My dog screamed, fell, and has an arched back. Is it a pulled muscle?

Hi, it can certainly be a pulled muscle and that the pain is elicited when you put pressure on that specific area. If he has eaten and passed normal feaces fine, I would recommend to let him a have a quiet week-end and monitor how symptoms until Monday. If he still seems to be yelping, even if left often, have him checked over. Obviously, if you are worried in the meantime have him checked over sooner. However, with pulled muscles, normally rest does the trick.

A typical scenario is that the dog runs around happily and then yelps and does not put weight on one of the hind legs. This is very typical for a cruciate ligament rupture or partial rupture. He could also have a sprain or pulled a muscle. Your vet should be able to diagnose this easily and then discuss the options of cruciate ligament repair with you if indicated. Her is some information on CCL rupture: https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/cranial-cruciate-ligament-disease Keep him quiet until tomorrow, he needs to rest. Leash walk him only for elimination or carry him out. Tomorrow, when you go to the vet, carry him to the car and also carry him from the car to the vet. That should help.

Unfortunately, if he is not really using it, it does hurt. I would be concerned about a cruciate ligament rupture in a big dog that was playing for a few hours yesterday. I would call your veterinarian in the morning and have them evaluate his leg. They can give him pain medication and depending on the physical examination they may recommend x-rays. In the meantime I would recommend strict rest, no off leash activity. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Oh no, poor Pippin! Yes, it is possible that she could have pulled a muscle if she is a little lethargic and yelped when you try to pick her up. I would watch her for the next 24-48 hours. If she still appears painful and lethargic over this time, then I would have her seen by a vet for a health check. Should she develop other signs such as anorexia, vomiting, or diarrhea, then I would have her seen by a vet right away.

Aww poor guy. He may have a muscle sprain. You can apply a cold compress onto the areas that appear sore for 5-10 minute intervals twice a day for next few days. Also limit his activity, don't encourage active play, and leash walk him only outside. If this is just a muscle sprain then he should improve over the next 48-72 hrs. However keep in mind that he should be able to at least move the limb somewhat, there shouldn't be a significant amount of noticeable swelling, and it shouldn't appear to be dangling (possible fracture). These are all signs that you shouldn't wait and should take him in right away. I do not recommend giving him any over the counter human pain medication, because these are not safe for pets due to high risk of acute liver and kidney damage. If he is still limping after that time frame, or getting any worse, then it is best to have your vet take a look at him to make sure he doesn't have more serious internal injuries (ligament injury, hairline bone fracture, dislocation).

Hello and thank you for your inquiry. I am so sorry to hear about poor Luna and her pain. Without knowing more about the amount of time she has been exhibiting signs of pain, I can answer this two different ways. If her pain has recently started within the past 24-48 hrs, yes she could have a pulled muscle or strained something and this would cause her to have pain when rising. If the pain on rising has been present for longer than 2 days, we would worry about other things like osteoarthritis or another disease of the musculoskeletal system. Siberian huskys are a breed of dog that can get hip or spinal dysplasia. These diseases can also cause the dog to be painful upon rising but they can than get better as the day progresses. If the pain has only started very recently, my advice is to keep her in a confined place for 24-48 hrs with minimal leash walking as the only activity. During this time, please do not give any OTC or other veterinary pain medicine because you do not want the pain to be masked. If there is no improvement after the confinement or if the signs you are describing have been going on for a long while, I encourage you to take her to your local veterinarian for physical exam and diagnostic testing like xrays as soon as possible. I hope this helps.

It sounds like Daddy injured himself jumping up on the bed. I recommend resting him for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a lead only, and bring him right back in when he's done. If he still appears painful after this time, then I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. He may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Best of luck, I hope this helps!