Why is my senior Chihuahua yelping and shaking without clear pain?

Shaking and/or trembling can be a sign of anxiety or pain. I would recommend evaluating the environment Sissy is in and see if there is anything new or unusual that could be causing her stress/anxiety. If everything is normal then I would be concerned that Sissy is painful/uncomfortable for some reason. If this behavior continues for more than a day or so or Sissy stops wanting to eat or drink, then you should probably have her checked out by your veterinarian. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Peanut. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian today. Small breed dogs are prone to neck and/or back pain which can be excruciatingly painful. He will be carefully examined to determine if this is the case or if he has another problem. Based on these results and any diagnostic testing, treatment recommendations can be made. In the meantime, do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Poor Lily! It sounds like she could be suffering from back/neck pain or muscle spasms. I would have your vet take a look at her as soon as possible. Your vet will be able to determine the cause of her pain or weird behavior and get her started on the proper meds if needed to help her feel better. I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rio, it sounds like he may be exhibiting this reaction due to pain. Some pets will display similar behavior if they are experiencing pain of the neck/back, abdomen, or mouth (dental). You are correct that these types of reactions can be due to severe anxiety, but this would most likely not affect his appetite and attitude when people are not interacting with him. I would recommend having him thoroughly evaluated by his veterinarian to see if the pain can be localized. Based on the physical examination findings, additional diagnostics may be recommended (complete blood count, serum chemistry, urinalysis), and treatments can be tailored based on findings.

I would worry that the shaking could be a sign of pain - sometimes neck, back or abdominal pain can cause symptoms like this. Shaking can also be a sign of a fever. I’d recommend seeing your veterinarian for an exam. I doubt the Seresto collar is related.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This behavior could be due to older age and brain senile problems but also shivering and lethargy could be caused by arthritic pain. A visit at your local vets is recommended as Carly will probably benefit from medications to treat chronic pain or from medications that help for dementia.

It's possible that he has some back or neck pain. This is one of the more common causes of sudden yelps of pain that don't seem related to anything specific. It does sound like Oreo is likely having some pain, so I would recommend that you take him in to see your veterinarian today if at all possible. They will do a physical exam and determine whether he's painful and try to localize the cause better. They can send him with some medications to make him more comfortable and may recommend other treatments as well (acupuncture, therapeutic laser, etc). Until you can get him in to see your vet, avoid giving him any over the counter human pain medication, as there is not a safe option to use and giving something like aspirin at home will limit the choices your vet has to treat his pain when you take him in. Also, until you can get him in for an exam, keep him exercise restricted; don't take him on walks, don't encourage "tug or war," chasing a ball, or other play. I hope that helps you! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!