My dog has back pain. How can I help him feel better at home?

Hello. I agree, surgery at this age would not be ideal given her age. You do not indicate what meds she is already on, but she should be receiving an NSAID such as meloxicam, carprofen, or any one of several excellent drugs in this classification. I would also have her on gabapentin, possibly tramadol, & maybe even Adequan injections, just in case some of her joints are painful. An alternative for the NSAIDs would be steroids as they are very good at reducing inflammation, but that does put her at some risk for side effects. Hopefully, these can keep him comfortable for some time to come. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You can do some gentle massage to relax his muscles. Using heat on his back may relieve the pain also. Continue the gabapentin as directed and keep him quiet and in a bed or crate as movement may increase the pain. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Harley.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately, intervertebral disk disease is the bane of all long backed dogs. The key to recovery is pain medication either in the form of a steroid like prednisone, or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as rimadyl, carprofen, metacam, etc. & STRICK rest. Ace must not jump, run, or be at all active while trying to heal. It can take 3 weeks for the disk to heal. You can apply alternating treatments of heat & cold by warming a sock with rice in the microwave ( make sure it is warm & not hot ), using it on Ace for 10 minutes, then apply a bag of frozen peas for 10 minutes. You can do this twice a day, but make sure there is a towel between the heat & cold, & move the application frequently to prevent hot or too cold spots. If Ace remains painful, you can ask your vet for an appropriate additive to Ace's medication. A muscle relaxant might be appropriate, or additional pain medications in the form of tramadol or gabapentin. These things take time. Hopefully, he will feel better by tomorrow. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can be quite painful and strong pain control medications such as opioids and NSAIDs should be considered. I agree with your veterinarian in that it takes several weeks on antibiotics to resolve. I would recommend that you consider contacting your veterinarian so that they consider prescribing something strong to treat his pain. I really hope he feels better.

Poor Benito! When pets don't respond as well to anti-inflammaorties, I often try them on steroids (for 2-4 weeks), muscle relaxers and opioid pain medication. During this time, Benito should be crated at all times, allowed outside on a leash only to potty because you MUST make sure he is not moving around too much. You may also look into acupuncture or laser therapy which can also help significantly. Benito should be examined every 2 weeks until he is back to normal. The medications may need to be adjusted based upon his response. I hope this helps and that he feels better quickly.

There is more you can do for Dexter. He may improve with acupuncture for the neurological deficits and it can relieve his pain and help him relax and enjoy life. As far as the walking goes getting him specific exercises to retrain his legs will improve his walking. If there is a veterinary rehabilitation center near you they should be able to help you with these exercises and get you in touch with an acupuncture veterinarian. If they offer hydrotherapy, walking in the underwater treadmill will improve his strength and gait. Many dogs do get better so please continue with the medication and seek out some alternative treatments if you can. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Dexter.

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!