My dog is 10 and flinches/shakes when I touch his back. What's wrong?

I am not sure how old your pet is but if there are no external punctures or rashes to be found, then it is possible that his bones are the source of pain. Arthritis is the number one reason for pain in the lower back and hip area. Also the armpit area is the shoulder, which is another source of arthritic pain. If he is a younger dog than some inflammation of the bone is possible (i.e. Hypertrophic Osteopathy or Hypertrophic Osetodystrophy, Degenerative joint disease). All of these conditions are diagnosed with a radiograph that your vet can perform in the hospital. If your pet is older you can try some joint supplements to see if this makes a difference. My top brands are Dasuquin and Cosequin.

At 15 years old she could definitely have a medical issue going on. I suspect she may have some arthritis in her spine and hips/back legs which is why she is seeming sensitive on her back and limping on the hind limbs. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam and to get some medication to help with the arthritis (if that is what is going on). We cannot diagnose over the internet of course I cannot tell you 100% for sure what is going on without examining her myself. That is why you need your local vet to help you figure out what is going on and how best to treat her. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I would be concerned that Max is suffering from arthritis. Sometimes like with people a patient will act completely normal and than after exercise like a walk be painful. I would recommend restricted activity for 4-5 days and see how he feels. If he is still painful I would take him to a vet for an x-ray of his back and possible starting pain medications. You can try an over the counter glucosamine and chondroitin supplement with helps with joint inflammation and arthritis formation.

Shaking often indicates pain and can be seen with arthritis as they age. This could also indicate a problem with the nervous system and one major cause of this in senior dogs is a condition known as cognitive dysfunction. Below is a link to more information about this condition. https://www.petcoach.co/article/cognitive-dysfunction-senility-in-dogs In order to narrow down the cause of this, a vet would need to examine BlueBerry and may need to do some testing. It's likely that this condition can be treated, so it's worth taking her to the vet as soon as possible to prevent her condition from getting worse. I hope that helps and BlueBerry gets better soon.

Poor Phoebe! Shaking like this is a common sign of pain in dogs, especially when there is no other obvious reason (such as fear or cold) for her to be doing this. Many dogs who have back pain due to a herniated disc or other problem act very much like this, so this would be my first suspicion based on your description. She could also be uncomfortable due to abdominal pain, or some other injury that is not visible from the outside. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam today if possible - he/she can do x-rays or other testing if needed to help determine the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Shaking can be a symptom of many things and if Jake is older, the shaking could be due to weakness if he has lost muscle in his legs. Shaking can definitely be a sign of arthritis and if you do not have him on any joint supplementation or any pain medications, it may be time to consider these. For joint supplements, I recommend Cetyl-M, Cosequin or Dasaquin products. For anti-inflammatories, I would recommend discussing these with your veterinarian to see if Jake indeed needs any pain medications. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I would also consider having Jake's blood tested at the veterinary clinic to make sure there is nothing else going on that could be causing the shaking.

Poor Ace! It sounds like he needs to see the veterinarian today. The shaking may be related to a fever or pain. When pets exhibit back pain, it can be from a compressed disc, a slipped disc, discospondlylitis (an infection), a broken vertebrae, a tumor or an infection within the spinal canal. All of these conditions can result in severe pain and they all require treatment. Your veterinarian will need an x-ray to look at the spine. They can also provide medications to make Ace feel better. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.