Like humans, dogs also have natural reflexes whenever they are suddenly affected by the external environment, or changes in psychological or medical conditions within the body.
Dog randomly yelping is a cause for concern, as it signals that the dog is receiving some physical or emotional harm.
So, why does the dog cry unusually, and what should we do to bring our four-legged friend back to his usual dynamism?
The answer is not far away but awaits your visit in this article.
Why Is My Dog Randomly Yelping In Pain?
Any animal lover is heartbroken when a dog struggles with painful cries, especially when no externally expressed adverse symptoms exist.
But before all, please calm down and carefully research the top issues that lead to randomly yelping in dogs below.
Joint And Muscle Issues
Muscle or joint problems (often due to odd sleeping positions or injury) are leading causes of sudden yelping in dogs.
When your four-legged friend suffers from a pinched nerve or slipped disc (Cervical IVDD), it will face bone-shattering pain that suddenly strikes and then mysteriously disappears after a while.
With age, the lining between the dog’s spinal cord becomes increasingly poor or damaged due to injury.
Like older people, crazy age-related pain in the shoulder blades sometimes makes it impossible to turn their heads to the other side.
Some other pain signs of IVDD include:
- Paralysis, trembling
- Urinary incontinence
- Neck and back pain
- Moves limply
- Unable to lift head
Meanwhile, arthritis occurs when joint tissues and cartilage begin to show signs of wear and tear.
This disease is common in old, overweight dogs with congenital disabilities and fungal/bacterial infections.
In the dog’s skeletal system, the earliest locations for deterioration include the lower back, elbows, knees, and hips.
Some signs of arthritis in dogs that you should not ignore:
- Restlessness, lack of appetite
- Pee in the house
- Joint pain whenever moving
Acute Pain
Acute pain includes sudden injuries due to a fall, accident, or being bitten by another dog.
Fortunately, this problem is easily detected when the dog shows signs of a fight, such as external injuries, drooping tail, huddling in a corner, and anxiety.
Comfort your furry friend and check the wound immediately.
You can use medical supplies to treat minor injuries at home, give first aid, and then transport the dog to the nearest emergency vet.
During a walk outside, a sudden sting from a bee or other insect can cause sharp pain, causing the dog to cry out pitifully.
Dogs may also have the following symptoms of insect bites:
- Lick the area bitten by the insect
- The bitten area swells
- Rash and redness
It is best to limit your dog’s access to areas with a high concentration of insects (places with tall grass, dark and damp) to minimize conflicts with insects.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain, also known as latent pathogens, is present in the dog’s body for a long time, such as dental disease.
When it develops to a certain serious stage, it will cause persistent pain and cause the dog to collapse quickly.
Psychological Problems
Some dogs yelp as they are experiencing psychological problems such as anxiety, fear, or separation phobia.
These furry friends often have unpleasant memories, trauma, or accidents in their past, leading to greater sensitivity than other species.
These poor pets need enough time, love, and trust to return to a normal psychological state.
If you leave these behaviors alone, the disease can develop into destructive behavior and tearing of furniture.
Bloated Stomach
A dog’s bloated stomach occurs when the stomach contains too much gas, food, and liquid.
The stronger it develops, the higher the chance of the stomach being bent or twisted, threatening the dog’s life.
Severe abdominal distention gradually limits the amount of blood supplied to the dog’s organs and body parts. The initially identified causes of this disease originate from:
- Old dogs
- Excessive physical activity after eating a full meal
- Eating too fast
- Indigestion
Besides an aesthetically swollen belly, stomach bloating also causes the following consequences:
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Excessive drooling
- Restlessness and pacing
- Unable to stand up
- Stomachache
For some dog breeds that are more susceptible to stomach bloat (like Irish Setters, ST Bernards, or Great Danes), you should not feed them too much food in one meal.
Let them rest after eating and take them out regularly to exercise.
Ear Infection
Chronic ear infections in dogs are common in breeds with soft, long ears, typically Boxers, Golden Retrievers, Labradors, or Cocker Spaniels.
Not only does it cause itching, but ear infections also damage the inner or middle ear canal, causing increasingly poor hearing.
Besides, dogs cannot reach the uncomfortable areas deep inside the ears, so they scream whenever they face this extreme pain.
Bad Anal Glands
The anal glands inside the anus opening work as the dog’s information center, whose dark musk fluid allows other dogs to access all information about the dog.
However, infection or blockage can cause the anal glands to become infected. The thick brown liquid begins to leak out and emit an unpleasant odor while physically tormenting your dog.
You can recognize this problem through water stains on your furry friend’s bedding or tracks. It also tends to drag the buttocks across the floor to relieve pain in the anus.
Static Shock
You may have never expected it, but electrostatic shocks in the winter can cause your dog many difficulties.
It occurs when two different materials rub and cause a charge.
When this charge reaches a certain threshold, it will automatically discharge when you touch anything, startling you with an electric shock and crackling sounds.
When winter comes, many animal lovers tend to coat their pets, leading to an increased tolerance to static shock.
Although it does not affect the dog’s health, explosions will cause the dog to be defenseless and scream.
Constipation
When dogs cannot defecate for many days due to constipation, they will experience sudden pain in the lower abdomen and anus when trying to poop.
