Little dog with sensitive torso

[KatieBRose]

Hello I'm writing this about my five year old chihuahua. He is fully grown at a little under 3 pounds and does something which leads me to believe he might be experiencing discomfort in his stomach region. When he is lying down on the couch or sleeping with me, he only rests in a position where his butt is up the air. If I try to get him to flatten himself out, he returns back to that position. It's as if he is trying to avoid putting pressure on his stomach which leads me to believe something is bothering him. He doesn't have any other long standing symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting and he otherwise seems to be healthy. He's had checkups before and they didn't find anything wrong. He was a little snippy with them when they were touching him, but he is like that with strangers so it was difficult to know if he was uncomfortable with a physical issue or if he was just being a snippy chihuahua.

He did have a bout of pancreatitis a few years back ( He was vomiting profusely and lethargic so I took him in). They told me his kidney enzymes were elevated and I attributed it to feeding him too many treats and people food. But since that incident he has strictly on his dog food and has had treats sparingly.

Do you think the fact that he doesn't want to lie with his stomach touching anything indicates that he is experiencing pain in his torso? And if so, what tests should I ask the vet to do to rule out any issues going on in his stomach area?

Thanks!

[KatieBRose]

Thank you! I didn't quite know how to explain the position he was getting in but now I can describe this praying position to the vet. He doesn't do it all the time, but I will mention it to the vet for sure. He has plenty of energy, runs around the house, he eats well, no vomiting or diarrhea so I don't think he is having an acute attack or anything but I will keep an eye on him and get him an appointment ASAP.

[Windankh]

I was just checking on something similar with my dog and came across peritonitis. Dogs will sit in that praying position to avoid the pain in their stomach. Check it online to see if any of the symptoms match. It's pretty serious though so I would recommend taking him to the vet right away. I hope he gets better!

[KatieBRose]

Hey there jerry- Oh I know he can feel pain, I just thought he would try hard to conceal it. I think if its a sudden sharp pain like the toenail example a dog would yelp because its their way of telling you that you are hurting them. Maybe if its a dull pain or if the pain is more chronic they wouldn't yelp as much. Regardless I'm going to push on his belly and see what kind of responses I get....wish me luck lol.

[KatieBRose]

Ok wow...I will definitely bring this all up with my vet. I know that there is a holistic vet in my area so if he is diagnosed with it I will take him for treatments. He's also been a lot growlier and snippy as he's gotten older and Im worried he might be in some kind of back pain which I didn't even realize until the trainer pointed it out.

The elevated kidney levels I think were a result of treats then. Because on the particular day he got sick, he had accidentally gotten into an entire bag of them. They were just generic treats from CVS, and since then I've been a lot more careful about the kind of treats I give him. I just had no idea before.

[Misfits4Me]

Hi Katie....Your trainer is wrong....Although it is getting more common, there are many things you can do for Disc Disease (IVDD)...
I wouldn't accept this as normal at all.....You need to get him to a Neurologist for a thorough evaluation....Your regular Vet can refer you to one!

Things available that help after a diagnoses: There is acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, Anti-inflammatories, & surgery (If they become paralyzed)....Also, starting a good joint supplement makes a world of difference....

Elevated Kidney levels are NOT a result of people food! That's not possible....It CAN be due to his diet of dogfood, however or low quality treats.....Depends on the chemicals & preservatives included in the particular food.....Karla

[Jerry_NJ]

Good plan, and they can feel pain, dogs.  We have a Terrier (Westie) that is tough as nails but if I cut into a toenail wick, he yelps and snaps... ouch for me too. This is true even if the nick of the wick is very minor.  Maybe there is more sensitivity in the toe nail are, but I doubt it, why would there be?

[KatieBRose]

Hello and thanks for the response. I am going to take your suggestion and see if when I press on his stomach he has any issues. Someone told me that dogs don't show pain so Im not sure if he would wince or show any discomfort if he experienced any.

I had a dog trainer that was working with me once tell me she thought she suspected my dog might be experiencing pain in the lower vertebrae area. She said it was probably from people picking him up so much and that a lot of little dogs have this kind of lower back injury from a slipped disk. She went on to say that a lot of little dogs have this problem and that there is usually nothing that they can do for it. She pressed on his back at a certain vertebrae and showed me how even though he wasn't wincing, his tissue was twitching which meant he was experiencing some pain. I am wondering if maybe the issue could possibly be his back and not his stomach now.

Anyhow, thanks for the recommendation and I'm going to see how he reacts to my putting pressure on his stomach and I'll bring it up to the vet since he is due for a checkup anyway.

[Jerry_NJ]

Have you tried putting pressure, softly at first, on his stomach area?  It seems to me that the best first start - the eliminates his response to strangers.

From your description it sounds to me like some tenderness in the area he's avoiding putting pressure on.

He is a young dog, so one could hope it isn't serious.  Can you recall any falls or collisions with anything in the recent past?  Try to think about what you saw him doing that was unusual since just before the current behavior started.