My dog is suddenly inactive, shaking, and walking slow. What's wrong?

It sounds like Ryder may be painful in his joints given that he is walking slowly and lying down frequently. Painful joints can be due to a number of things including immune-mediated disease (IMPA) and some tick-borne diseases, especially if you have recently removed ticks from him. Your veterinarian will be able to determine what is causing Ryder's pain and discomfort and provide appropriate treatment. If you still have questions, please feel free to request a consult with either myself or another expert so that we can ask more specific questions about Ryder's clinical signs and provide you with more information.

It could be that Tyson is in pain, and it sounds like he is quite painful if he cannot walk up or down stairs, and struggles to stand up and lay down. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic for dogs and can be fatal if given. Because this has come on so suddenly and he sounds like he's not doing well, I think he should see a vet now. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian right away if at all possible. The symptoms you have described can be the result of an intoxication, orthopedic pain such as arthritis or a neurological problem. An examination will be performed and x-rays may be needed to diagnose the problem. From there, appropriate treatment can be prescribed. I hope this information helps!

This sounds like severe arthritis of the hip, it could also be a neurological problem, possibly due to some sort of intoxication. I strongly advise taking her to the vet ASAP in order to get it treated.

Hello, thank you for your question. These symptoms could be indicative of many different underlying problems. Shivering/shaking can be a sign of pain in dogs. Alternatively, it is possible that your dog is having a seizure like event. If he is otherwise acting normal and these events are infrequent you could continue to monitor him. Alternatively, if you are concerned you could have him evaluated by your veterinarian. They will examine him and look for any sources of pain. It might be helpful to try and video one of these events if it happens again, since this could help your veterinarian exactly what is going on. Hope this helps!

Poor Luna! Because she is 8 or 9, my first thought is that she may be suffering from arthritis. That would cause her pain, and from your description, it sounds like she is painful. It could also be that she injured herself. Arthritis is common in older dogs. I would take her into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose if she is suffering from arthritis, and can give her some pain meds for it. Rimadyl (an NSAID) is a good drug to give to help with the symptoms of arthritis. I also recommend giving her glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, and you can use it in conjunction with Rimadyl to help maximize relief from her symptoms. Give her vet a call today to make an appointment. Best of luck!

Poor guy. He certainly sounds like he may either be in pain or has some underyling neurological disorder going on here. Your vet should know where to start looking once a complete physical examination is done, because much more information can be gathered here. They will certainly want to start with some baseline bloodwork and possibly some x-rays if he seems to have any musculoskeletal issues as well. Some possible causes for these symptoms would be an underlying neurological disorder (i.e. IVDD), Addison's disease (disease of the adrenal gland), a toxin ingestion, or just pain from something internal. I do hope that your pet starts to feel better soon! Best of luck tonight at the vet. Take care.