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My dog won't lay down. She sits, is eating, not lethargic. She was lying under the coffee table and when she crawled out on her belly, she whined in pain for a split second. Now she won't lay down. Her stomach is not painful or distended and she seems to be fine except she refuses to lay down.
Optional Information: Type of Animal: dog Gender: Female Age: 6
Hello,
My name is XX. XX and I would be happy to help you with your question about your dog. What is her name?
Layla
Are you there?
I am here now. Are you still there with your question about Layla?
Can you please tell me what she is doing right now?
Is she breathing okay?
Is her belly still not painful or distended?
Yes. She is breathing fine and she is actually lying down now. She still does not appear to have stomach pain. She urinated too.
That's good news. I'm glad she is doing better now. Has she thrown up or done anything else unusual?
No throwing up but she does dry heave on occasion. But this is always, it's not new. She was trying to eat some weeds outside but I made her stop.
That's good news. Also, were you able to see if her urine was bloody at all?
I didn't see b/c she urinated in the grass. I will check the next time she urinates
The way she acted and then urinated makes me wonder if perhaps she passed a bladder stone. That could have been very painful, but better now.
I hadn't even thought of that. If something changes, can I continue this question or do I have to start a new question and pay again?
Please continue. I'm happy to help.
She also has been rubbing her behind on the carpet and thought I should get her anal glands expressed. Could that have anything to do with it.
This can have everything to do with it. Can you please tell me what kind of dog Layla is?
For how long can I continue the question? I mean, if tomorrow something is awry, can I continue with this question, or is there a time limit?
You can always post more to this thread and I will be alerted via email, even after you've clicked ACCEPT.
She is a mixed dog (she was a stray we adopted). But she definitely seems to have pit bull and maybe lab. She weighs about 55-60#
Typically bigger dogs are tougher about pain, but it's possible everything you saw was due to anal gland pain. When I talk to pet owners online or on the phone, I honestly can't tell the difference between bladder stones, a slipped disc, and anal gland problems - they're that painful!
We even end up seeing dogs with anal gland pain for emergency exams quite commonly, it can hurt so much.
Can you see her back end? Any swollen, red lumps to either side of her anus?
What symptoms should I worry about as far as a slipped disc? She is very active and runs in circles and shakes her head quite violently when she has a toy in her mouth. No swollen red lumps around her anus.
A slipped disc would show reluctance to move, walk, jump up and down off the couch or do stairs.
She might also walk a little wobbly like she'd had too many drinks.
It sure doesn't sound like that's the problem.
Then she doesn't have that. Would a bladder stone or anal gland issue become an emergency issue?
I think the smart plan is to take her in to the vet tomorrow to have her anal glands emptied and checked. See if that puts an end to the scooting. If it doesn't, your vet may want to look for bladder stones.
Anal glands are not an emergency unless her pain is intolerable.
A bladder stone in a female dog is also not likely to become an emergency.
Okay. Thank you. You've been a great comfort to me. I was so worried about her.
The only way it WOULD be an emergency would be if it got stuck in her urethra. You'd know if that happened. She'd be constantly uncomfortable, straining to urinate all the time, and getting worse rapidly.
Believe me, I know what it's like to worry!
I'm happy I can offer some reassurance. This really doesn't sound like an emergency to me.
Trust your instincts.
Okay. I will look for signs of that tonight. She's sleeping now so she must not be in horrible pain. Could I give her a Rimadyl? I have 75 mg.
Is it prescribed for her and is it not expired?
It's prescribed for all of our dogs and she's been prescribed it before. We just keep it on hand because we have another dog with hip issues.
It's the perfect drug to use for pain, swelling and inflammation as long as you know it's safe for her to take - kind of like prescription strength Advil for dogs. If your vet has sent it home with you to give when needed, then this is one of those times.
okay. Thanks again. If anything changes, I'll be in touch!
You bet. Like I said, I'm happy to help, and you can always post more to this thread, even after you've clicked ACCEPT.
Thanks for using Just Answer!
Ok, thanks!
Experience: Small animal veterinarian since 1994. Special interests include pet birds and canine behavior.