My dog is suddenly stiff, in pain, and won't eat. What's wrong?

I would recommend that Max get checked out by a vet. His symptoms to not fit with any single disease or issue, but it could be caused by pain from arthritis, muscle problems, neurologic disease, intestinal issues (blockage, cancer, inflammation, infection), internal medical issues (liver or kidney disease), or something else. After thorough physical examination, the vet will probably recommend bloodwork and maybe x-rays to determine what could be the cause of his symptoms.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to neck pain for example. He may not be eating due to pain. I would recommend you consider taking him to your veterinarian so they can check for this. They can then treat accordingly. In the meantime, try to rest him and avoid touching his neck. Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Poor guy. : ( It sounds like he may have a severe reaction to the ticks or any number of underlying problems such as tick paralysis. He needs to go to a vet pronto for some much needed antibiotics to hopefully help stabilize his condition. I would recommend consulting with your vet for antibiotics (i.e. Doxycycline) and pain medication (i.e. Gabapentin) to help poor Max. I do hope that Max is able to fully recover from this illness soon! Best of luck moving forward. Take care.

He may have some spinal cord problems, especially with the cervical spinal cord, such as a slipped disk or arthritic changes that press on nerves and are painful. Ob is apparently very much in pain and therefore should be seen by a veterinarian tonight. The vet will do a thorough physical exam, palpate the spine to find where the pain is coming from, and also do a neurological exam and then x-rays. He will then discuss the exam findings with you and possible treatment. Your dog will get pain medicine and other medications as necessary. Dogs with pain often do not eat, and eating also may be painful as he has to chew, open his mouth and move the jaws. This may be more painful than lapping up water.

Poor baby. It sounds like he may have injured something. It is common for them to injure their back or neck and act this way. I would have your vet look st him today. Your vet will be able to localize the pain and give him the appropriate pain meds to help him feel better. If it is his lower back, you vet may also prescribe him a stool softener so it is easier for him to have a bowel movement. Your vet will also be able to do X-rays if needed. I do not recommend to give any human pain meds as most of these are toxic to dogs. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better soon!

Hello, thank you for your question about Max. Based on Max's sore foot and the progression of his symptoms I would be suspicious that Max could have a tick-borne infection. These often start with signs of limping or discomfort but can progress to inappetance, vomiting, or other signs. If Max has already been prescribed an antibiotic for such infections, you could try cooking a bland/enticing diet such as boiled chicken/hamburger and white rice, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, or pasta. If Max is reluctant to eat even these things and continues to act sick I would recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian so that they can evaluate him and discuss other diagnostic or treatment options. Hope this helps, good luck!

Poor Axle! This definitely sounds like a neck or back injury. They can tweak their back from running too fast or turning/jumping the wrong way. This could be an inflamed intervertebral disc or a pulled muscle. I would strictly confine him for a week. I would also have your vet check him out to confirm this is the problem. Your vet will be able to get him started on some pain anti-inflammatory meds to help heal his injury and make him feel better. If he looks like he is labored breathing, his gums are not pink, or he is walking really wobbly (drunk walking), then I would take him to the emergency clinic as This could be a serious problem and need to be addressed immediately. I hope this helps and that sweet baby starts to feel better soon.