My dog is sluggish after playing hard. Could he be sore or dehydrated?

If he is regularly active and has this issue than that would be concerning he could have some arthritis in his joints due to dysplasia or another conformational abnormality. We can also have heart issue lead to weakness, or neuromusclular disease such as myasthenia gravis. If he is getting very tired every once in awhile after a rare day of lots of activity (say he normally goes on a 20 minute long walk every day, but this weekend he walked for 5 hours and is sore the next day) then this could just be that is is overexerting himself. But what you are describing sounds more concerning and I would recommend a visit to his vet for an examination.

It may be Cooper overdid it outside today. I recommend resting him for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a leash, 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.

Poor Deeter! If he's slow using stairs, then that shows that he is in pain. It's possible that he could have bruised his muscle or pulled something, and it's not normal for it to feel hard. 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. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Poor Brutus! It could be he may be sore from a very busy week, and it's making it a little harder for him to get up and walk. He could also have a problem with his hips and/or legs. I would rest for the next 48-72 hours. Keep him indoors and quiet as possible, taking him out to toilet on a lead only and bring him right back in when he's done. No running or jumping. If he is still having problems getting up and walking after 72 hours, or he can't get up at all, becomes extremely lethargic, or develops other symptoms such as limp, I would take him into a vet right away.

He could simply be tired, but if it goes on for more than 24 hours, I'd recommend a check up with his vet to make sure nothing is going on. He could have pulled a muscle or eaten something more than you realized during the visit. If he's not eating, extremely lethargic, or vomiting, I'd go to the vet ASAP.

Hello. As long as Mike is still eating, drinking, and playing later in the day I would assume he is just tired. If it was very hot out today then you may want to have Mike checked out, but if he is eating, drinking, not vomiting, and not having any other problems you can keep an eye on him for now.

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.