Dog yelps lowering head to eat. Is it patella or neck/back pain?

If Ella can't lower her neck to eat, I suspect it's her neck that's in pain. I would elevate her bowl to make it easier for her to eat, and then have her seen by a vet in the morning. She may benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I hope this helps.

If he hurt his back and is not able to bend his neck down to eat or drink then you should elevate his food and water bowls up off the ground. Hopefully, your vet prescribed an anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxer, and pain medications to help make him more comfortable. If you aren't seeing any improvement then you should call your vet and give him/her an update. Your vet may be able to add or change the medications. Hope he feels better soon!

Unfortunately no efficient home remedies a part from complete rest are available. If you feed him try to lift up the bowl. I would strongly recommend a check up to determine the underlying cause of the pain/discomfort more specifically and treat appropriately.

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.

Sorry to here that Kemo is having some troubles. There are many things that can cause pain in dogs. Some of them include trauma, degenerative diseases, inflammatory conditions, spinal issues, cancers, clotting disorders, and some others that are less common. In a small breed dog of about six years, my top two differentials would be some sort of traumatic event (that could have happened when you were not around) or an issue with the back. Many times when dogs are lifted and they yelp, it is a spinal problem causing some pretty severe discomfort. If you have ever had back pain yourself, you know just how uncomfortable this can be. Based on the severity and progression of the problems, I would say that Kemo definitely needs a visit to the vet sometime soon. They will be able to perform a thorough physical, and based on the findings, determine if x-rays are warranted. They will be able to target what part of the body requires x-rays. There are many medications available to treat inflammatory conditions and trauma, as well as pain associated with the back and spine. I hope you are able to work through things with your vet to resolve Kemo's pain.

I recommend that you take your pet to your local veterinarian for an examination and blood work. There are numerous reasons an animal may have pain in the lower part of her body, including kidney infection/stones, degenerative disc disease, spains/strains, osteoarthritis, or trauma, etc. Often, lack of eating is a sign of pain or distress. Once your pet's source of pain/discomfort is diagnosed and treated, you pet will be more likely to eat again.

This sounds like he’s in pain. It can be from arthritis, a knee ligament injury or pain from his back. Arthritis should show up on x rays, and he would be lame on one leg if it’s a cruciate ligament injury. Back pain can be caused by a bulging intervertebral disc and can me difficult to see on x rays. It can cause trouble walking with incoordination. Regardless I would try Tom on pain medication to see if that helps and keep him quiet. No running or jumping and lots of short slow leash walks. Once the pain is controlled he should eat better. If there is no improvement I recommend a rcheck or an exam with a veterinary specialist. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Tom.