Hurt Dog

[chickenman101]

. i have a lab mix about 8 or 9 years old. i came home the other day and she wasnt actin right almost like she was scared of something. well i kept watching her and she has been laying around like she doesnt feel good and acts very stiff when shes walking or getting on the porch. i though maybe she had ate something bad at first, but today i was rubbing her and sort of pressing on certain spots on her to see if i could find what was bothering her i finally come across her back i guess it would be her lower back or hips, its right where her legs connect to her back, its a little puffy back there and she doesnt want me to touch it. do u think it could be a pulled muscle from wrestling with other dogs or something else? is there anything i can do to ease the pain. and also will this eventually go away if she rests? is there a pain reliever u can give dogs? thanks for the help

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Labs are notorious for hip dysplasia, and at that age, it may just be arthritis. NEVER give a dog a human pain-reliever like advil or tylenol. But there are great arthritis meds you can get from your vet. You could try rimadyl, etogesic, or metacam, to name a few!! Good luck!

 

[chickenman101]

would it just show up in 24 hours if it was arthritus? she usually is running around and doing fine

 

[Nif]

I love my chickens, but dogs are my specialty. You can give her aspirin. The dosage is 10 mg per pound of body weight.
Do you think it is in her back or her hips? Labs can get hip dysplasia. It does cause inflammation and pain.
You might want to get her an x-ray just to be sure there isn't anything majorly wrong. Keep her quiet in the mean time.
You might want to give the aspirin in cheese and preferable on a full stomach. (non-coated aspirin is best, I read)
Sorry, I just read your email again, and it certainly could be her hips.

And yes: Tylenol (acetaminophen) is very very toxic to dogs...and Advil (ibuprofen) is also very bad.

 

[Nif]

would it just show up in 24 hours if it was arthritus? she usually is running around and doing fine

Lots of things could make it flare up. Romping around with her pals, the humidity. She doesn't have access to the road at all??​

 

[jerseygirl1]

Buffered aspirin, is what my vet suggests to use for my dog - Bufferin is the only one I can find

 

[crtrlovr]

Is there any chance she might have gotten bumped/hit by a car?

 

[Nostalchic]

Making a diagnosis on the basis of this little bit of information is risky! A dog with, say, abdominal trauma (maybe got hit by a car) and resulting peritonitis will seem also to be stiff, painful, and behaving in a fearful and unusual way. Really, you should take your dog to your veterinarian for an exam - this could be any number of things, and hip dysplasia would be the least of your worries. And if this is an acute onset and you aren't really certain it is a chonic or minor inflammatory condition, giving aspirin could be dangerous, because it almost immediately affects your platelets, and could contribute to blood loss, etc. Best of luck, Chris

 

[Brindlebtch]

She could have injured her low back or as above have hip displasia or just be arthritic (like me!).

Is she holding her tail normally or is it limp and hanging? If it is hanging she definitely has a low back injury.

As above, you can give her ASPIRIN and you might start her on chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, and /or MSM. You can also take her to the vet and get Rimadyl or various other anti-inflammatories.

Good luck!

 

[Nif]

Is she eating and drinking normally? How do her gums look? Any other symptoms like vomiting or loose stool...excessive drinking?
Nostalchic is right, a vet would be a very good choice.