be done the vet is only doing his/her best to guess what might help. Some things cannot be fixed without testing. Regardless of all that, it sounds like his condition is very serious and that he may be suffering. If nothing can be figured out then you may need to consider humane euthanasia if his quality of life is not good. Of course, you know him best and I am just speculating but you should have that in the back of your mind if treatment is failing to cure him. I am sorry you are going through this. I hope this was helpful. If you have more questions please feel free to ask again. Best wishes.

Poor puppy!! It sounds like your dog is on all the correct medications. I would try to find a canine acupuncturist as it can help greatly in cases of wind up pain such as you are describing. Intractable pain is also a reason for surgical decompression of the spinal cord as well. Otherwise keep doing what you are doing. If your dog will allow you to hot pack his neck that can be helpful as well.

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. Since he has not improved after seeing your veterinarian, I recommend that you have Romeo reevaluated by a 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 Romeo 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!