My senior dog's old knee injury flared up. What can I do for pain?

It sounds like Lucy is in pain, poor girl! Yelping, lack of appetite, and decreased movement are all signs of pain in dogs. It's very possible she sprained or strained something, like her back or a limb, and this is her way of telling you. I'm glad the Cosequin seemed to help her, but in general, Cosequin is not a pain reliever; it's a joint supplement that provides nutritive support to cartilage, joint capsules, and joint fluid, and it's an excellent product, so I do recommend you keep Lucy on this consistently. However, I think she needs some more aggressive pain management and a check-up with your vet to make sure she hasn't seriously injured herself. Especially if her back is painful, as that can sometimes involve pinched nerves. If she has a history of bladder stones and is having inappropriate urination, that definitely needs to be evaluated as well. When you go in to have her pain assessed, bring a urine sample with you for your vet to check. It may be something as simple as a urinary tract infection or it could be a recurrence of bladder stones, but it's worth getting checked out. Good luck and I hope Lucy feels better soon!

Hi there. So sorry to hear that Snowden is limping and in pain. It is not recommended that you give her any over the counter medications at home. The medication may mask the severity of her problem during the vet's exam and it could interfere with the medication your vet will want to prescribe. Dogs are actually very sensitive to non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and should really only take the ones made for dogs that you can only get from your vet. Just keep her as calm and quiet as possible and only take her outside on leash to use the bathroom and then right back inside. At her age it is also more likely the medication could upset her stomach. If you are really worried about her pain level you could always get her to the emergency vet this evening or you could look for a clinic that is open tomorrow during the day.

You should let him rest and only take him out to eliminate preferably on a leash. He will need to be seen by your vet to assess the leg and why he is in pain. This could be due to arthritis, a sprain or trauma such as a cruciate ligament tear or rupture. Your vet will be able to prescribe NSAIDs suitable for dogs in order to curb inflammation and take the pain. Please take him to a vet, preferably today, before the vets close. Do not give your dog human NSAIDS such as Ibuprofen or tylenol, etc. as they are toxic to dogs.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. Her signs are likely the result of her advanced age. However, they are pain medications that make her feel better. She likely has some degree of arthritis effecting her mobility. If some pain medication could increase her quality of life, I think that would be wonderful. In the meantime, be sure not to give any over-the-counter pain medication as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Oh poor Dante! Absolutely you can ice the area, do it for 5-10 minutes at a time. Be sure it to give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and are fatal if given. Rest him and keep him as quiet as possible. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a lead only, and bring him right back in. If he's still limping on Monday, I would have him seen by a vet.

Poor Lucy! Yelping related to being picked up or otherwise physically handled usually indicates that the dog is painful somewhere. Lucy may have arthritis, back or neck pain, or may have injured herself somehow. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam. Your veterinarian knows how to do a thorough orthopedic exam to help determine where she may be painful, and may recommend x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem. It's likely that she would benefit from some type of pain medication (either short or long-term, depending on the problem) which your veterinarian can prescribe for her.

Poor Lucy! She may have re-injured her leg, and I would take her back into a vet immediately. Given that she has had surgery and now she is non-weight bearing, it's very important to have her seen by the vet who did the surgery. The vet can do a lameness exam, and may do x-rays to see the position of the plates.