Why is my dog yelping suddenly when I pick him up or touch his chest?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Lily isn’t feeling well. It sounds like there may be some pain in her neck or back. If there is a pinched nerve in the neck, it will radiate through the whole body and cause discomfort when picking up. I wouldn’t consider it “urgent” but it does sound like she may be in pain and need some medications to help relieve her pain. Please do not give any over the counter medications as they are not safe for pets. Good luck and kisses to Lily!

Pain when being picked up can be related to many things including pulling the hair, pain in the upper abdominal region (like from the pancreas or liver) or something wrong in the spine or shoulders. The first step is start with a physical exam by her veterinarian. Diagnostics will be determined based upon examine findings. I hope this helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lacey. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. Small breed dogs are prone to neck and/or back pain. It can present as yelping. Her veterinarian will carefully examine her to determine if she is painful. If so, x-rays may be needed. In the meantime, keep her quiet and carry her as much as possible. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hello, The first thing that comes to my mind is chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain. Dogs with pain in these areas often hesitate to use stairs or jump on and off furniture. They may also want to lay around more and be generally less active. Pain in dogs can be similar to humans in that in can be caused by things like arthritis, disc disease, or a pinched nerve. It can also flare up and be worse at some times than at others, which may be why he vocalizes at some times and not at others. Anti-inflammatory drugs (a common one is carprofen) and nerve pain drugs (a common one is gabapentin) are commonly used to treat these conditions. I would recommend taking Gage into see a vet and be evaluated for chronic pain. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Joey. The two possibilities here are that it hurts or that he scares him when you pick him up. I'd lean towards pain from your description, but keep fear in mind since your vet didn't find any pain. One area pain can "hide" during a physical exam is in the spine or neck - vet's don't always check this area carefully. I would recommend a recheck visit, since it's still going on with no changes to see if anything is different on physical exam this time, and ask if doing a trial of pain meds for around 5 days would be appropriate. If pain meds don't help, experiment with never picking him up to see if that makes him happier. Good luck!

It may be because you are picking him up incorrectly or it could be due to an orthopedic issue. When you pick him up, place a hand behind his back legs on his rump and the other hand under his chest. He should not be picked up by the scruff or by a limb. Front limb pain may be due to elbow, shoulder or neck issues. Hind limb pain can be hips, knees or lower back. If the pain persists, have Chico examined and xrayed by your veterinarian to diagnose the cause.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Besides this being behavioral, this could also be due to a medical issue such as a display of pain of some sort. I recommend that if this persists, you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for this possibility and treat him accordingly. This may require taking x-rays. Good luck and have a great day!