Good evening,

I am sorry to hear that your pet is not acting right.

It sounds like your pet may be having some sort of pain occuring. While this would be the most common cause, in older pets, arthritis may be a cause as well.

The pain you describe may be from many sources, and It is possible in pets for strains and sprains to occur, and the most common areas are in the neck and Back. However other locations can also suffer muscle and tendon injuries. Some may result in severe pain and swelling The more severe the pain is, the more likely that the injury is serious. This often follows vigorous exercise, about 12 hours later (which may be accounted for in the case where she had the confrontation with another dog) , or sometimes can occur by twisting or turning 'the wrong way.' Pets can also exhibit panting and rapid breathing associated with pain, and this may indicate that the pain is severe. Arthritic pain may come and go, and may be aggrivated by changes in the weather or temperature. Elevating the food and water bowls may be helpful, so that she does not have to bend her neck. Occasionally when pets are painful enough, they may not get up to urinate. Pets often hide their pain well, and may only show problems with bathroom habits or shaking or generally not acting right.

Other possibilities include GI problems, pancreatitis, and constipation. It all depends on where the pain is localized.

A good physical examination and possible x-rays are necessary to diagnose this condition. If the pain is abdominal, then bloodwork and a fecal examination may also be needed. After diagnosis, there are several methods of treatment available. Depending on the extent of the injury, your veterinarian may give you different options.

We all know how bad back and neck pain can hurt - having your regular Veterinarian administer pain medications and muscle relaxers is advised....ESPECIALLY if it gets worse. Rest is also advised. The less your pet moves, the better and faster they will heal. Please do not give over the counter pain medications such as aspirin or Tylenol - these can be toxic and will severely limit the medications which a veterinarian may need to use on a future visit to help your pet. If finances are of an issue, a small portion of a baby aspirin can be used, (I believe there are liquid aspirin preparations that could be used) and this would be dosed at 10 mg per pound of body weight up to every 8 hours. I would reccomend that you start at 1/2 of this dose and work up to the 10 mg per lb dose. One baby aspirin is usually 81 mg. Please keep in mind that this may limit veterinary treatment in the future and DO NOT continue this medication if vomiting or diarrhea occurs. If she is on any other medications or herbal supplements, other than a flea collar and heartworm prevention, please list them here prior to giving this.

Most starting medications for muscular injuries are Rimadyl, Tramadol, and Methocarbamol.

If this is determined not to be related to pain or arthritis, then your pet should have bloodwork and a urinalysis performed to make sure that she does not have any significant changes in her organ function that may make her behave in this way.

I understand that veterinary costs can add up quickly, but there are some resources that are available to persons who cannot immediately afford all medical care. Consider pet insurance plans, and some of the programs below.

Due to some people's financial situation, many offices offer a program called CARE CREDIT. This is a medical credit card (similar to a Sears or Best Buy card) that is used for medical services. This is used for human medical services as well as veterinary medical services. See http://www.carecredit.com/ . The site also will list veterinarians in your area that accept care credit.

Please also consider In Memory Of Magic http://www.imom.org/ . This is a charitable online group that attempts to help people who do not have many funds available for their pet's care. Please read the site carefully before applying.

The following is a list of organizations that provide financial assistance to pet owners in need. Please keep in mind that each organization is independent and has their own set of rules and guidelines. Therefore you will have to investigate each one separately to determine if you qualify for assistance:

• IMOM Inc., http://www.imom.org/
• Help-A-Pet, http://www.help-a-pet.org/
• The Pet Fund, http://www.thepetfund.com/
• The Animal Foundation, http://www.theanimalfund.com/
• Good Sam Fund, http://www.goodsamfund.org/
• United Animal Nations LifeLine Fund http://www.uan.org/
• Angels for Animals, http://www.angels4animals.org/
• Brown Dog Foundation, http://www.browndogfoundation.org/home
• Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program, http://www.fveap.org/
• Feline Outreach, http://www.felineoutreach.org/
• Cats In Crisis http://www.catsincrisis.org/
• The Perseus Foundation (Cancer specific), http://www.perseusfoundation.org/
• Orthodogs' Silver Lining Foundation (Orthopedic Cases and Service Dogs), http://www.oslf.org/
• Canine Cancer Awareness, http://www.caninecancerawareness.org/
• Cody's Club (Radiation treatments) http://codysclub.bravehost.com/
• Diabetic Pets Fund http://www.petdiabetes.net/fund/
• The Mosby Foundation, http://www.themosbyfoundation.org/

Please remember that, depending on the severity of your pet's illness or injury, you may still lose your pet even after great expense. Discuss the prognosis and treatment options thoroughly with your veterinarian, including whether surgery or treatment would just cause your animal discomfort without preserving a life of good quality.

I hope that this is helpful,

Dr.G

If nothing has worked so far, I would contact the closest emergency veterinarian's office in your area and see if they offer credit or payment plans and take her there as soon as possible. Unfortunately if she is not responding well, there are not many good treatments at home to help - often serious medical care is required, and some offices may be willing to work with you or offer different means for help for payment.