My senior dog is in pain, not eating, and peeing inside. Should I worry?

Question

My dog is a bichon frise and has been acting quite strange lately. She's been yelping every time she goes to sit and move in any way. We gave her extra strength cosequin and that seemed to help a lot, but she still hasn't eaten or moved around very much. Should we be concerned? She also has been peeing in the house a lot more often. Is that because she's 11 years old or because she had bladder stones a few years ago? Pet's info: Dog | Bichon Frise | Female | spayed | 11 years and 8 months old | 20 lbs

Katie Sabella, DVM, CCRP · Accepted Answer

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!

My senior dog is in pain, not eating, and peeing inside. Should I worry?

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