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Why does my dog cry out when jumping for treats? Is it a leg injury?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Beagle | Male | neutered | 5 years and 10 months old

He's used to jumping for a treat, but yesterday he yelled loudly as he jumped up. Quickly sat down, howling/whining bit more w/ right hind paw slightly off ground and shaking a bit. He got up after 1 min, running, sitting perfectly fine. Today, he didn't want to jump for treat but tried once & same thing happened. Seems like jumping on/off couches is fine & walks/does everything totally fine. Could this be joint/muscle problem? Sprain/cramp? Thanks!!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Justin Plunk, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 11th, 2017

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Charlie sounds like he is having an issue that comes and goes. The most common causes of lameness in his back legs at his age are a ligament tear, knee cap luxation (moves out of its normal groove), followed by a foreign object stuck in his paw. It is also possible that he simply strained a hip muscle. No matter the case, he needs to be evaluated by a vet to determine exactly which. He may just need a little rest and anti-inflammatory therapy, but a sedated exam and radiographs may be needed to rule out significant disease that could need surgery to fix. Do not give anything over the counter for his discomfort as those medications can be quite harmful to Charlie. Keep him from running around and playing too hard until you can get him in to be evaluated by a veterinarian. While I'd recommend having him seen as soon as you can, his condition should be okay to wait for a day or two if you can't get into your vet right away. However, if his pain is unbearable, you may want to take him to an emergency vet tonight. Hope this helps, and I hope Charlie gets to feeling better soon!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi and thank your for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach It could be a ligament issue in his knee, especially if he didn't want to jump for a treat today and yelped after trying to. ACL tears are very common in dogs and it is possible he has some inflammation around his ACL. I would hold of on the jumping for treats, running, and any activity where there is fast movements with quick turns. If Charlie still is experiencing this issue after a few weeks without these activities, I would visit your veterinarian for an exam and x-ray. I hope this helps!

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