How to tell if your dog is in pain

Hello Julia!

Attacks of acute pain, during which the dog squeals, is a reason to urgently visit a doctor. It is important that you notice under what circumstances your pet squeals. The characteristics and conditions under which pain manifests itself make it possible to quickly make a correct diagnosis. Sometimes this is even more important than just being examined by a doctor.

The pet squeals, as a rule, in acute and intense pain. Chronic pain manifests itself differently - a decrease in activity. A dog with chronic pain often lies down and begins to perform movements that were previously familiar to it.

Why does a dog squeal when picked up?

Small breeds of dogs are often picked up, so it is they who exhibit this feature. An animal may squeal even if you lightly touch it - on its chest, lower back or head. It hurts not because of a light touch, but because of the motor reaction to this light touch.

Also, with neurological diseases, the sensitivity of skin receptors increases. Hyperesthesia, high sensitivity of the skin, occurs with the nervous form of plague, inflammatory skin diseases, neuralgia, radiculitis and some others. When making such a diagnosis, the doctor prescribes glucocorticoids, anti-inflammatory drugs, antipsychotics and tranquilizers, as well as vitamins.

Other diseases in which the dog experiences severe pain and squeals:

• For a small dog like a Spitz, the cause may be a type 1 disc herniation. It just manifests itself if the owner wants to take the pet in his arms. Also, inflammatory and compression diseases of the spinal cord and spine, tumors can manifest as squealing and acute pain in the dog.
• Vertebral instability. The disease is typical for small and miniature dogs. Appears in young animals up to one year old.
• Chiari syndrome is also common in small dogs. Since the brains of large and small dogs are approximately the same, pathology develops in dwarf breeds due to a discrepancy between the sizes of the brain and skull.
• Myelitis and encephalitis most often affects miniature breeds.
• Spondylosis. Discospondylitis is an inflammation of the intervertebral disc and nearby bone tissue of bacterial origin. Lumbosacral stenosis - manifests itself as a result of a congenital anomaly. This group of diseases most often affects large dogs. They squeal when they lay down or stand up.

Most often, acute pain and squealing in a dog are associated with ailments of the spine and spinal cord. Much less often it is a symptom of other disorders - heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease.

Pathological causes

The appearance of symptoms without visible factors requires a careful examination of the pet. Fever, refusal to eat, diarrhea, lacrimation, rhinitis, and sneezing may indicate the development of the disease. The animal requires a diagnostic examination at a veterinary clinic and a course of treatment. If the puppy's front paw or both are shaking alternately, then there is a possibility of vitamin-mineral deficiency.

Viral diseases

Refusal to vaccinate may cause the development of one of the infections. Dangerous pathologies are presented:

1. Adenovirus - determined by cough, hot skin, elevated temperature. Properly prescribed therapy eliminates the disease in two weeks, but the pet remains a carrier of the infection for several months.
2. Viral hepatitis - the disease most often affects young dogs before the first year of life. Signs of pathology include impaired coordination of movements, paralysis and other disruptions in the functioning of the central nervous system. Hepatitis involves the kidneys, cornea, and liver.
3. Parvovirus enteritis - pathology is recorded in puppies up to 4 months, but can also occur in adults. Manifested by refusal to eat food and water, prolonged vomiting. If treatment is not started within the first four days from the moment of injury, then the likelihood of death increases several times.
4. Carnivore plague - infection leads to an inflammatory process in the kidneys, liver, and parts of the brain. Chills in a dog are provoked by elevated temperature, which subsequently leads to photophobia, diarrhea and vomiting, breathing problems, and discharge from the eyes and nose. The disease lasts from 3 weeks to 2 months, the result depends on the animal’s immune system, and can result in recovery or death.
5. Encephalomyelitis – occurs in canines aged 5 to 8 years. Dogs often fall due to weakness of the paw muscles and lose orientation in space. Lack of timely treatment provokes complete paralysis.

What to do if your dog squeals in pain?

Perhaps such a symptom does not require immediate surgical attention. But it is necessary to show the dog to the veterinarian. It is especially important that your pet is examined by a neurologist. Otherwise, the pain can lead to complete paralysis of all 4 limbs or only the hind limbs. In this case, the pain has already disappeared, but the dog should receive medical assistance in the next hour or two.

For diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe:

• Myelography;
• MRI;
• CT;
• X-ray.

MRI with contrast agent is often the most informative diagnostic method. X-ray reveals neoplasms of the vertebrae. The doctor determines the sequence, area and methods of research. Before testing, you need to consult a doctor. It will help clarify the localization of the pathological process. Otherwise, MRI can examine the unaffected area. This will make it difficult to make a diagnosis.

Best regards, Galina.

Causes

To help your dog get rid of abdominal pain, it is necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence. After all, the problem may lie in both poor nutrition and more serious diseases, for example, infection in the body or the formation of a tumor in the abdominal cavity.

Causes of abdominal pain:

Poor quality food can cause stomach pain.

When to sound the alarm?

