Soreness in Dogs

Soreness in dogs can be caused by overexertion during play or injury resulting in a pulled muscle. The use of medications, rest or physical therapy can help your dog heal. Consider consulting with your veterinarian to ensure that a larger problem is not being overlooked. As always, compliance and consistency in treatment will yield the fastest results for your dog.

  1. Soreness

    • Muscles act by contracting and relaxing, which results in the movement of the body part they are attached to. During rigorous play or activity, the muscle can be worked too hard, resulting in a pulled muscle and soreness. The muscle fibers have torn in an effort to do their job. When this occurs, it can be accompanied by pain, swelling, and a limitation in the muscle's ability to function. The bigger the tear, the longer it can take to repair.

    Rest

    • A good remedy for a sore muscle is to simply rest the muscle. When the muscle is continually stressed with use after it is injured, all the repairs the body attempts to make are broken down again. Resting the muscle allows the body to repair the muscle fibers without stressing them. Depending on the severity of the initial pull, the dog may need to rest for a few days or a few weeks. Your veterinarian can help you determine the severity of the injury.

    Carprofen

    • Carprofen (Rimadyl) is one of the leading pain medications for dogs. It is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication that can be given once or twice daily. For dogs that have taken a tumble or been in an accident that results in a pulled muscle, the use of carprofen over several days can reduce pain and swelling. Your veterinarian can help you decide much should be used and how long it should be used. Metacam is another nonsteroidal that can be used with similar effect.

    Methocarbamol

    • Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant that can be used to relax sore or pulled muscles. This medication often produces drowsiness and can encourage your dog to rest. Your veterinarian will decide the dose and how long the dog should take the drug; she might also choose to prescribe other drugs like carprofen to speed up your dog's recovery.

    Physical Therapy

    • The use of heat, ice and massage can increase healing and reduce pain. Heat and ice can be applied to the sore area for as long as the dog will tolerate it and no more than 20 minutes at a time. This form of therapy can be used three to four times daily for several days until improvement is noticed. Massage of the area can relax knotted muscles and improve circulation, but be gentle and only do what the dog will tolerate. Simply forcing the dog to rest for several days to a week will often produce some of the best results.