My dog suddenly whines when I touch his hip. What could be wrong?

Alaska-what an awesome name! I bet she is a pretty dog! It sounds like Alaska may be experiencing some pain in her hind end. She is coming into her senior years as a giant breed dog, they age more quickly than smaller breeds sadly. I would recommend having Alaska evaluated by your veterinarian. They can do a thorough physical exam, manipulate her hind legs and palpate her spine. The vet may recommend X-rays to check for hip dysplasia, spinal arthritis or degenerative joint disease. They may also recommend blood work in preparation for starting Alaska on anti-inflammatory medications. A good quality joint supplement can also be used to help support joint health. Until you are able to have Alaska seen by your vet I would recommend restricting her activity and making sure that her bed is nice and padded.

It sounds as she suffered a trauma, either to her back or her hips, you will need to take her to the vet as soon as you can in order to get it checked, if it is nothing too serious she will need some rest and pain killers for a few days.

This could be due to a deeper trauma which could be possibly still causing pain. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. X rays of the hips may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This sounds like your pet is painful somewhere. Typically musculoskeletal (muscle or bone) pain will cause whining during motion. I would recommend feeling around on your pets body for any particularly painful areas (if you wish to investigate first). If there are painful areas, then take this concern to your vet so that they can do a good exam of the area and make the best recommendations moving forward with your pets care. Typically for muscle sprains they can be treated with just NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatorys) with good success. However if the pain is more internal and possibly a bone or ligament the vet will most likely recommend x-rays to evaluate the areas of interest further.

I am not sure how old your pet is but if there are no external punctures or rashes to be found, then it is possible that his bones are the source of pain. Arthritis is the number one reason for pain in the lower back and hip area. Also the armpit area is the shoulder, which is another source of arthritic pain. If he is a younger dog than some inflammation of the bone is possible (i.e. Hypertrophic Osteopathy or Hypertrophic Osetodystrophy, Degenerative joint disease). All of these conditions are diagnosed with a radiograph that your vet can perform in the hospital. If your pet is older you can try some joint supplements to see if this makes a difference. My top brands are Dasuquin and Cosequin.

Poor Archer! If this has been going on for longer than a day or two, I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam as soon as you can. Unfortunately, there are no human over-the-counter pain medications that are safe for dogs, so you will need to get a prescription from your vet for something safe and effective that you can give him. Your vet can do a thorough orthopedic exam and may also take x-rays to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it.

He may have a muscle sprain. If he continues to behave in this manner, its best to get him seen b your vet for a full physical exam to try and localize the painful area and get her on pet friendly pain medication to help her get more comfortable. Best of luck with your fur baby Shamrock moving forward. Take care!