Something wrong with my dog, I think? :(

Seb_bixby

Since yesterday evening my dog hasn't been himself. Usually, he would park himself on the couch beside me but since yesterday he will not jump onto the couch. He will stand in front of it and whimper to be lifted onto it. He is able to jump on to it as he has once or twice but not the way he would usually. Even pieces of chicken will not tempt him to jump up on to it or even put his paws on to it. He is eating and drinking though. I have given him a good check him over and he is not whimpering when I touch him anywhere or anything like that.

He also seems a lot quieter than usual and is looking at me quite balefully. Any one have any advice or anything. Obviously, I can't bring him to the vet at this time of night on a Saturday and prob won't get him to a Vet until Monday when they open again.
Just wondering if anyone had any advice as he's my baby and I'm a little worried about him.
Thanks Guys.

stevek93

How long has he been like this? He could be ill, ate something dody. Would bring him to the vet just to make sure.

Stheno

Where are you based? Someone may be able to recommend an emergency vet?

Also what age and breed is your dog?

Seb_bixby

Well been barking at the couch since yesterday evening. It's the same thing he does if he wants something that has gone under the couch and he can't reach it. He literally just went to the toilet and is a bit more awake now but still doing the barking thing.

He's a mongrel but his parents were a Bichon Frise and a JRT and he'll be 2 on the 2nd of Jan.

stevek93

Seb_bixby wrote: »

Well been barking at the couch since yesterday evening. It's the same thing he does if he wants something that has gone under the couch and he can't reach it. He literally just went to the toilet and is a bit more awake now but still doing the barking thing.

He's a mongrel but his parents were a Bichon Frise and a JRT and he'll be 2 on the 2nd of Jan.

Maybe something spooked him while on the couch, is he able to see out side while on the couch, did someone he doesn't know sit on the couch while his was on it?

Seb_bixby

I did think something could have spooked him or he might have jumped onto the couch and banged into it or something. It's very strange behaviour for him. He can't see out the window and there has been nobody here at all.

Suppose I should be glad that he's not on the furniture like my mother says but he's only small and he helps keep me warm!

Seb_bixby

Sorry I'm based in Sligo and I have Vet and that who know him from visits to get his food etc.

Mountainsandh

Has he got the curly hair ? Mine is a bichon cross too, and sometimes he gets a bit of poo trapped because of hair sticking on his backside (sorry), even after a groom, and that's usually when he acts strange... He's so uncomfortable then, he yelps and darts instead of normally jumping on couch.
The other day, it just wasn't coming out, until I bathed him and cut and cleaned the area a bit.
(sorry if it's gross and you've already thought of that).

When it's something like that he still eats and drinks, and will go out no bother, but acting weird.

Seb_bixby

Poor Hersh suffers from that too! It's a gross but necessary evil! He's all good with that at the minute. He tends to chase his tail when that happens!

Just that whole, pick me up onto the couch whimper/whining thing!

Pretzill

Seb_bixby wrote: »

Sorry I'm based in Sligo and I have Vet and that who know him from visits to get his food etc.

As far as I know there's an after hour vet in Collooney had to use him once instead of our own but I don't remember his name he's on the main street.

maggiepip

If he's refusing to jump he has pain somewhere, so try to keep him as quiet as possible until you see a vet or he could do further damage. It could be his back or anywhere really. He needs to get to a vet as soon as you can.

Seb_bixby

Would this be the case even though he has no pain when you touch him?
Thanks for all your help everyone. Looks like we might have a trip to the Vet needed so. Poor guy. Hope he's ok.

maggiepip

Firstly don't worry I'm sure he'll be fine. He won't necessarily show pain when you touch him, vets are trained to read pain responses on examination and sometimes these responses are as subtle as a slight move of the head or the slightest flinch. Dogs are excellent at hiding pain and vets won't even always get a pain reaction although the dog is in pain. So just because he doesn't yelp when you touch him doesn't mean he's pain free at all. I'm no vet but refusal to jump or reluctance to jump (in circumstances where the dog would normally jump) is almost always an indication of some type of discomfort and the discomfort could really be anywhere. It could be something really simple like a pulled muscle somewhere but you do need to get him checked by a vet. And again try not to worry:-)

Mountainsandh

I remember 2 instances of these "we don't quite know what's wrong but we have a notion where pain might be" with mine, once a child had stepped on his tail by accident and said nothing, and he was a bit sore, but didn't show it when I felt his whole body.
Another time he had a very slight rash in the fold of his back leg, I don't think it was the rash that came first, I am just guessing that he had been stung by a bee/horsefly/caterpillar, something to that effect, and he had licked the area a fair bit (not really obvious licking though). That passed easily. Again he did not show any obvious pain, didn't yelp or withdraw the leg, let me have a good look and feel it...

