Why does my dog cry when I touch his rear or struggle with stairs?

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ben. He sounds painful with his struggling to move and crying. He could have arthritis, back pain or a muscle strain. If he was particularly playful yesterday or this morning, he may have over done it and be sore now. Back pain is more common in small breed dogs. It is demonstrated by a reluctance to do stairs, jump on furniture or even the inability to properly use a limb. Arthritis tends to be more common in larger dogs. It is usually a gradual slowing down or stiffness, but can be exeracerbated by hard play. Ben will need to see his veterinarian to determine the source of his pain. In the meantime, keep him quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lazy! She does sound very painful! She likely has hurt her back, hips or tail. The fact she cries out when you touch her there and when trying to get up indicates back end pain. Some dogs with anal gland issues or Lyme disease can show similar symptoms. I would have her seen today by your Vet before the weekend. They will very likely on physical exam be able to tell where she hurts. They can then prescribe the correct and safest medications for her condition. I hope this helps and I wish Lazy a speedy recovery!

This is a sign of pain/discomfort which commonly can be commonly due to anal glands problems (inflammation/impaction for example), or to hip or spinal pain. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Unfortunately without more clinical informations it is going to be difficult to give you more specific advices. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

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!

This sounds like he’s in pain. It can be from arthritis, a knee ligament injury or pain from his back. Arthritis should show up on x rays, and he would be lame on one leg if it’s a cruciate ligament injury. Back pain can be caused by a bulging intervertebral disc and can me difficult to see on x rays. It can cause trouble walking with incoordination. Regardless I would try Tom on pain medication to see if that helps and keep him quiet. No running or jumping and lots of short slow leash walks. Once the pain is controlled he should eat better. If there is no improvement I recommend a rcheck or an exam with a veterinary specialist. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Tom.

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.