If the cause of cramps and pain in the abdominal cavity is poor nutrition or poor quality food, then after changing the diet everything will return to normal in a few days and in this case there is no need for long-term treatment.

But if the owner notices that the pet suffers from periodic abdominal pain, and when trying to touch this part of the body, it whines and even growls at the owner

, the animal should be taken to a veterinary clinic. After all, such symptoms may indicate a serious illness and cannot be avoided without the help of a qualified specialist.

If a dog growls when its belly is touched, then you need to take it to the veterinarian.

Do not forget that the dog’s health and well-being depend on an accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.

Why does a dog whine at night?

Typically, there are two main reasons:

• Dogs dream too. Perhaps the dream caused a strong emotional outburst in the animal, joyful or negative experiences, as a result of which the dog whines in his sleep.
• The dog experiences anxiety in the absence of the owner, cannot sleep, and worries. In this case, it would be advisable to move the bed to the bedroom for a while, and then move it a little closer to its usual place every night, allowing it to get used to sleeping alone.

How to stop a dog whining?

To stop your animal whining, understand the reasons for this behavior. Most often, you just need to satisfy your pet’s wishes:

1. Solve the issue of physiological needs (toilet, hunger, thirst) and possible discomfort of external conditions (cold, heat).
2. Show care and attention.
3. Give time to get used to it if anxiety is caused by stress or a change in environment.
4. If there are alarming symptoms, check your health status and contact a veterinarian.

If your dog often whines in front of you, it is better not to follow its lead, but to distract the animal:

• give a favorite toy or bone, switch attention to the game;
• direct the energy in a different direction, keep the dog busy with the execution of practiced commands;
• ignore this behavior if it occurs during begging.

Many pets get nervous when left alone in the apartment. It will take time to wean yourself from this bad habit, but you will be pleased with the results. Try this exercise: leave the room, close the door and listen. If she doesn’t start “crying” within half a minute, go back and praise your pet. On another day, increase the time of absence, first to a minute, then to two, etc. If you hear “sobs” behind the wall, open the door and scold the dog. When you leave home for a long time, be sure to make sure that your dog has everything he needs and spend 10-20 minutes with him.

Disease - traumatic brain injury

The Toy Terrier is such a small dog that its movement is often limited to riding in the arms of its owner. Remember, the pet is quite fidgety; if there are omissions in upbringing, it tends to sit in the owner’s arms and protect it. Bark furiously and lunge at any approaching person or other animal. At the same time, he is not afraid of heights and at the moment of a throw he can slip out of his owner’s hands. A fall from a person's height can lead to severe limb fractures and traumatic brain injuries. If after a fall the terrier whines, his reactions are impaired, he vomits, or faints. Take your toy terrier to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

If you have a closed head injury, you don’t need to watch the dog’s condition worsen for several days and hope that he will suddenly get better. You will lose time and it will be impossible to save it.

The dog whines: reasons

A dog is considered a pack animal, and therefore the sounds that a dog can make are a way of expressing one’s own feelings, transmitting certain information to people. It turns out that the dog mainly begins to whine for fairly logical reasons. If you take care of your own pet, then never ignore his cheekbones.

With small puppies everything is quite clear. Pets, when they develop, need care, love, and attention from the owner. Puppies also need regular walks, food, and drink. If you do not monitor this, the puppy will constantly whine, squeak, and cry.

Pet

However, if an adult dog whines , then this may be a sign of some kind of problem. You will have to identify this problem in order to solve it immediately.

Health problems

If your dog whines , never panic. You just have to discover the reason why the dog is behaving this way. Don't ignore the sounds it makes. Initially, take the animal to the doctor. It is possible that your pet has health problems. Of course, this reason does not apply to those four-legged friends who whined from an early age. But if the dog starts whining unexpectedly, then you should be wary.

• Try to monitor how the animal behaves so that it does not suffer from a serious illness. For example, if your pet has problems, he begins to limp, it is difficult for him to get up and take a lying position, then, most likely, the dog was injured. Perhaps your four-legged friend has problems with his paws.
• The dog may also be concerned about: gums, teeth, injuries that have occurred in the oral cavity. It often happens that some sharp object causes discomfort to your pet. It can injure the gums or even break a tooth.
• It is quite possible that problems have arisen in the reproductive or urinary system. And, if you do not pay due attention to your own pet and its health, the diseases that you develop will develop into more serious pathologies.
• Your pet may have become infected with parasites. They can torment a pet, and therefore be one of the main reasons why a dog whines and constantly cries.
• It is also possible that you are not feeding your dog the right food or are not monitoring his health. You should know that dogs can also very often be bothered by constipation, as a result of which they whine just like that.

Whining There
are also other possible factors associated with various diseases and injuries of your four-legged friend. They are the ones who force the pet to whine, just squeal, and cry.

You can independently determine at home the main reasons why your dog whines . However, there are situations when it is impossible to do without the help of a professional veterinarian. Carefully feel all the places where injury may occur. The dog will definitely react to your touch when you touch sore spots. If you have no idea what to do in such a situation, then be sure to take your dog to the doctor. He may discover the cause and begin comprehensive treatment.

