My Chihuahua is acting strange, not active, and yelped when moved?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. She needs to see her veterinarian today. I am concerned that she may experiencing neck or back pain. It is common in small breed dogs and can be excruciatingly painful. It starts as a reluctance to walk or move, the dog will avoid stairs and is hesitant to jump on furniture. It is common for the appetite to be decreased and the dog to pant and shake. It can progress to weakness or even paralysis of a limb. So it is best to address it as soon as possible if this is the cause of her symptoms. In the meantime, keep her very quiet and carry her when she needs to move. I hope this information helps you and Lucy. Good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Suzy. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. I worry that she is actually quite painful. Small breed dogs are prone to neck and/or back pain which can be quite excruciating for them. Based your description of her sleeping more than normal, not wanting to do stairs and not running as much, this is a possibility. The veterinarian will examine her and determine if she is in fact painful. If so, x-rays may be taken. Based on these results, treatment can be started to help her feel better. In the meantime, keep her quiet and carry her as much as possible. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. They can also interfere with veterinary medications that may be needed for her. I hope this information helps!

Since I am unable to examine Tia, I would have her examined by your veterinarian to ensure this is nothing serious. If she is acting strange, she could have had a seizure or may be about to have seizure. Certain systemic illnesses may also exhibit similar symptoms. I would definitely get her in for a full workup to be on the safe side. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions / concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation.

Poor Lily! It sounds like she could be suffering from back/neck pain or muscle spasms. I would have your vet take a look at her as soon as possible. Your vet will be able to determine the cause of her pain or weird behavior and get her started on the proper meds if needed to help her feel better. I hope this helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about Kona. He may be having back or neck pain associated with a disk injury. If you think he is in severe pain then he should be seen immediately by a veterinarian to determine the source of his pain. However if you think he can hold until Monday then he may be able to see his veterinarian when they open up. In the interim, please keep him quiet, rested and exercise restricted. That is no jumping, running, playing, or going up/down stairs. Keep him low to the ground and in his kennel for the next 2-3 weeks. When picking him up, keep him in a horizontal position to decrease pressure on his back and neck. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Poor Pandora! I'm sorry she's not feeling well. She may have a back injury that's causing her pain. Other possibilities are some sort of GI disturbance such as pancreatitis, though a urinary problem would be possible as well. Female dogs don't have a prostate though and gallstones are not terribly common. If she's not improving over the course of the next few hours or is getting worse I would take her to the vet to be evaluated.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rio, it sounds like he may be exhibiting this reaction due to pain. Some pets will display similar behavior if they are experiencing pain of the neck/back, abdomen, or mouth (dental). You are correct that these types of reactions can be due to severe anxiety, but this would most likely not affect his appetite and attitude when people are not interacting with him. I would recommend having him thoroughly evaluated by his veterinarian to see if the pain can be localized. Based on the physical examination findings, additional diagnostics may be recommended (complete blood count, serum chemistry, urinalysis), and treatments can be tailored based on findings.