Why is my senior dog shaking, moving slow, and isolating herself?

Poor Sugar! She could have arthritis, a problem with an inter-vertebral disc in her neck or back causing her some pain, an infection, etc. If she is reluctant to jump on things and/or go up steps then it is probably a disc problem and she is experiencing some discomfort. The best thing would be to have your vet take a look at her to determine the cause and treat, She may need an anti-inflammatory and pain medications to help. Hope she feels better soon!

Shaking often indicates pain and can be seen with arthritis as they age. This could also indicate a problem with the nervous system and one major cause of this in senior dogs is a condition known as cognitive dysfunction. Below is a link to more information about this condition. https://www.petcoach.co/article/cognitive-dysfunction-senility-in-dogs In order to narrow down the cause of this, a vet would need to examine BlueBerry and may need to do some testing. It's likely that this condition can be treated, so it's worth taking her to the vet as soon as possible to prevent her condition from getting worse. I hope that helps and BlueBerry gets better soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly neck or back pain though it could also be due to arthritis. It could still be pain associated with a leg even if nothing seems wrong with them. I recommend that you have Sausage evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics include radiographs. Treatment would be based on findings. At the very least they can prescribe pain control medications to make Sausage feel better. In the meantime, reduce his activity as much as possible as that in itself can make a big difference. Good luck and have a good day!

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.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This behavior could be due to older age and brain senile problems but also shivering and lethargy could be caused by arthritic pain. A visit at your local vets is recommended as Carly will probably benefit from medications to treat chronic pain or from medications that help for dementia.

I would recommend that you get Sophie in to see your veterinarian. A thorough physical exam will help you and your vet determine if there is pain anywhere (arthritis, etc) that may be causing her to slow down. It would also be indicated to run some blood tests on her to see if there are any other medical issues going on that may be causing her symptoms. Pain can sometimes cause twitching or small muscle spasms --especially if they are having back or neck pain. If that's the case your vet may be able to recommend therapeutic laser treatments and/or acupuncture. These methods of treatment along with medications can make a huge difference. I am so sorry we weren't able to get to your question sooner. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

As a 16 year old dog it is almost a given that Nokie has some serious arthritis and that while she probably has been having pain for a few years now but did not show it, the pain now is so bad that she is afraid to jump up on the bed or climb stairs. In severe arthritis cases like that the quality of life can be significantly improved by giving NSAIDs which take inflammation away and therefore pain. Make an appointment with your vet for an exam and a blood test to verify that her kidneys and liver are working properly and then your vet can prescribe NSAIDs or pain medicine for Nokie. At the same time the vet can rule out other causes of weakness.