Possible back pain and flinching

Trying to keep this as short as possible so going to bullet point his history

• Rescue staffy x, nearly 8 years old
  Had an accident as a puppy, vet said some of his verterbrate continued to grow when they should have stopped
  So has a slight raised section in his spine
  Never had an issue like this since
  Doesn't usually show signs of pain (eg limping even when cut)
  Had parvo as pup
  Has frequent stomach upsets (sickness/runs/wind)
  Usually loves his back scratched and massaged
  Plays with my mums big lab (he's very bouncy)
  Has arthritis in both back legs since 5 years ish
  Skin allergy to dust mites
  Does obedience and basic agility
  Had boosters and a jab to help arthritis about 2 months ago

Last weekend we went for a walk with my mum and her dog and he rolled in some cow muck (which he doesn't normally do), so I washed him at hers (using her dogs shampoo).
Monday he was fine, left him with my mum and her dog for a few hours while I went to work.
Tuesday he was cuddling on the bed with me in the morning and as I stoked his back he flinched
I was ill on Wednesday so he didn't have a long walk, but was occasionally flinching when ever someone touched him
Thursday I was starting to get really worried so thought some bed rest might help him
Friday he was as hyper as anything (not surprising having not have a walk for 2 days I know) but still flinching and sitting funny
Saturday we went to the vet, after so long I was starting to panic and wonder what was up with him
Vet moved his legs, head, tail etc to check his mobility, felt his spine, stomach. Can't find it anything wrong.
She wonders if it could be a stomach ache or something so is trying that route, but I don't agree as he is frequently vomiting or having the runs and he's been fine for the past 3 weeks.
Also when fussing his neck, sides, head, legs or stomach (as he now runs away when he thinks I might touch his back) he starts with the leg thing that dogs do (half attempt to scratch) and he rarely does that (normally just leans into it if he likes it).
Eating, drinking, going to the toilet, playing, jumping, doing the stairs just as normal. Just doesn't want to be touched on his back.
Spent 30 mins in with the vet, telling her all of this, and going through his history on the PC (as there is lots of it) and were stumped. She said to go back in a week and he may need an MRI of his spine!!! And x-rays they can compare with the ones from when he had the spine injury.

Any ideas???

Oh I do hope you find out what's causing his problem.

I do know that when my CKC Spaniel had a 'slight' bad back (vet said it was too much jumping on her back legs - my son was visiting and had been going bananas with her) you would have thought she was in her death throes in agony (even tho it cleared up in a few days with a few aspirin equivalents).

And when my present little minpin had an ingrown hair on her haunch/back she would not let me ANYWHERE NEAR her back and, after I'd tried to investigate what the prob was wouldn't let me touch her AT ALL (because you couldn't SEE anything not even any raised fur and she is velvetty and smooth - I'd just felt a teensy raised bump when stroking her and she would occasionally 'switch round' to it)

She would run under my bed and generally behave as if I was trying to capture and murder her!

Of course she sat like an angel while the vet investigated - prodding and poking and pinching her skin hard and then extricating this tiny hair with tweezers making it bleed.

Dogs can sometimes display exaggerated distress or pain symptoms but, unfortunately, as they can't TELL us what the problem is - we usually end up at the vet for things we wouldn't DREAM of going to a doctor for!

I do hope this turns out to be nothing serious after investigation.

Have your vet x-ray for spondylitis, which is very common in older dogs.
If it is, there`s a thread here...
http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=129572

Could it be a trapped nerve?
My dog has this problem, that keeps recurring, and he has a 'hunched' back. The vets weren't able to offer much other than metacam.
I take him to a chiropractor when I see his back hunching, and she works wonders with him, his back becomes straight after manipulation, but I do take him every 6 months or so just to keep him in check. Maybe worth a try?

Thank you so much for your replies. I have taken a note of them and will be asking the vet about each when we go.
As for the chiropractor, did you find one through the vet? Do they cost a lot?
Is there any way to know if it is a trapped nerve?
The tests that the vet did, moving him around, how do they tell if there is a problem? I tried telling her that he won't show his pain while we are there unless it is extremely bad but she seemed to think his 'mobility' was fine. He did grumble slightly when she felt down his spine.
While she felt it would she have been able to feel any possible ingrown hairs? I don't want to touch him and make it hurt more if I don't have to. I haven't felt anything before.
I think I will need the go ahead from the vet before we start anything like that, for now I guess it's just bed rest and lots of love (without touching his back). Poor thing, just fetched me a toy when I came in and wasn't happy when I didn't play with him.

Thanks again everyone. So glad I can come and ask on here! Going out of my mind with worry, love this dog so damn much

You do need a vet referral and a diagnosis for a chiro.
My boy went and was a lot better for it.
I also found warmth, sensible excercise and glucosamine / chondroitin and fish oil supplements helped - as did occasional NSAIDs.
My vet showed me how to massage the muscles along his back to ease the knots of tension. And she also did acupuncture, which was very effective for the pain.

Thanks, I will see how he gets on for the next couple of days, and keep you all posted with any changes (good or bad).
On that note he did flinch today when I touched his ribs at the side, so I am worried that that it may be spreading. If it's worse tomorrow then I will take him straight back to the vets, but as the car ride is rather bumpy I don't want to make it worse without the need to rush him back. So stuck as for what to do.
Are there any symptoms of trapped nerves? Would this not hurt when he moved? It seems like a touch/pressure thing. He still wants to run and what not, but then again he doesn't show pain unless it's really bad. Hasn't yelped or anything at all.

Put loads of pillows and quilts in the car to lessen the bumpy ride.

For some reason I had not thought of that. My brain is so frazzled from all the worry! Glad I don't have kids lol they would be so neglected right now
Brilliant idea, I will do that.

It just came off the top of my head, living where some of the roads I use are AWFUL and it did used to scare my old Cavvy - sometimes threw her off the seat (she wasn't restrained in the car - loved the car and just dossed there).

I even put a big cushion in the footwell in case she did end up there lol!

The day I brought her home (car journey of about 100 miles from Devon to Cornwall) she was fine until some motorbikes roared past us. LORD was she terrified! She ran up my arm and under my armpit and stayed there and she was terrified of the noise of motorbikes from that day forth all her life. She could cope with fireworks and loud car exhausts but bikes? Same effect on her as the day I bought her.

Some dogs have very good memories.