Why does my 3-month-old puppy whine when picked up or climbing?

I'm sorry to hear you puppy is having trouble. I would suspect he has shoulder, elbow, or even neck pain from your description of him yelping after picking up near his shoulders. Puppies this young can have some congenital deformity that result in instability and pain, panosteitis (bone inflammation), growth plate problems, or could have potentially had a soft tissue injury or bone displacement (luxation) in that area. I would recommend you take him to your vet for an evaluation, possible x-rays, and to get anti-inflammatory pain medication for him.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Blue! Common causes of pain when small dogs are picked up are: neck and back pain for forelimb pain. If this is new and he is also jumping up less, shivering or tremoring and not using the stairs I would take him in to the Vet this week for an exam as that indicates pain. Other reasons for crying when picked up is arthritis or being scared or surprised. So try to go slowly and gently if he is otherwise acting normal. Good luck!

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!

Young puppies will whine or vocalize when cold, hungry, sick, injured or if left alone for long periods of time. You can make sure he is fed, warm and has company. To diagnose illness or injury, he would need to be physically examined by your veterinarian.

I would bring him to be seen by a vet if he still is painful after his nap. They will be able to isolate the source (leg sprain or fracture vs injury to a rib vs. back pain) and get his medication to be more comfortable. If they are worried they may take an x-ray. Hope beau is feeling better soon!

Puppies will bark or whine due to hunger, fear, boredom, pain, infection, if too cold/hot or if they have to go outside. Check to make sure he or she is not experiencing any of the above. If the behavior persists or worsens, consider an exam with your veterinarian.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Rocky. He needs to see his veterinarian if he has not been eating well for several days. Being a young puppy, it will be easy for him to become dehydrated. He could be painful somewhere or even be experiencing an upper respiratory tract infection. Is he coughing or sneezing at all? Neck and/or back pain are also common in small breed dogs. His veterinarian will be able to tell based on his exam findings. In the meantime, keep him quiet to allow his body to rest. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!