My older dog's body cramped up. What causes this and should I worry?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are describing could be due to back discomfort or discomfort associated with the skin. If Kobe is a high-energy dog and runs around and jumped on things it is possible that he may have injured his back. This may be a soft tissue injury such as a pulled back muscle or something to do with one of his spinal discs. As long as he is walking okay and not dragging his legs or in excruciating pain I would monitor for now as many times this is a soft tissue injury that will resolve with adequate rest and decreased activity. So I would start by either putting Kobe in a small area where he cannot run or jump or confine him to a crate for most of the day for the next seven to 10 days. If he is not improving or if he is worsening I would have his veterinarian examined him to ensure everything is okay. If he is not better I would also consider having x-rays taken of his back. The vet can also prescribe something for the discomfort if needed. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

I'm sorry to hear platanito isn't feeling himself. He may be having episodes of stomach or intestinal pain that could cause him to tense his belly the way you are describing. If this is the case it can be caused by eating things that inflame the stomach or pancreas and you can offer him a very bland diet (boiled chicken breast and white rice OR chicken baby food for example) until your appointment with the vet. Another reason they can appear to tense their belly, lay down and be hesitant to move is back pain. If this is the case it's important to keep him very quiet and prevent jumping until his vet evaluates him. I hope he is feeling better very soon.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. It is difficult for me to say what this could be without seeing it in person. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at her. These spasms could be due to discomfort, neurological (seizures), infection or systemic disease. The sooner you have her looked at the better to rule out the possible causes. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

It's hard to say what could be causing this without examining Maxx. It could be caused by pain, internal medical disease (such as liver disease), electrolyte abnormalities, neuromuscular disorder, etc. If it doesn't appear to be getting worse and Maxx is otherwise normal, then it can probably wait to see the vet. If it does get worse, bothers Maxx, or if additional symptoms develop, he should see a vet during your travels.

Hello. This sounds very suspicious of a seizure. The average age of onset of seizure activity for epileptic dogs is from 2-4 years of age. Since this is a first time occurrence...or the first that you have witnessed....you may have to wait and see if it happens again. It may help your veterinarian if you can video the episode if it happens again. It is always a good idea to have your veterinarian examine her to make sure there are no other problems and discuss the possibility of seizures. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Oh my. Poor guy. It sounds like JJ is having possible seizures. You will need to get him seen by your vet for baseline bloodwork to look for some possible causes for the seizures. If none are found with this first test, then an MRI or CT scan may be recommended. However, he likely will go on anti-seizure medication right away since he had multiple seizures within a 30 day time frame. Hopefully we can manage his seizures well with medication, but due to his age, there is unfortunately a higher risk for an underlying brain or spinal cord lesion as the cause. If he has another it is best to take him to your ER vet right away. However, if they don't reoccur, he may be able to wait until morning to be seen by your regular vet. I do hope that JJ feels better soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hi there. So sorry that Kage is having this issue. Based on your description it sounds like seizure activity or a pain response (orthopedic pain like arthritis). I suggest you video an episode if it happens again so you can show your vet. Did the vet just examine him or was any testing done? If no blood testing was done that should be the next step. If the blood testing is normal then your vet can prescribe an anti-seizure medication or pain medication (depending on what they think after seeing the video) that will likely help. Hope this helps. Best wishes.