Why is my senior dog limping, shaky, flinching, and vomiting?

Hello, while I am glad you have been using a good joint supplement, it sounds like your girl needs some more serious pain medication for her osteoarthritis. There are many to choose from, and they can literally give an aging pet a new lease on life. I have literally seen crippled dogs that owners wanted to euthanize become happy, active pets. The first thing to do is see your veterinarian for a thorough exam, blood work & possible x-rays & hopefully start your pet on a medication to ease her pain. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Oh no! It sounds like Lela is painful on her right hind leg and needs to be evaluated for an injury or wound. The vomiting and diarrhea could be related to what is going on with her leg or could be caused by something else. I would recommend you take her in to your vet to be evaluated. She may need anti-inflammatories or pain medication for her leg as well as anti-nausea medication and diarrhea medication for her intestinal tract. With vomiting and diarrhea I also get very concerned about dehydration, so she may need some fluid treatment as well to get her feeling better. Good luck! I hope Lela is feeling more like herself soon!

Hello. I agree, surgery at this age would not be ideal given her age. You do not indicate what meds she is already on, but she should be receiving an NSAID such as meloxicam, carprofen, or any one of several excellent drugs in this classification. I would also have her on gabapentin, possibly tramadol, & maybe even Adequan injections, just in case some of her joints are painful. An alternative for the NSAIDs would be steroids as they are very good at reducing inflammation, but that does put her at some risk for side effects. Hopefully, these can keep him comfortable for some time to come. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Gertrude. Poor girl. She may have slept on it wrong causing her pain. I recommend resting her for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Take her out to toilet on a leash, and bring her right back in when she's done. If she still appears painful after this time, then I would take her into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. She may also 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!

I am not sure. It could be an orthopedic issue causing pain and nausea, or it could be an internal issue, or a combination of those. I would recommend that you have Henry examined by a vet. The vet will do a thorough exam, and may recommend diagnostics such as blood work or x-rays.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Arthritis can happen in older dogs as you know. However, this is not the only condition that can cause lameness like that. I do not recommend using paracetamol without a veterinary evaluation. There are other arthritis supplements that you can start which would not hurt if this happens to not be due to arthritis and if it is, they can help a good amount. There are several joint supplements out there such as Cosequin and Dasuquin, among others. I would encourage you to start with that and if no improvement is observed, Rodger should be evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day! I hope this helps!