Seems a bit drastic to ring the emergency vet if he's eating and drinking, then again, if you're going to be worried about him all day... I'd be the same as you OP. See how he does tomorrow, it could be something simple as with my Gizmo, and it'll be gone in the morning.

ferretone

OP, just a question to eliminate something that's giving me incredible heartache with my own girl right now: is his tail full or docked?

maggiepip

ferretone wrote: »

OP, just a question to eliminate something that's giving me incredible heartache with my own girl right now: is his tail full or docked?

Just to butt in here my rescue collie has a diagnosed back issue, but the bright spark who owned her before we did for some reason chose to dock her tail. My vet feels her docked tail plays a part in her problems and causes her discomfort too. I see her swing to bite her tail on and off - its as if she just got stung or something. Thankfully for the most part medication keeps her pain free and very happy but I get so angry at this tail docking business which can cause a lifetime of problems for a dog. Hope you manage to get your dog well.

DBB

Maggiepip, was your dog an adult when you got her? There is a disturbing tendency amongst some vets to "cure" stereotypical tail-chasing by getting rid of the tail.
It often doesn't work, funnily enough.
Sorry op, taking your thread off topic there! But I'd agree that your wee dog needs to be thoroughly checked out to make sure there's nothing hurting him. This may require x-rays.
Good luck!

maggiepip

Yeah she was 2 DBB. But its not thought the tail was taken off by a vet. To be honest, as she was actually seized from a man in Cork by the ISPCA for suspected abuse, neglect and starvation I suspect she had never seen a vet in her life prior to being rescued. She is great these days in general though (thanks to Frances, and yourself - DBB recommended a super vet for us!) she's on low maintenance dose meds which only occasionally have to be increased if she has a bad spell (which is not very often).

DBB

D'uh, sorry, it had slipped my mind that you'd brought her to Frances, who is a bit of a genius when it comes to bones and joints.
Great to hear your wee one's doing better now :-)

maggiepip

Thanks! She's like a little rocket these days flying round the place (one of her nicknames is "sprocket" the rocket) with a big happy grin a permanent fixture on her face:-)

Seb_bixby

Thanks guys, Hersh seems to be much better today. Jumping and playing as normal. Think I'm going to bring him to the Vet tomorrow just to be sure.
Nope Hershey, has a full and very waggy tail. He had a tiny little stub tail when I got him and it's grown into a big curly tail that I love! I don't agree with tail docking at all. I think it's cruel. (Just my opinion) Half the reason I knew that there was something wrong with Hersh was coz his tail was not a waggy as usual.

Mountainsandh

Glad he's allright !
Gizmo has a curly tail too, and I too think that tail docking is cruel and unnecessary.
Can you believe that when he was a tiny pup and we'd only just got him, several people said to me : "are you going to dock his tail ? you know they say if you don't dock them the dog will be more likely to bite" ?
I was gobsmacked, never imagined people could be so ignorant as to believe such tales.

ShaShaBear

When you mentioned the barking at the couch, like when something gets stuck underneath it that they want, it rang a bell with me.

Is is possible there was a mouse? This weather is prime for them wriggling into warm houses and trying to find somewhere to nest, perhaps your dog saw it (that would be the JRT) and chased it toward the couch, where there might have been a little bite? That would be enough to cause wariness, if your dog might be afraid of getting bitten again, and if your dog can still smell the mouse, he might be more interested in what's going on underneath.

If hes improving it might be because the visitor left when the coast was clear.

Seb_bixby

Hi guys, just to let you know that I took Hersh to the vet today and they said that they think he had hurt his back. He's on painkillers now and has to rest up for a while. Poor wee guy. Least I know now though what's wrong with him!

Also, the vet said that his back knee caps tend to slip off and that he should get an operation to fix this at some stage as it can lead to arthritis down the line. Any one have any experience of this?

ferretone

Seb_bixby wrote: »

Hi guys, just to let you know that I took Hersh to the vet today and they said that they think he had hurt his back. He's on painkillers now and has to rest up for a while. Poor wee guy. Least I know now though what's wrong with him!

Also, the vet said that his back knee caps tend to slip off and that he should get an operation to fix this at some stage as it can lead to arthritis down the line. Any one have any experience of this?

There are a whole bunch of threads on this topic on here. If you just search this forum for "luxating patella", you will find loads of posts on it, as it is very common, especially in smaller dogs. I'm sure there'll be plenty of helpful info for you on there.