My 9-year-old dog is twitching and slowing down. Is she in pain?

Muscles twitches can be caused by weakness or neurological problems affecting long nerves which are supplying legs and peripheral muscles in general. Unfortunately without having a look at her it is really difficult to be able to provide a more specific advice. Given her young age an infective or congenital cause is possible and I would strongly recommend a check up to be able to understand and investigate this sign. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello. At 10 years of age, I would not rule out arthritis in Sookie. But there could be other things going on. A good geriatric blood panel will give a great overview of her health, & then I would try her on a trial of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication to see how she responds. X rays of her neck & back can be very revealing, too. Hopefully, Sookie will be feeling better soon. Take care.

Hi there. Thanks for using PetCoach. It sounds like his enlarged prostate may be causing him some discomfort. It is good that he is having no issues defecating. The other option is that he has some spinal arthritis near his pelvis that is causing his reluctance to jump or possibly a strain/sprain of one of his back muscles. I recommend you get him to your vet for an exam and possibly some x-rays to check his spine/hips and prostate. If you wanted to do something at home you can try using a joint supplement to see if that helps. It may takes weeks though before you notice a big improvement. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I am so sorry to hear that your pet has so many major issues that are debilitating and causing her to have a poor quality of life. I do think that if her condition cannot be improved with medications then it is someting you should discuss with your veterinarian. Humane euthansia, although it is probably not something you want to consider, should be considered if Sophie is not able to helped with medical management. However, there are pain medications that can be tried to see if they make a difference. You can discuss with your vet about trying Tramadol and/or Gabapentin to help with pain management. Probiotics can also be tried to help with her diarrhea, as well as a high fiber diet such as Royal Canin Gasrointestinal High Fiber (Rx). It sounds like she may have cancer involving her nervous system, which is why she can't maintain her mobitliy well. Poor girl. I hope that you can come to terms with her condition and maybe there is more you can try with her. Best wishes with Sophie. We are also available for a private consultation if you need to discuss more about Sophie's condition and futher care recommendations. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry to hear about little Sophia. I am worried in this case about pain- back pain specifically. Her breed and what you describe are very typical of this. But other things such as infection or orgsn disease are possible. I think regardless of cause, Sophia needs to see the doctor for a good physical exam and some prescription pain medication if appropriate. Best of luck to you and Sophia.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Twitching and being unable to sleep is concerning for a possible toxin ingestion (moldy bread/cheese/food, snail bait, etc.), seizures, a problem in the brain, and sometimes they can get a condition where they twitch when they try to move. Not drinking water is concerning because it means that Jeannie is either unable to drink from the twitching, or feels nauseous and doesn't want to drink. I would recommend bringing her to a vet right away. They can give medications to help the twitching, and can also treat any dehydration with IV fluids. Best of luck with Jeannie, I hope she feels better soon!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This behavior could be due to older age and brain senile problems but also shivering and lethargy could be caused by arthritic pain. A visit at your local vets is recommended as Carly will probably benefit from medications to treat chronic pain or from medications that help for dementia.