Where Is My Dog’s Pain Coming From?

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Does your dog ever cry out in pain and you don’t know why?

As an emergency vet, this presenting complaint is pretty common and often times, clients are baffled as to why this is occurring. It can be very distressing to puppy parents to hear their dogs acting this way so I thought I would review this problem so you can help your painful pet.

Let me tell you a story…

About 6 weeks ago, Carter Howard, an 11 year old cookie crumb of a pug, began showing signs of pain. He was yelping when he was picked up, he would randomly cry or yelp, sometimes when he was moving and other times when he was just laying still.

His little curly tail wasn’t nearly as active as it had been.

If you had to guess where Carter’s pain is coming from, what would you say?

When examined, Carter was found to have pain in his mid spine area and possibly his neck.  This is the most common cause of sudden pain in dogs.  In most cases, there is probably some chronic pain that they don’t really tell us about or complain about but when they have sudden, sharp pain, they cry out. This happens due to impingement of nerves or the spinal cord.

Occasionally other causes such as gall bladder disease or intestinal problems can cause this but this is uncommon.

Carter had x rays and blood tests and was given medication and rest for his problem.  He was doing ok but hadn’t gotten back to his normal self.  Carter then began to show a more serious change. He was more painful and he knuckling over on his right front leg.  This indicated pressure on the spinal cord in his neck.

An MRI was performed and one of his intervertebral disks was ruptured and was putting a large amount of pressure on the spinal cord.  Surgery was performed to remove the ruptured disk and relieve the pressure. Carter recovered great, was walking the next day and now 2 weeks later, and is almost back to his normal self.

If this condition had been allowed to progress, he could have become permanently disabled.

Previous to this episode, Carter had intermittent pain symptoms and he was treated with anti inflammatory medication, joint supplements, laser therapy and rest.  These treatments helped make him feel better but didn’t erase or cure the underlying problem.

There are some dogs that can be managed conservatively without surgery. In these cases, it is important to avoid trauma to the back or neck.  This can include using ramps or stairs to get on and off beds, reducing the amount of jumping and using joint supplements.

Most dogs with back trouble will get better with time and pain management (including physical therapy) but there are some dogs that will need surgery to recover the ability to walk.  When there is too much pressure on the spinal cord, permanent damage can occur. IF your dog ever is dragging its legs or having difficulty getting up, she should be seen by a vet right away.

If your dog ever cries out in pain for no apparent reason, it is most likely due to back or neck pain. The keys to healing are time, rest and if necessary, surgery.


  1. My dogs was diagnosed with kennel cough and she was given antibiotics and she had her anal glands cleaned out and now all of a sudden my dog yelps all the time outta the blue and after she stops she shakes so bad its so sad and her stomachs is very puffy and tight I can’t stand to see and hear her in pain

  2. Why is my dog selling when she moves are sometimes when I pick her up.she went to vet they founded nothing. She a three year old chihuahua.

  3. My dog. Cj was in pain let him out side. One day and i heard him crying. We ran outside he was draging his back legs i was horrified. We took him to the vet this one was a joke didnt even diagnose. Said he would need surgery. Gave me another number to call. I called my brother not happy with that hospital/vet. Went to his vet they couldn’t. Diagnose they gave him. Shots steriods and antibiotics. 4 days straight i bought. Cj a pool a dog lifejacket it was for therapy because he couldnt walk he was paralyzed. After a little. Over a week he was walking now it. Been 4 years he has a hard time jumping on bed. And couch built a little step, but he yips when i pick him up

    (from what I’veread) Is that what youu are using on yoiur

  5. my mini schnauzer was bitten by what the vet says another dog yesterday. He has punctures on the throat and top of his head also under his tail. Today he has bouts of squealing in pain, what can i do to help him. is there something i can give him, do i need to take him back to the vet?

  6. I second the comment about Rimadyl, as my Chihuahua nearly died because of it. He had torn his ACL and was on it for two weeks prior to surgery. He came home with orders to continue it and the Tramadol. He was a little out of it and lethargic when he first came home, but is attributed it to anesthesia recovery. Well, his appetite diminished even more, then he stopped going to the bathroom and started stumbling around. Pre-surgery, he had gotten very good at getting around on 3 legs, so I knew something was wrong. I took him to the regular vet 4 days post surgery and while she was concerned, we were sent home. The next evening, 5 days post surgery, we went to the ER where we found his liver values were through the roof and he was in imminent danger of liver failure. He’d been on the Rimadyl for three weeks at this point, which is about the average time that bad things start happening, often suddenly. Thankfully, after a week in the hospital, he recovered enough to come home, where he appears to be making a full recovery. I am so glad I followed my instincts on this one.

    Now, I know for some of you, Rimadyl is the wonder drug for your dog. For those of you considering it, approach it with extreme caution. Vets aren’t taking the time to fully explain the risks and consequences. I’m so glad I’m one of those stubborn people who reads the literature and tries to pay attention. It saved my dog’s life.

    • I was just looking for some info on a schnauzer problem and saw your post about your dog and his ACL joint. My schnauzer had this also and all I did was to put one capsule of Glucosamine Chondroitin on her food, you pierce the capsule and squeeze it out onto her food and within a month she was better!
      Try this first. Good luck!

  7. And never give a dog Rimadyl for pain. This drug has killed many dogs. Can cause liver failure & blood counts to drop to dangerous levels.

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  9. Thank you very much for your information. It makes perfect sense what is going on with my dog. I kind of figured it was this, but your article made it more certain and now I can sleep better tonight. I will take her to the vet tomorrow..she is also a recovered paralyzed patient thanks to acupuncture so it all makes even more sense.

  10. Thanks for this article. The issues mentioned here sound very similar to what my dog is going through. He was given anti-inflammatory medication, and he returned to norma, after a while he felt in pain again, stabalized and now he’ seemed to be in even more pain.
    I’m worried that the treatment might require surgery. As a working college student I really can’t affor it.