Why did my dog wake up yelping, leg hunched? Cramp, dream, or injury?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Milo but it sounds like this was an isolated incident since he has been normal today. I would continue to monitor him for any return of problems that you noticed and if they appear, I would have your vet evaluate him to make sure his legs are normal and that he seems physically within normal limits. Hard to say what happened. He may have been dreaming and was startled, possibly straining his legs. Sounds like he's good today so I don't think you have anything to worry about. But, keep monitoring him. Good luck with Milo

It’s impossible to know without an exam if that episode was a bad dream or related to pain. Watch Orlando very closely for any repeated episodes, limping or reluctance to move. Once he wakes up, check his nails and make sure none are broken and that there aren’t any wounds on the feet. If you see anything questionable, have him seen by his veterinarian. It’s possible he got a toe nail stuck in the bed and it twisted and if the nails are long, get them trimmed. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Sometimes animals do dream so that could potentially be the cause. Also he could have very easily hurt himself but not seriously, for example if he got a dew claw caught on the bedding. If he seems back to normal I would simply monitor him, and you can always take him to a vet for an examination if you are concerned.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is possible that he could have sustained a minor soft tissue injury, but as long as he is otherwise acting normally - eating/drinking/urinating/defecating - and not showing any signs of lameness/limping, he should be OK! I hope this is helpful!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Zoey! It is common for dogs to "dream" while asleep. It may appear as though it is a nightmare because they cry or bark or sound distressed. The good thing about dogs is that once they wake up they likely do not remember the dream and are not traumatized by it. When my dog has these vocal dreams I call out his name or gently wake him up. I wish you and Zoey the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Leo! I am so glad he is walking normally now, that is very good news! He probably just hit his leg hard when he fell. The fact he is walking normally now likely means nothing is broken. I would rest him for 2-3 days. If the limping returns take him to the vet, otherwise he should be fine! I hope this helps and I wish you and Leo the best!

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Charlie sounds like he is having an issue that comes and goes. The most common causes of lameness in his back legs at his age are a ligament tear, knee cap luxation (moves out of its normal groove), followed by a foreign object stuck in his paw. It is also possible that he simply strained a hip muscle. No matter the case, he needs to be evaluated by a vet to determine exactly which. He may just need a little rest and anti-inflammatory therapy, but a sedated exam and radiographs may be needed to rule out significant disease that could need surgery to fix. Do not give anything over the counter for his discomfort as those medications can be quite harmful to Charlie. Keep him from running around and playing too hard until you can get him in to be evaluated by a veterinarian. While I'd recommend having him seen as soon as you can, his condition should be okay to wait for a day or two if you can't get into your vet right away. However, if his pain is unbearable, you may want to take him to an emergency vet tonight. Hope this helps, and I hope Charlie gets to feeling better soon!