Behavioral problems

There are individuals who have high nervousness, restlessness and anxiety, and therefore they constantly just whine. Such problems can greatly ruin people's lives, as animals whine and bark, even when a slight noise occurs.

Remember how many dogs whine when fireworks, firecrackers or other pyrotechnics explode. Your dog may whine if you leave the house or leave your pet alone for a long time.

Dog

We offer you some top tips:

• Of course, in order to rid your dog of fears, you will have to be patient and time. For example, your dog is very afraid of thunderstorms, and therefore he howls and whines. Play the sounds of wind, rain, and various natural disasters more often. Also don’t forget about the sounds of thunderstorms and sea waves. Or you can play a calm melody for your pet in his own language. However, initially turn on the sounds quietly, then over time you can increase them. When the music plays, pet the dog, tell your pet that the thunderstorm is not so scary at all, it does not threaten his life at all. You will definitely see results if you turn on sounds regularly. Over time, the pet will get used to these sounds and will no longer whine or cry so often.
• A dog whines when her puppies are taken away from her. She wants to “say” in this way that her children will be returned to her, that she misses them, is sad and worried. In addition, dogs may whine regularly if they are in heat - this is considered normal.
• Sometimes it happens that boy dogs whine because they recognize the leadership of the other dog, and therefore beg him to reconcile.
• A dog may also whine if the owner punishes him for a certain offense. This is how the pet tries to show that he admits his own guilt, agrees that it is his owner who is considered the main one. The whining will disappear very quickly when you pet your pet.
• A small dog whines if he wants to play a little. It often happens that a dog whines if it lacks human attention. This suggests that the pet simply misses its owner. You can say some kind words to your pet. Go up to him, scratch behind his ears, pat his withers. This will all be appropriate, but do not forget to give the dog some kind of treat after your petting, for example, a bone or meat.

The instincts of a true hunter

It is the hunter's instincts that make the dog whine . Basically, in dogs they occur when they detect prey, for example, a fox, which they simply cannot get. Another target for dogs can be a squirrel, a bird or a cat in a tree. It will be difficult for you to correct such a problem, since it is in the genes of dogs. However, you will still be able to do something.

Your task is to calm the dog down and distract it from its prey. Take your pet away from the place where he saw the target or even bring him indoors if the situation occurred at home. If the dog saw prey on the street while being in the house, then close the windows with curtains or lower the blinds. You need to make sure your pet calms down.

Dog

A dog may whine if it is very worried, it is overexcited and nervous. Fighting dogs sometimes whine if a fight awaits them. This is not because the pet is insecure, afraid, anxious or confused. Most likely, he just can’t wait to get to the fight as quickly as possible.

Dogs are not like cats. They are laid-back, very emotional. A large number of feelings can accumulate inside animals that they simply cannot contain.

Lack of owner attention

Every pet likes when its owner is attentive to it. And, in order to attract the attention of their owner, furry pets begin to whine, even howl. You should not ignore this behavior, as the whining will not end there. A dog can behave this way for a long time.

Other reasons

In some cases, dogs whine even when they are sleeping. Scientists say that pets also have dreams, which, as a rule, can relate to injuries, running, chasing, and pursuit. You, too, have probably noticed similar behavior in your pet. But you should know that if your dog whines or pant quickly while sleeping, this can cause shortness of breath and failure of the respiratory system. This should definitely make you wary. Don’t waste time, take your pet to the vet immediately.

• Remember, your dog is asking you for something with his whining. For example, she wants to go for a walk in order to quickly relieve herself if the pet can no longer stand it. Whining often occurs when the dog is lonely. If you go, for example, to work or to the store, and the animal is left alone, then it may begin to whine because it feels unwanted. Be attentive to your pet in such situations.
• Sometimes it happens that the pet is simply being cunning, and therefore whines. Thus he begs for something. Perhaps he wants more attention or an additional portion of food - this behavior can be considered manipulation. But, if the dog is not whining because he wants to go outside, or because he does not have enough water or food, then simply ignore this behavior. When your pet realizes that it is unable to attract your attention, it will stop behaving this way.

If your dog whines and wags its tail, it means that it is in a great, joyful mood. This conclusion is considered erroneous, and therefore you must understand it differently. For example, on the street a pet notices its own brother, he begins to wag his tail and whine. Believe me, the dog is not at all happy about this meeting, it is not friendly. This is just excitement, which sometimes leads to serious consequences. If you let your pet off the leash just a little, he will immediately show his own aggression.

There are many reasons for whining

Whining can be a sign of pain . This statement is also incorrect, since dogs, as a rule, groan and scream in pain. If you accidentally step on your pet's paw, he will only squeal, but after a couple of seconds he will fall silent, although the pain will still bother him.

Sometimes dogs whine to spite their owners . You can't think like that because dogs are not as cunning as people. In addition, whining is only a certain communication, a chance to convey some information to the owner.