Typically, you will need to take your pet to the veterinary hospital for a checkup when it cannot poop for at least 48 hours.
In addition, castration also causes female dogs to feel pain and scream while pooping. But rest assured, because it will return to normal after a few days.
Attracting Your Attention
Dogs can learn very quickly, like a 5-year-old child.
A smart dog will know that the way to attract your attention is by barking and screaming and even scratching objects in the house.
An adult naughty dog often barks decisively, stands up straight, and wags its tail. Meanwhile, puppies will make weaker sounds due to their easily scared nature.
You must be wise enough to distinguish the dog’s cry for help or attention.
If you continually respond to your dog’s cries for attention, it will mistake yelping for receiving a response, leading to increased levels of destruction.
How To Know My Dog Is In Pain When My Dog Keeps Yelping For No Reason?
Dogs seldom show pain before being domesticated, as this weakness can make them a target for more dangerous predators.
This tolerance still exists in most dogs, making them resilient even in pain.
Of course, pain that is too sudden or increases over time can cause the dog’s defenses to collapse, causing painful cries.
On the contrary, a fur baby with a more sensitive soul may whimper at the slightest injury or seek your attention.
So, how do you know if your dog is crying out in pain and needs help?
It would help if you did not ignore other signs of pain in dogs, including:
- Constant painting
- Limping
- Change in behavior (become clingier, I want to hide away)
- Growling or biting
- Changes in expression (no tail wagging, ears down, stretching out their front/back legs or hunched back)
- Restlessness
- Licking and pawing at the painful area
What To Do If My Dog Randomly Yelps In Pain?
It’s easy to fall into a crisis when your dog continuously howls in pain. But calm down because your dog needs the comfort of a strong spirit right now.
Follow the detailed 3-step instructions below to get your dog out of an emergency.
Find The Source Of The Problem
Thoroughly examine every corner of your dog’s body to determine the source of the pain.
Gently run your hands along your body and pay attention to any painful reactions, swelling, or cuts.
Never be rough because feeling too painful will cause the dog to attack you.
If you are on a walk, try to control your dog so he doesn’t get scared, and try to run away.
For injuries at home, let your dog sit on the bed, then do a quick test while gently comforting it.
Give First Aid And Comfort To The Dog
For the remaining culprits (such as nails or broken glass), remove them to avoid more severe pain.
Use bandages for first aid for small wounds and other medical methods of stopping bleeding for larger wounds.
Always use affectionate and gentle words and gestures as much as possible during first aid. Although this will not relieve the pain, it can encourage the dog to feel more secure.
Take The Dog To A Veterinary Facility
Only a veterinarian is qualified enough to determine whether the injury affects the dog’s behavior.
Regardless of your dog’s situation, please take it to a veterinary facility for complete diagnostic tests and removal of potential hazards.
What Are Some Pain Management For You To Consider?
When facing your dog’s piercing pain, you should use some pain relief measures to hold it off before it is transferred to the veterinary hospital.
Carefully research information about medical and natural remedy products to determine the best method for your four-legged friend.
Natural Pain Relief Remedies
If the medicine cabinet is empty, use a soft cloth to wrap around the ice pack, then apply it to the wound for about 5-10 minutes at a time.
This cold compress effectively reduces nerve pain caused by insect bites, leg injuries, muscle strains, and sprains.
Some natural products with small doses of pain relief (like Devils Claw or Tumeric) are extremely safe for dogs, but the pain relief effect is not immediately strong.
Follow your doctor’s prescription because arbitrarily prescribing an incorrect dose of medication can cause other serious problems for your dog’s health.
Medical Pain Relief Remedies
Medical techniques designed to relieve pain in pets are extremely effective in reducing inflammation, providing pain relief, and providing anesthesia when necessary.
Multimodal pain management is often combined with specialized medical drugs prescribed by doctors, which can prevent pain in just a short time while promoting recovery.
Continuous pain control is key to stabilizing your dog’s condition.
Whenever pain returns while using one medication, you should contact your veterinarian immediately to consider physical therapies, such as laser therapy.
FAQs
Why Is My Dog Suddenly Yelping When I Pick Him Up?
Dogs may cry out in discomfort when being picked up due to pain from a certain body area.
This pain can come from bone and joint problems due to old age, injury, or muscle pain.
In addition, underlying internal diseases such as back problems and arthritis can cause the dog pain every time it moves vigorously.
Why Is My Dog Whimpering and Yelping?
Whining and yowling are the leading signs of distress in dogs.
These pains can come from external trauma or mental crisis and then be transmitted through the nervous system to the brain, urging the dog to cry out to seek help from people around him.
What Is The Cause If My Dog Randomly Yelps When Lying Down?
When a dog lies down and whines, it may have bone and joint problems, such as back or neck pain.
These problems often originate from injury, infection, degeneration, or advanced age, preventing the dog from moving and standing up normally.
Our Final Thought
Trauma or psychological stress causes the nerve center to transmit information to the brain, urging dog randomly yelping.
But sometimes, it’s just the result of a fight for recognition and attention from naughty four-legged friends.
Therefore, the first job is to stay calm to determine the source of your dog’s pain.
Combining regular veterinary checkups and behavioral training (such as crate training) can effectively strengthen your dog’s physical and mental health.
