My active puppy suddenly stopped jumping. Is she in pain?

It sounds like your dog has a problem with her back as that is a common sign of back pain. Dogs are usually reluctant to jump because it causes pain. Your vet can check her for back pain and then prescribe medications to help. She may need an anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxer, and/or pain medications to help. Also, it would be a good idea to restrict her activity for a few weeks, no running, jumping, etc. Hope she feels better soon!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Limping is a sign of pain. It sounds as though it is likely a strain or a sprain. The best thing to do it limit his activity because continued use will not allow a strain or sprain to heal. So no running, jumping, no stairs or jumping on/off the furniture and leash walks only for at least 7 days. If the limp doesn't improve with in those 7 days Shadow should be seen by a Vet or sooner if it worsens. It is not wrong to have Shadow seen sooner than later as well. Do not give any human pain medications, dogs do not metabolize drugs like people do and they may interfere with medications your Vet may want to prescribe. I hope this helps and I wish Shadow a speedy recovery!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While back pain may definitely be the cause of this, other conditions can cause Honey to be less active or painful. For instance, conditions such as pancreatitis can cause abdominal pain, and thus reduced activity. I recommend having Honey seen by a vet, who can perform bloodwork and x-rays to determine what is causing these signs. Blodwork would be able to rule out any malfunctioning organs or infections, while x-rays can rule out abdominal masses and vertebral fractures or herniated discs. I hope all is well with Honey!

Poor Chloe! It sounds like she may be painful somewhere. I often see dogs with back or neck pain that act this way, because doing stairs or jumping is painful for them. It's also possible that she may have injured herself somehow, or has some type of orthopedic problem that makes these activities uncomfortable. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam. He/she may be able to determine what the problem is by palpating her neck, back, and legs, and may also recommend x-rays or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem.

Poor Cooper! From your description, my main concern is that Cooper may be experiencing some mild neck and/or back pain that flares up intermittently. At this point, I do recommend taking Cooper back to his vet for a repeat exam. Some dogs can be extremely stoic, even while experiencing pain, as a defense mechanism. Your vet will be able to thoroughly evaluate Cooper's back and neck to determine if he is showing any sign of discomfort and prescribe pain medication if necessary. Until you can take him to the vet, confine Cooper to a large crate or small room to prevent him from running, jumping or playing, as this can exacerbate any back injury or pain. I hope this helps and that he feels better soon!

It might be that her back or neck is sore. Try to prevent her from jumping, running, or playing tug of war/roughhousing for a few days. If it’s not getting better in the next 2-3 days, take him in to the vet. If he’s getting worse, or develops other symptoms, don’t wait to take him in. Please don’t give him any human over the counter pain medications. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear about Jagger. This could be a few different things but I am particularly concerned about a back injury. (Other soft tissue and arthritis conditions are possible too.) Though it's probably not a true emergency, I would get him in to the vet as soon as possible for an evaluation and for some safe pain medication. I do NOT recommend any over the counter pain medications as they are neither safe, nor very effective in dogs. (Plus, some will interfere with the medication your vet will want to prescribe.). For now, keep Jagger kenneled or closely supervised and no running, jumping, wrestling, or stairs until you get him evaluated. If any more concerning signs arise (loss of appetite, tremors, seizures, dragging a back leg/legs, etc), head to the emergency vet immediately. Best wishes to you and Jagger.