Senior dog lethargic, shivering, won't lift head. Is it an emergency?

I'm sorry to hear that Penelope is so painful! It seems most likely that she caused some degree of back injury or intervertebral disc disease while you were out of the house today. Penelope's panting, lethargy, abnormal gait and refusal to eat or go outside are all signs of pain. It sounds as though she needs to be examined by a vet now. Be sure to mention to the ER or on call vet that aspirin was already given, since there are many pain medications that will interact poorly with aspirin and cause additional problems. I hope that she feels better soon!

Poor Lily. The answer to your question depends on how she is doing otherwise. As long as she is eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, and doesn't seem overly distressed, you can take her sometime in the next few days. If she's not eating, not drinking, and/or seems upset or in pain, take her into an ER vet. I hope this helps.

With vague symptoms such as generalized lethargy, there is no right or wrong answer to taking her now vs waiting until the morning to see if anything changes. If she is vomiting or has diarrhea then I would take her for sure. Since she is still eating and drinking, you can monitor her for further changes such as those before going in. IF she is not better after 24 hours then I would get her checked also. If you will feel better and sleep better by having her checked tonight, then that is the best option for you.

it sounds like she either hurt one of her front legs (and by lowering her head it puts less weight and pressure on the affected leg) or she has a slipped disk injury (cervical slipped disks can affect the head and the limbs at once). If you can't take her to an emergency center or out of hours services let her rest and minimize her movement as much as you can until you can get her to your vet.

Hmm. That is odd. With no other symptoms besides the shaking, it is hard to say for sure. Shaking can be a sign of pain, neurological or an acid/base imbalance. I would continue monitor him for the next 12 hrs to see if this behavior continues. If it does then the next best step is to get some baseline bloodwork to look for underlying issues. You can also feel around to see if Snickers is painful in any particular area. That can help the vet focus on that one area to look for underlying causes. At this age most dogs also have arthritis, so it is a good idea to get Snickers on a daily joint supplement regardless. My top recommendations here for over the counter products is Dasuquin or Cosequin, and for veterinary prescription products it is Rejuvenate. Best wishes with your pet Snickers and I hope that you get to the bottom of her possible pain soon! Take care.

Poor Molly! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. Yes, if she has hit her head hard enough to cause these symptoms, I'm afraid that this is definitely an emergency - head trauma is a serious, life-threatening problem in dogs just as it is in people. Even if her symptoms are due to something else, they are still a sign that something is seriously wrong so I would really recommend having her seen regardless. It would be best to take her to your nearest emergency clinic right away for an exam - the vet there can do some diagnostic testing if needed to determine what's wrong and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Oh my. Poor guy. His symptoms unfortunately aren’t specific for one disease process to speak ok. Lethargy, shivering and weakness can be caused by just about any disease process including: toxin ingestion, underlying heart disease, or even anaphylactic shock is a possibility. But one thing is sure, Snoopy is in need of medical care if this has been going on for more than 6 hrs or so. He will need some diagnostic testing (bloodwork analysis to start) to determine what the underlying problem is so that we know how best to help Snoopy get better. I would recommend getting him seen as soon as you can. I hope that he is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best of luck to you and take care.