Acute causes
Slipping/falling/tripping when working or playing
Falling from car boot/stairs/apparatus
Landing awkwardly when jumping
Colliding with object/dog/person

Chronic causes
Conformational faults
Pulling on the lead
Repetitive work
Compensation for an injury/condition
Asymmetric muscle development

Signs of back pain
- Reluctance to exercise
- Sensitive or sore when being stroked/groomed
- Yelping/crying out when getting up/down
- Yelping/crying for no apparent reason
- Stiffness after resting or exercise
- Behavioural changes – e.g. lethargy, aggressiveness
- Stopping jumping, including on and off furniture/in and out of cars
- Difficulty going up and down stairs
- Breaking sit/down stays
- Always sitting with the hindquarters to the same side
- Repetitively presenting back / hindquarters to be rubbed
- Uneven stride / lameness, where alternative causes have been eliminated by a vet
